Sentiment Analysis: Find PR Crises Before They Explode

Navigating the ever-shifting sands of digital marketing requires more than just intuition; it demands a data-driven approach. We’re not just talking about tracking clicks and conversions, but truly understanding the conversations surrounding your brand. This tutorial will show you how to use BrandMentions BrandMentions, a powerful tool for news analysis dissecting algorithm changes and emerging platforms. We’ll specifically cover social listening and sentiment analysis tools, marketing insights you can’t afford to ignore. Ready to uncover hidden opportunities and potential crises before they hit?

Step 1: Setting Up Your Project in BrandMentions

1.1 Creating a New Project

First, log in to your BrandMentions BrandMentions account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for a free trial. Once you’re in, you’ll see the main dashboard. Click the large, inviting button labeled “Create New Project” in the center of the screen.

Next, you’ll be prompted to name your project. Be specific and descriptive. For example, if you’re monitoring mentions for “Acme Corp” in Atlanta, GA, a good project name would be “Acme Corp – Atlanta.” Click “Next” to proceed.

1.2 Defining Your Keywords

This is where the magic happens. You need to tell BrandMentions what to look for. Enter your brand name (“Acme Corp” in our example), relevant product names, and even common misspellings. Separate each keyword with a comma. Consider including your CEO’s name or other key personnel, especially if they are publicly visible. Don’t forget relevant hashtags if you’re tracking social media campaigns. I had a client last year who completely missed a negative trending hashtag campaign simply because they forgot to include it in their social listening setup.

Pro Tip: Use the “Add Keyword Groups” feature to organize your keywords into logical categories. This will make your analysis much easier later on. For example, you might have groups for “Brand Name,” “Products,” and “Competitors.”

1.3 Choosing Your Sources

BrandMentions can track mentions across a wide range of sources, from news sites and blogs to social media platforms and forums. On the “Select Sources” screen, you’ll see a list of available sources, categorized by type. You can choose to track all sources or select specific ones. For most brands, I recommend tracking all sources initially to get a comprehensive overview. You can always refine your selection later. A IAB report found that digital ad revenue continues to climb, so you want to make sure you’re covering the entire digital spectrum. Click “Create Project” to finalize your setup.

Common Mistake: Forgetting to include industry-specific forums or websites. If you’re in a niche industry, make sure to manually add these sources to your project. You can do this by clicking the “Add Custom Source” button on the “Select Sources” screen.

Step 2: Understanding the BrandMentions Dashboard

2.1 Navigating the Interface

Once your project is created, you’ll be taken to the main dashboard. The interface is divided into several key sections, accessible via the left-hand navigation menu. You’ll see options like “Mentions Feed,” “Sentiment Analysis,” “Sources,” “Reports,” and “Alerts.”

The “Mentions Feed” is where you’ll see a chronological list of all mentions BrandMentions has found for your keywords. You can filter these mentions by source, sentiment, and date range. The “Sentiment Analysis” section provides an overview of the overall sentiment surrounding your brand, broken down by positive, negative, and neutral mentions.

2.2 Analyzing Sentiment

BrandMentions uses sophisticated algorithms to analyze the sentiment of each mention. While it’s not perfect (no AI is), it’s generally quite accurate. You can manually review and adjust the sentiment of individual mentions in the “Mentions Feed” if you disagree with the automated analysis. To do this, simply click on the mention and select the correct sentiment from the dropdown menu. The accuracy has improved markedly from the older versions, which sometimes struggled with sarcasm. We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm, where the tool misclassified several ironic tweets as positive.

Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the context of each mention when analyzing sentiment. A seemingly positive mention might actually be sarcastic or critical. For example, someone might tweet, “Oh, Acme Corp’s customer service is just amazing,” after a frustrating experience. That’s negative, not positive.

2.3 Exploring Sources and Influencers

The “Sources” section provides a breakdown of where your mentions are coming from. This can help you identify the most important sources for your brand. Are you getting lots of mentions on Twitter but very few on industry blogs? That might indicate an opportunity to improve your outreach efforts. You can also identify key influencers who are talking about your brand. These influencers can be valuable partners for marketing and PR campaigns. According to Nielsen data, consumers still trust recommendations from real people, even influencers, more than traditional advertising.

Step 3: Setting Up Alerts and Reports

3.1 Configuring Alerts

BrandMentions’ alerts feature allows you to receive notifications whenever something important happens. You can set up alerts for specific keywords, sentiment changes, or mention spikes. To create an alert, go to the “Alerts” section and click the “Create New Alert” button. Choose the type of alert you want to create (e.g., “New Mention,” “Sentiment Change,” “Mention Spike”). Then, specify the keywords, sources, and sentiment you want to monitor. Finally, choose how you want to receive notifications (e.g., email, Slack). Here’s what nobody tells you: don’t overdo it with alerts. Too many, and you’ll start ignoring them. Focus on the critical ones.

