Online reputation monitoring: an asset for companies

Companies can’t ignore the importance of the web in their marketing and communications strategy. With the explosion of social networks and the multiplication of interaction channels between consumers and brands, online reputation management has become a major issue. In this context, it has become essential for any company wishing to develop its visibility and protect its brand image to monitor its online reputation.

Definition of online reputation monitoring and surveillance

Online reputation monitoring and surveillance are two processes designed to enable companies to know, influence and control the content that concerns them on the Internet.

Online monitoring

Online monitoring consists of collecting and analyzing a range of information from the web, including publications, comments, shares and reviews. This is generally done with the help of specialized tools such as Google Alerts, Hootsuite or Mention. The aim is to quickly identify opportunities and threats to a company’s online reputation.

Online reputation monitoring

Online reputation monitoring is the process of closely following the evolution of information and opinions published on the web, particularly social media, in order to identify and assess risks to a company’s brand image. It can be carried out manually or using automated tools.

The foundations of online reputation monitoring and surveillance

To ensure effective management of its online reputation, a company must put in place a few essential foundations:

• Determining the objectives of monitoring and surveillance: this involves precisely defining the company’s needs, particularly in terms of controlling its brand image, promoting its products or services and preventing crises.
• Identify the scope of monitoring and surveillance: this involves listing and prioritizing the sources of information relevant to the company in terms of their impact on its online reputation (social media, blogs, forums, etc.).
• Set up the information-gathering process: this stage involves selecting the tools best suited to the company’s needs, and setting up an efficient, long-term monitoring and surveillance system.
• Analyze and interpret the results obtained: this involves determining the actions to be taken to preserve and improve the company’s online reputation, as well as regularly evaluating the performance obtained.
• Act accordingly: this final stage consists of implementing the decisions made and verifying their effectiveness through regular monitoring of online reputation.

The benefits of online reputation monitoring and surveillance

Good online reputation management, including a monitoring and surveillance strategy, offers several advantages for a company:

1. Early detection of potential problems or crises: thanks to the information gathered through monitoring, the company can anticipate and better manage threats to its brand image.
2. Reactivity to communication and promotional opportunities: quickly identify online trends, influences and behaviors to create relevant, engaging content and capitalize on news of interest to the target audience.
3. Improved customer relations: by carefully monitoring online comments and discussions, a company can better understand its customers’ expectations and needs, and adapt its communications and products or services accordingly.
4. Optimize your e-reputation: mastering your online reputation improves consumer confidence in your brand, and strengthens your competitive positioning.

Examples of online reputation monitoring tools

To successfully implement their monitoring and surveillance strategy, companies can draw on a range of online tools covering the entire spectrum of actions to be carried out. These include :

• Google Alerts: this is a free service offered by Google that lets you receive personalized e-mail alerts every time a new occurrence appears on the web for a given keyword or phrase.
• Hootsuite: this paid tool offers advanced features for managing social media, including the ability to schedule and publish posts, as well as precisely monitor and analyze the interactions generated by them.
• Mention: this paid solution focuses primarily on monitoring online conversations involving a company or industry, with options for analyzing the sentiment surrounding these discussions and identifying key influencers.
• Talkwalker: this fee-based software specializes in real-time monitoring of all online conversations, with a wide variety of filters and information sources available.

In short, implementing an online reputation watch and monitoring strategy is essential for companies wishing to control their brand image on the web. By anticipating threats and capitalizing on the opportunities they detect through this approach, they can better understand their customers’ expectations and those of the market, develop their visibility and protect their e-reputation.