In the competitive world of marketing, executive visibility is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. But how do you strategically build a leader’s presence and thought leadership using today’s tools? Can a platform designed for social listening actually become your executive’s personal brand-building powerhouse?
Key Takeaways
- Set up saved searches in BrandMentions BrandMentions to monitor relevant industry keywords, competitor mentions, and your executive’s name.
- Use BrandMentions’ sentiment analysis to gauge public perception of your executive and identify opportunities to address negative feedback or amplify positive sentiment.
- Create automated reports in BrandMentions to track key metrics like brand mentions, reach, and engagement, and share these reports with your executive and internal stakeholders on a regular basis.
Step 1: Setting Up Your BrandMentions Account for Executive Visibility
First things first, you’ll need a BrandMentions account. I recommend starting with the “Growth” plan, which allows for a decent number of mentions and projects. Once you’re logged in, the dashboard might seem a little overwhelming, but don’t worry, we’ll break it down.
1.1: Creating Your First Project
Click the big, friendly “+ New Project” button in the top right corner. Give your project a clear name like “[Executive Name] – Executive Visibility.” For the project URL, you can either use your company’s website or, if your executive has a personal website or blog, use that. This helps BrandMentions understand the context of your monitoring.
Pro Tip: If your executive is active on multiple social media platforms, create separate projects for each platform to get more granular insights.
1.2: Defining Your Keywords
This is where the magic happens. You need to tell BrandMentions what to listen for. Think beyond just your executive’s name. Consider these categories:
- Name Variations: “[Executive Name],” “[First Name] [Last Name],” “[Executive’s Initials] [Last Name]”
- Job Title: “Chief Marketing Officer,” “CEO,” “Head of Innovation” (and variations)
- Company Name: “[Your Company Name]”
- Industry Keywords: “AI in Marketing,” “Sustainable Business Practices,” “Digital Transformation” (whatever aligns with your executive’s expertise)
- Competitor Mentions: Names of competing executives or companies (this helps you understand the competitive landscape)
Enter these keywords into the “Keywords” field, separating each with a comma. BrandMentions uses boolean operators, so you can get fancy later with “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” if you want to refine your searches further. For now, keep it simple.
Common Mistake: Forgetting to include common misspellings of your executive’s name. I had a client last year, “Catherine Smith,” whose name was frequently misspelled as “Katherine Smith.” Missing those mentions is a missed opportunity.
1.3: Selecting Your Sources
BrandMentions pulls data from a wide range of sources, including news sites, blogs, forums, and social media platforms. In the “Sources” section, you can choose which sources to monitor. I recommend selecting “All Sources” to start, as this will give you the broadest view. Later, you can refine this based on your budget and the platforms where your executive is most likely to be mentioned.
Expected Outcome: After setting up your project, BrandMentions will start crawling the web and gathering mentions related to your keywords. This may take a few hours or even a day to populate initially.
Step 2: Analyzing Mentions and Sentiment
Once BrandMentions has gathered some data, it’s time to analyze the mentions and understand the sentiment surrounding your executive.
2.1: Navigating the Mentions Feed
Click on your project name in the dashboard to access the mentions feed. This is a chronological list of all the mentions BrandMentions has found. You can filter the feed by source, date, and sentiment. Take some time to scroll through the feed and get a sense of the types of mentions that are being captured.
Pro Tip: Use the “Highlight Keywords” feature (located at the top of the mentions feed) to quickly identify mentions that contain your target keywords.
2.2: Understanding Sentiment Analysis
BrandMentions uses AI-powered sentiment analysis to automatically classify mentions as positive, negative, or neutral. This is a powerful tool for understanding public perception of your executive. The sentiment score is displayed next to each mention in the feed. Click on the sentiment score to see the AI’s reasoning behind the classification.
Common Mistake: Relying solely on the automated sentiment analysis. While it’s generally accurate, it’s important to manually review mentions, especially those with borderline sentiment scores, to ensure accuracy. Sarcasm, for example, can often be missed by AI.
Expected Outcome: You should be able to quickly identify positive and negative mentions related to your executive and understand the context behind them.
2.3: Identifying Opportunities for Engagement
The real value of BrandMentions comes from using the data to identify opportunities for engagement. Look for these types of mentions:
- Positive Mentions: Amplify these mentions by sharing them on social media or featuring them on your company’s website.
- Negative Mentions: Address these mentions promptly and professionally. Offer a sincere apology or clarification, if appropriate.
- Questions or Comments: Respond to questions or comments from customers or industry peers. This demonstrates your executive’s expertise and willingness to engage.
- Industry Discussions: Participate in relevant industry discussions and position your executive as a thought leader.
We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. Our CEO was mentioned in a negative article on a local Atlanta business blog, criticizing our firm’s involvement in a controversial development project near the Chattahoochee River. Instead of ignoring it, we drafted a thoughtful response that addressed the concerns raised in the article and highlighted our firm’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The response was published as a guest post on the blog, and it helped to mitigate the negative publicity and restore our CEO’s reputation. Remember, O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-39 makes libel a serious offense, so be measured in your responses.
| Feature | Executive Visibility Program (Internal) | Basic Media Monitoring | BrandMentions Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Mention Tracking | ✗ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Sentiment Analysis | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Competitor Executive Tracking | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Influencer Identification | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Automated Reporting | ✗ No | Partial | ✓ Yes |
| Social Media Monitoring | Partial | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Alert Customization | ✗ No | Partial | ✓ Yes |
Step 3: Automating Reporting and Alerts
Manually monitoring BrandMentions every day can be time-consuming. Fortunately, BrandMentions offers powerful automation features to streamline the process.
