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Businesses need to consistently maintain a positive image in the digital space. Because today, consumers have the scope to voice their opinions on multiple platforms. Only by staying relevant in these conversations can brands stay ahead of the competition. This is why Brand Monitoring is so significant for businesses. 

The strategy is simple. Keep a pulse on your brand’s image, which will lead you to trends and issues related to your business. Use these findings to refine your Brand Sentiment. While doing so, you will develop trust and loyalty among your users. That’s the summary. However, in this blog, we will discuss in detail what Brand Monitoring is, how it affects Brand Sentiment, and what steps you can take to improve both.    

Brand Monitoring

Let’s say you own a food truck business. Somewhere on Instagram, a conversion on fast food items has sparked, and someone mentions your business in the comments. Now, one comment might not mean something. However, imagine a thousand comments across multiple conversations. That should grab your attention. Brand Monitoring is simply keeping track of consumer conversations regarding your brand on multiple platforms. Platforms aren’t just Facebook, Instagram, or other social handles but also blogs, forums, and review sites. 

The result is to gather Consumer Insights. Remember, it’s not about whether people are talking positively or negatively about your brand. The question is, are they even talking about it in the first place? But to scour the internet for such information is very tedious. So, you need the help of Online Brand Monitoring and Social Media Listening Tools. These tools bring you twice the result with not even half the effort. 

Understanding Brand Sentiment

Brand Sentiment answers the question, “What do customers think about my brand?” It is the overall perception of customers of your business, expressed through online discussions. Brands that have a positive customer perception tend to have high Sentiment Scores. This also implies that there is scope for increased brand commitment and sales. 

Social Media Sentiment is a part of the Brand Sentiment umbrella. It’s no secret that customers like to give feedback on social platforms. Feedback can range from positive to extremely critical. The purpose of analyzing these sentiments is to get actionable Customer Insights like - 

1. Understand whether the brand message resonates with the target audience
2. What are the flaws in the current services provided by the brand
3. What are the strong points of the brand in the eyes of the customers

How to Improve Brand Sentiment

Ensuring good Brand Sentiment requires consistent effort and adjustment. However, there are certain strategies that can ease the process - 

1. Utilize Online Brand Monitoring

To identify trends and potential issues before they escalate, you need to track every mention of your business. Online Brand Monitoring can help with that. There are tons of Social Media Listening Tools that can gauge conversation tones and give you a quick Sentiment Score in real-time. If you want recommendations, there are Zoho Social, Brandwatch, DeepDive, and BuzzSumo.   

2. Active Engagement with Target Audience

If you are late to respond to customer feedback or queries, chances are you will end up with a low Sentiment Score. People don’t like to be avoided. Active and timely interaction with customers will always lead to positive Brand Sentiment. This gives customers a sense of importance. It not only improves Social Media Sentiment but also builds trust in your brand. Even a potentially negative situation can be turned in your favor if you are active with your responses. 

3. Analyze Customer Insights

Brand perception is a very broad term. There are specific factors that contribute to it. First, you will have to identify the relevant factors that contribute to your Brand Sentiment using Customer Insights. For instance, in a restaurant’s case, it could be pricing or the ambiance of the place. So, data collected from Brand Monitoring can help refine your approach to shaping a better customer experience. 

4. Social Media Listening Tools are a Blessing

Social Media Listening Tools, such as Zoho Social or DeepDive, break down customer conversations into different variables. Based on your performance across these variables, you get a Sentiment Score. This helps you understand your position in the consumers’ perceptual mapping and find room for improvement. 

How do Modern Tools Help to Enhance Brand Monitoring and Brand Sentiment

Modern tools can provide comprehensive Brand Monitoring solutions for your business. Here’s how - 

1. Real-Time Data Collection: These tools have advanced Online Brand Monitoring abilities. They can scour news, blogs, and forums like Reddit, within minutes. So, you get a bird’s eye view of your brand’s image. 
2. Capture Conversation Nuances: To understand customer sentiment, you need to capture the nuances of conversations. A comment could have two different meanings in different contexts. Social Media Listening Tools can capture these nuances almost accurately. 
3. Comprehensive Insights and Analytics: These modern tools can help get specific Customer Insights and not just generic comments on social media. So, you get a more concrete understanding of your Brand Sentiment. Also, a detailed Sentiment Score dashboard helps you to track perception changes over time. So, you get to stay ahead of the competition. 

In short, these tools can help your brands streamline your Brand Monitoring efforts while taking actionable steps that enhance your Brand Sentiment. So, you get to remain agile in such a dynamic digital landscape. 

Best Steps for Effective Brand Monitoring

If you want to improve your Brand Sentiment, try out the following practices - 

1. Define Your Objectives: Know your KPIs before formulating strategies. What is it that you want to achieve with your Brand Monitoring efforts? It could be to specifically enhance Social Media Sentiment or achieve an overall Sentiment Score. 
2. Integrate Multiple Data Sources: Do not rely on a single tool when there’s a plethora of them out there. A variety of Social Media Listening tools can give you a more holistic view of your online presence. 
3. Regularly Analyze Data: Be consistent with your analysis of Customer Insights and Sentiment Score. So, you will always be able to detect trends and patterns and update your strategy accordingly.  
4. Engage Proactively: Maintain a proactive approach with your audience using the data gathered from Online Brand Monitoring. Customers always appreciate spontaneous responses, which improves your Brand Sentiment.

Conclusion

Remember that your business is a part of a highly competitive marketplace. So, being good at Brand Monitoring and constantly improving Brand Sentiment is a bare minimum now. Invest more in learning about advanced Online Brand Monitoring tactics and acquiring modern Social Media Listening Tools. 

A good Sentiment Score benefits you in many ways. It means that you have a positive Brand Sentiment, which means that customers have trust in your services and will be willing to at least try out any future product you release. So, start your journey to master Brand Monitoring today!

If you have trouble collecting Customer Insights or improving your Sentiment Score, let us help you.