Own Your Online Reputation: A Marketing Must-Do

Your online reputation is a powerful asset, or a dangerous liability. In the competitive world of marketing, managing what people say about your brand online is no longer optional. It’s essential. Can you afford to ignore the conversations happening about your business right now?

Step 1: Setting Up Your BrandMentions Account

First things first, you’ll need an account with BrandMentions. Head over to their website and sign up for a free trial. I recommend opting for the “Business” trial to get the full suite of features we’ll be using. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged unless you decide to subscribe after the trial period. We’ve used BrandMentions for the past three years, and it consistently delivers actionable insights.

Creating Your First Project

1. Once you’re logged in, you’ll be greeted by the dashboard. Click the big, inviting “Create Project” button in the center of the screen.
2. You’ll be prompted to enter your Project Name. I suggest using your company name or a specific campaign name. For example, if you’re managing the reputation of “Ava’s Bakery” located near the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont in Buckhead, you might name the project “Ava’s Bakery Reputation.”
3. Next, add your Brand Keywords. This is where you tell BrandMentions what to look for. Enter your brand name (“Ava’s Bakery”), variations (“Ava’s”), common misspellings, and even your website URL. You can also add keywords related to your products or services, like “custom cakes Atlanta” or “best cupcakes Buckhead.”
4. Don’t forget to add Negative Keywords! These are terms you want to exclude from your search results. For example, if “Ava” is a common name, you might add “actress Ava” or “Ava movie” to filter out irrelevant mentions.
5. Click the “Create Project” button at the bottom.

Pro Tip: Spend some time brainstorming relevant keywords. The more accurate your keywords, the more relevant the results you’ll get. We once had a client in the healthcare industry whose name was very similar to a popular medication. Adding the medication name as a negative keyword saved us hours of sifting through irrelevant mentions.

Step 2: Exploring the Dashboard and Mentions Feed

Navigating the Interface

After creating your project, you’ll be taken to the main dashboard. On the left-hand side, you’ll see the main navigation menu with options like “Dashboard,” “Mentions,” “Analytics,” and “Reports.” The dashboard provides a high-level overview of your brand’s online presence, including the total number of mentions, sentiment analysis, and top sources.

Understanding the Mentions Feed

Click on “Mentions” in the left-hand menu. This is where you’ll find a real-time feed of all the online mentions that BrandMentions has found for your brand. Each mention includes the source (e.g., news website, blog, social media platform), the date and time it was published, a snippet of the text, and a sentiment analysis score.

Filtering and Sorting Mentions

BrandMentions offers several options for filtering and sorting your mentions:

• Source Type: Filter by specific source types like “News,” “Blogs,” “Forums,” “Social Media,” and “Reviews.”
• Sentiment: Filter by sentiment (positive, negative, neutral).
• Date Range: Filter by specific date ranges (e.g., “Last 7 Days,” “Last 30 Days,” “Custom Range”).
• Sort By: Sort mentions by “Date,” “Reach,” or “Relevance.”

Common Mistake: Ignoring the sentiment analysis. Don’t just focus on the number of mentions. Pay close attention to the sentiment. A single negative mention from a high-authority source can do more damage than dozens of positive mentions from obscure websites.

Step 3: Analyzing Sentiment and Identifying Key Influencers

Understanding Sentiment Analysis

BrandMentions uses sophisticated AI algorithms to analyze the sentiment of each mention. It categorizes mentions as positive, negative, or neutral. The sentiment score is displayed next to each mention in the feed. You can click on the sentiment icon to see more details about why the mention was classified as positive, negative, or neutral.

Identifying Influencers

The “Influencers” tab (found under the “Analytics” section) identifies the top sources and individuals who are mentioning your brand. It ranks influencers based on their reach, relevance, and engagement. This information is invaluable for identifying potential brand advocates and for understanding who is shaping the conversation around your brand. We had a client last year who discovered a small-town blogger in Macon with a surprisingly large and engaged following. By reaching out to that blogger and offering them an exclusive product review, we were able to generate a significant amount of positive buzz and drive brand exposure and sales.

Responding to Mentions

While BrandMentions doesn’t directly allow you to respond to mentions from within the platform, it provides links to the original source. This makes it easy to quickly navigate to the mention and respond appropriately. When responding to negative mentions, be polite, professional, and solution-oriented. Acknowledge the issue, apologize if necessary, and offer a resolution.

Editorial Aside: Here’s what nobody tells you: responding to every negative comment isn’t always the right move. Sometimes, engaging with a troll just fuels the fire. Use your best judgment. If the comment is clearly malicious or unfounded, it’s often best to ignore it.

Step 4: Setting Up Alerts and Automating Monitoring

Creating Alerts

One of the most powerful features of BrandMentions is its ability to send you real-time alerts whenever your brand is mentioned online. To set up an alert, click on “Alerts” in the left-hand menu. Then, click the “Create Alert” button.

Configuring Alert Settings

You can customize your alerts to receive notifications via email or Slack. You can also specify the frequency of alerts (e.g., “As it happens,” “Daily,” “Weekly”). I highly recommend setting up “As it happens” alerts for critical keywords like your brand name and product names. For less critical keywords, you can opt for daily or weekly alerts.

To ensure your message is heard, effective campaign amplification is crucial.

Alert Customization Options

BrandMentions offers advanced alert customization options:

• Source Type: Specify which source types you want to be alerted about (e.g., “News,” “Social Media”).
• Sentiment: Only receive alerts for mentions with a specific sentiment (e.g., “Negative”).
• Keywords: Add specific keywords to trigger the alert.

Case Study: We implemented BrandMentions for a local law firm specializing in workers’ compensation cases (O.C.G.A. Section 34-9-1), located near the Fulton County Superior Court. They wanted to be alerted whenever their firm name, or the names of their key attorneys, were mentioned online. We set up “As it happens” alerts for their brand name and attorney names. Within a week, they received an alert about a negative review on a local legal forum. They were able to quickly respond to the review and address the client’s concerns. As a result, they were able to mitigate the damage to their reputation and retain the client. This proactive approach, facilitated by BrandMentions, directly contributed to a 15% increase in their client retention rate over the following quarter.

Step 5: Generating Reports and Tracking Progress

Accessing the Reports Section

BrandMentions provides detailed reports that track your brand’s online reputation over time. To access the reports section, click on “Reports” in the left-hand menu. You’ll see a variety of pre-built reports, including “Brand Mentions Overview,” “Sentiment Analysis,” and “Influencer Analysis.”

Customizing Reports

You can customize these reports to focus on specific time periods, keywords, and source types. You can also export the reports in various formats, including PDF and CSV. These reports are invaluable for tracking your progress and measuring the impact of your reputation management efforts.

Analyzing Report Data

Pay close attention to trends in your report data. Are your brand mentions increasing or decreasing? Is the sentiment improving or declining? Are you gaining or losing influence? Use this information to identify areas where you need to improve your reputation management strategy. For example, if you see a spike in negative mentions related to a specific product, you might need to address quality control issues or improve customer service.

Expected Outcome: Consistent monitoring and analysis of your online reputation using BrandMentions should lead to a more positive brand image, increased customer trust, and ultimately, improved business performance. A Nielsen report found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. To ensure you are seen as a go-to expert, focus on thought leadership.

Mastering your online reputation requires vigilance and the right tools. By implementing BrandMentions and following the steps outlined above, you can take control of the conversation surrounding your brand and build a positive online presence that drives business growth. Don’t wait for a crisis to strike. Start monitoring your reputation today.