Buzz Monitoring = Brand Development - Search Engine Watch (SEW)

Every day, people are talking online about your company andproducts. Some discussions are positive; some are negative. The trickis to capitalize on these discussions to build a better brand and linkpopularity.

There are several ways to capitalize on these discussions andproduct mentions. If a discussion is positive, have someone from yourcompany post something showing appreciation -- a simple thank you.Then, perhaps, provide greater insight or additional advice. Even offera special promotion to the other readers. This added bit of attentioncan go a long way to developing a stronger customer base.

Is it a negative conversation? Look at this as an opportunity toresolve a customer problem and develop a better brand image. Peopleexpect problems. It's how the problem is resolved that matters, anddetermines a company's reputation. The online retailer Zappos is famous for this strategy.

Once people see how your company handles positive and negativecomments, they'll be more likely to recommend your product to othersonline (i.e. links) and offline.

To get you started, here are five ways to monitor what people are saying about your company, products, and services.

1. Name/Product/Buzz Monitoring

Set up an alert service for any mentions of your company's name,products, trademarks, and even your competitors. There are several freeand paid alert services. At the very least, sign up for Google Alerts, which is free.

2. Forum & E-mail Newsgroups

Many overlook these as old technology. Just as people still use"good old e-mail," the use of discussion forums and e-mail groups isstill alive and strong. Since some have restricted access, such aslogins and passwords, they may need to be monitored manually. Determinethe key sites to monitor, then hire a high school or college intern tovisit them every day or two. Or hire a low-cost remote worker for thisalert task.

For those serious about their online image and looking for more thana simple alert service, consider paying more for a person knowledgeableof the industry. Then empower them to contribute and get activelyinvolved in the discussions. This is one of the most powerful ways tobuild a solid online brand.

3. Social Media

Some of the alert/buzz monitoring services will help with socialmedia sites. Yet, consider finding a company that specializes in socialmedia monitoring. Some firms have proprietary technology. Others haveset up sophisticated strategies using technology and people. Some evenoffer the service of discussion participation to advance your brand.

Before outsourcing the contribution of online discussion to anothercompany, make sure they're highly knowledgeable and have expertise inyour industry. You're putting your company's reputation in someoneelse's hands, so make sure you trust those hands.

4. Review Sites

There are review sites for just about every product or service, fromgourmet coffee to vacation rentals. Find the key sites for yourindustry/product, then set up a service to monitor them bothautomatically and manually.

Work in a competitive industry with lots of consumer reviews, liketravel? Find a buzz monitoring firm or Internet-savvy PR agency thatspecializes in this for your industry. They will already have servicesset up to monitor key sites like TripAdvisor and the like.

5. Site Analytics -- Referring Sites

Who's talking about your company right now? Site analytics is oftenoverlooked when trying to figure out where new traffic is coming fromby means of links. This is a simple and highly cost-effective way toquickly find new discussions about your company.

Get your company involved in being an active contributor to onlinediscussion to further develop your brand. It's as simple as monitoringwhat people are saying and becoming active in those discussions. At thevery least, you can steer negative discussion into something morepositive.

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