3.1: Setting Up Email Alerts
Click on the “Alerts” tab in the left-hand navigation menu. Here, you can create email alerts that notify you whenever new mentions are found. You can customize the alerts based on keywords, sentiment, and source. I recommend setting up daily or weekly alerts for high-priority keywords and negative mentions.
Pro Tip: Use the “Digest” option to receive a single email containing all the mentions from the past day or week, rather than receiving individual emails for each mention.
3.2: Creating Automated Reports
BrandMentions’ reporting features allow you to track key metrics and visualize the data. Click on the “Reports” tab in the left-hand navigation menu. You can create custom reports that track metrics like:
- Number of Mentions: Overall volume of mentions over time.
- Reach: Estimated audience size of the mentions.
- Sentiment: Percentage of positive, negative, and neutral mentions.
- Top Sources: Websites and social media platforms where your executive is being mentioned most frequently.
Schedule these reports to be automatically generated and emailed to you and your executive on a regular basis (e.g., weekly or monthly). This will keep everyone informed of the progress of your executive visibility efforts.
Common Mistake: Forgetting to customize the reports to focus on the most relevant metrics. Don’t just include every available metric; focus on the ones that are most important to your executive and your company’s goals. The Fulton County Superior Court doesn’t care how many likes your CEO gets.
3.3: Integrating with Other Tools
BrandMentions integrates with other marketing tools, such as Google Analytics and social media management platforms. This allows you to seamlessly incorporate your executive visibility data into your overall marketing strategy. Check the “Integrations” section in the settings menu for a list of available integrations.
Expected Outcome: You’ll have a system in place to automatically monitor mentions, track key metrics, and generate reports, freeing up your time to focus on other marketing tasks.
Step 4: Refining Your Strategy
Executive visibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. As you gather data and analyze your results, you’ll need to refine your strategy to maximize your impact.
4.1: Tracking Your Progress
Regularly review your reports and identify trends. Are your executive’s mentions increasing over time? Is the sentiment improving? Are you seeing more engagement on social media? Use this data to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
4.2: Adjusting Your Keywords
As your executive’s role evolves and the industry changes, you may need to adjust your keywords. Add new keywords to reflect your executive’s new areas of expertise or to capture emerging industry trends. Remove keywords that are no longer relevant.
4.3: Engaging with Influencers
Identify influencers in your industry and engage with them on social media. Share their content, comment on their posts, and invite them to collaborate on projects. Building relationships with influencers can significantly amplify your executive’s reach and influence.
Pro Tip: Use BrandMentions to identify influencers who are already mentioning your executive or your company. These are the easiest influencers to engage with, as they are already familiar with your brand.
4.4: Creating Content
One of the most effective ways to build executive visibility is to create high-quality content that showcases your executive’s expertise. This could include blog posts, articles, white papers, videos, or podcasts. Share this content on your company’s website and social media channels, and encourage your executive to share it on their personal channels as well. After all, becoming a thought leader is key to long-term success.
Expected Outcome: Your executive’s visibility will increase over time, leading to increased brand awareness, improved reputation, and more opportunities for thought leadership. A IAB report found that executives who actively participate in thought leadership see a 20% increase in brand trust among consumers.
BrandMentions isn’t just a social listening tool; it’s a strategic asset for building and protecting your executive’s brand. By following these steps, you can transform data into actionable insights that drive real results.
For those looking to expand their reach, leveraging podcast booking can be a game changer. It’s time to make your executive a recognized leader in the industry. To truly stand out, it’s crucial to position your brand effectively.
Don’t let your executive’s expertise remain hidden. Start using BrandMentions today to amplify their voice and build a powerful brand presence. The key is consistent monitoring, analysis, and engagement. It’s time to make your executive a recognized leader in the industry.
How often should I check BrandMentions?
I recommend checking BrandMentions at least once a day, especially if you have email alerts set up. This will allow you to respond to negative mentions or engage with positive mentions in a timely manner.
What if I’m getting too many irrelevant mentions?
Refine your keywords using boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow down your search. You can also exclude specific websites or social media platforms from your monitoring.
How accurate is BrandMentions’ sentiment analysis?
BrandMentions’ sentiment analysis is generally accurate, but it’s not perfect. It’s important to manually review mentions, especially those with borderline sentiment scores, to ensure accuracy.
Can I use BrandMentions to track my competitors?
Yes, you can use BrandMentions to track your competitors’ mentions and sentiment. This can help you understand their strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities to differentiate your own brand.
Is BrandMentions worth the investment?
For businesses that are serious about executive visibility and brand reputation management, BrandMentions is definitely worth the investment. The insights you gain from the platform can help you improve your marketing strategy, build stronger relationships with customers, and protect your brand from negative publicity.
Don’t let your executive’s expertise remain hidden. Start using BrandMentions today to amplify their voice and build a powerful brand presence. The key is consistent monitoring, analysis, and engagement. It’s time to make your executive a recognized leader in the industry.
