By Jill Pyle
Media monitoring tasks vary in complexity. Some clients are interested only in knowing when and where their company or products are mentioned while others require close monitoring of issues related to their business, technology and competitors.
With more publications moving online and new blogs popping up every day, there is an increasing amount of information we media monitors must sort through. By commissioning us to sort through and make sense of the wealth of media coverage that is produced each day, our clients can focus on what they do best without losing track of the media coverage that is affecting their business.
Knowing just how overwhelming some media monitoring tasks can be, I thought I’d share some tips for maximizing the value of your media monitoring efforts.
Understand your client’s story
In order to be an effective media monitor, you need to understand your client. A list of keywords is not nearly enough. You should have a clear sense of what the company does, to whom it markets, and who buys its products or services. Having in-depth knowledge about a client and its business will allow you to make informed decisions when sorting through mountains of media coverage.
Collaborate on keywords
Keywords aren’t everything but they certainly play a key role when it comes to media monitoring. Your keyword list will either broaden or narrow the focus of your monitoring efforts. If you select terms that are too broad, you’ll have difficulty finding the important stuff. If the terms are too specific, you’ll likely miss some of the important stuff. Needless to say, each keyword added to your list should be given careful consideration.
It’s pretty much a given that all clients will want you to monitor their company name, product names and the names of key representatives or spokespeople. Don’t forget to ask them what else is important. Work with each client to develop a comprehensive list of keywords and make sure to get approval on the final list. Whenever possible, avoid selecting common terms and acronyms that have multiple meanings. Revisit the keyword list often and continuously refine it.
Know what issues are important
Monitoring for client coverage is just the beginning of most monitoring efforts. In our business, many clients want to know how the media are covering similar technology providers or direct competitors. No matter how well you think you know your client, be sure to confirm your thoughts about what issues are important to monitor. Throughout the course of your program, work with clients to adjust monitoring efforts as new issues arise or priorities change.
Offer context
Beyond highlighting where relevant media coverage has appeared, media monitors should be able to provide context to the media coverage they highlight. You should know how to identify the level of authority each media outlet holds. This is especially important when you’re monitoring for blog coverage. Like media outlets, not all blogs are created equal. With many clients still unsure of how they should be reacting or interacting with blogs, it’s important for you to be able to help them keep things in perspective.
There’s a lot more to be said about media monitoring but I’ll leave you with these tips for now. If you have any additional tips, be sure to share them in the comment section.