Common Mistake: Setting up too many alerts. This can lead to alert fatigue and cause you to miss important notifications. Focus on setting up alerts for the most critical keywords and sentiment changes.

3.2 Generating Reports

BrandMentions’ reports feature allows you to generate detailed reports on your brand mentions. You can customize these reports to include specific data points, such as sentiment analysis, source breakdown, and keyword trends. To generate a report, go to the “Reports” section and click the “Create New Report” button. Choose the type of report you want to create (e.g., “Brand Monitoring Report,” “Competitive Analysis Report”). Then, specify the date range and data points you want to include. Finally, choose the format you want to export the report in (e.g., PDF, CSV). A Statista report shows the continued growth of social media users, meaning reports are more important than ever.

Pro Tip: Schedule regular reports to be automatically generated and sent to your team. This will ensure that everyone is kept up-to-date on your brand mentions.

3.3 Case Study: Acme Corp’s Crisis Averted

Let’s say Acme Corp, a fictional company headquartered near the intersection of Peachtree and Lenox Roads in Buckhead, launches a new product that receives mixed reviews. Using BrandMentions, they set up alerts for “Acme Corp Product X” and “Acme Corp Product X review.” Within a week, they receive an alert about a sudden spike in negative mentions on a popular Atlanta-based tech blog. The blog post accuses the product of violating O.C.G.A. Section 16-9-93, the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act, due to a potential data breach. This could lead to lawsuits in Fulton County Superior Court. Acme Corp’s PR team immediately investigates the issue, confirms the vulnerability, and releases a patch within 24 hours. They then proactively reach out to the tech blogger and offer an exclusive interview with their CTO. As a result, the negative mentions quickly subside, and Acme Corp avoids a major PR crisis. Without BrandMentions’ timely alerts, the situation could have spiraled out of control.

Step 4: Integrating with Other Marketing Tools

4.1 Connecting to Google Analytics

BrandMentions integrates with Google Analytics, allowing you to track the impact of your brand mentions on your website traffic. To connect your BrandMentions account to Google Analytics, go to the “Integrations” section in your account settings and follow the instructions. Once connected, you’ll be able to see how your brand mentions are driving traffic to your website and influencing your conversion rates.

4.2 Connecting to Social Media Management Platforms

BrandMentions also integrates with several popular social media management platforms, such as Hootsuite and Buffer. This allows you to respond to brand mentions directly from your social media management dashboard. To connect your BrandMentions account to your social media management platform, go to the “Integrations” section in your account settings and follow the instructions.

4.3 Using the BrandMentions API

For advanced users, BrandMentions offers a powerful API that allows you to integrate its data into your own applications and workflows. The API provides access to all of BrandMentions’ data, including mentions, sentiment analysis, and source information. You can use the API to build custom dashboards, automate reporting, and create unique marketing applications.

Step 5: Staying Updated with Algorithm Changes

5.1 Monitoring Industry News

Staying informed about algorithm changes on social media platforms and search engines is crucial for effective social listening and sentiment analysis. BrandMentions can help you monitor industry news by tracking relevant keywords, such as “Google algorithm update” or “Meta algorithm change.” By monitoring these keywords, you can stay ahead of the curve and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. I recommend setting up specific alerts for these terms.

5.2 Analyzing the Impact of Algorithm Changes

When an algorithm change is announced, it’s important to analyze its potential impact on your brand mentions. Are you seeing a sudden drop in mentions from a particular source? Is the sentiment surrounding your brand changing? By carefully analyzing these trends, you can identify potential problems and take corrective action. For example, if Meta changes its algorithm, prioritizing short-form video, you should adjust your content strategy accordingly.

5.3 Adapting Your Strategy

The digital marketing world is constantly evolving. What works today might not work tomorrow. By using BrandMentions to monitor news analysis dissecting algorithm changes and emerging platforms, you can stay ahead of the curve and adapt your marketing strategy to the latest trends. Remember, the goal is not just to track mentions but to understand the conversations surrounding your brand and use that knowledge to make better decisions. The best way to ensure success is to future-proof your marketing strategy.

BrandMentions is more than just a social listening tool; it’s a strategic asset. By actively monitoring your brand’s online presence and adapting to algorithm changes, you can protect your reputation, identify new opportunities, and ultimately drive business growth. Start using BrandMentions today to turn online conversations into actionable insights.