Session 6

Conducting Social brand benchmarking

Social brand benchmarking is the process of comparing a brand's performance across social media platforms to its competitors or industry standards. This analysis helps brands identify their strengths and weaknesses, understand customer sentiments, and determine opportunities for growth. It enables brands to assess how they are performing in terms of social engagement, visibility, and effectiveness compared to others in their industry.

1. Establish Objectives and Key Metrics

Before you start benchmarking, it’s essential to define the goals of the process. Are you looking to improve engagement, brand awareness, or customer sentiment? Setting specific objectives will help you identify which metrics are most important to track.

Common Social Media Metrics for Benchmarking:

• Reach and Impressions: How many people saw your content?

• Engagement (Likes, Shares, Comments, etc.): How much interaction does your content generate?

• Follower Growth: Are your social media followers increasing or decreasing over time?

• Sentiment Analysis: What is the general sentiment of the audience towards your brand (positive, negative, or neutral)?

• Share of Voice: How much of the conversation within your industry or sector is dominated by your brand compared to competitors?

• Content Performance: Which types of content (videos, images, blog posts, etc.) are performing the best?

2. Select Competitors or Industry Leaders

You need to identify the key competitors or leaders within your industry. Select a few companies or brands that you believe have a strong social media presence or are direct competitors to your own brand. It is also beneficial to consider other brands that may not directly compete but excel in the social media realm.

Consider the following when choosing competitors:

• Direct competitors: Brands that offer similar products or services in the same market.

• Indirect competitors: Brands that serve the same target audience but offer different products or services.

• Industry leaders: Well-established brands that set benchmarks in your industry.

• Emerging brands: Companies that have gained traction recently but are showing potential growth.

3. Analyze and Collect Data

Once you've selected the brands to benchmark against, begin collecting data from their social media profiles. Key areas to focus on during data collection include:

• Social Media Platforms Used: Which platforms are your competitors active on (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, etc.)? Are there any platforms that your brand is not utilizing but competitors are?

• Posting Frequency: How often do competitors post content? This will help you understand their content strategy and how consistent their messaging is.

• Content Themes and Types: What kind of content do they post? Are they focused on visuals, videos, educational content, user-generated content, or promotional material?

• Hashtag Usage: Which hashtags are they using frequently, and how effective are they in terms of reach and engagement?

• Influencer Partnerships: Are competitors collaborating with influencers? What is the scale and success of these partnerships?

Tools for data collection:

• Social Media Analytics Platforms: Tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Brandwatch provide insights into competitor performance.

• Social Listening Tools: Tools such as BuzzSumo, Mention, and Talkwalker can help monitor mentions of your brand and competitors.

• Google Alerts: You can set up alerts to monitor online discussions about competitors' brands.

4. Assess Performance

Once you've gathered the data, it's time to analyze the metrics. This step involves comparing your brand's performance with that of your competitors, focusing on areas that align with your business goals.

Key Areas to Assess:

• Engagement Rate: Is your brand's engagement rate higher or lower than your competitors'? A higher engagement rate typically indicates more interest and interaction with your content.

• Content Effectiveness: Which types of posts (video, images, etc.) perform better for you and your competitors? Are your competitors getting more comments or shares on a specific type of content?

• Sentiment: What are people saying about your brand versus your competitors’? Conduct sentiment analysis to gauge the overall perception of your brand.

• Audience Demographics: Are your competitors reaching a different audience segment compared to you? Understanding the demographics of your competitors' followers can provide insights into possible gaps or missed opportunities in your own audience targeting.

• Share of Voice: Analyze the volume of mentions your brand and competitors are getting. A larger share of voice indicates greater influence within the market.

5. Identify Gaps and Opportunities

Based on the data you’ve analyzed, identify gaps in your social media strategy compared to competitors. Are there any key areas where you are underperforming? Is there an opportunity to capitalize on a specific social media platform where your competitors have a smaller presence?

Questions to consider:

• Are there emerging trends that competitors are capitalizing on that you are not?

• Are competitors gaining more engagement through influencer partnerships or user-generated content?

• Is there a certain type of content (video, behind-the-scenes, etc.) that is generating more positive engagement for your competitors?

6. Develop Actionable Insights

Based on the benchmarking results, create an actionable plan to improve your brand's performance on social media. Your action plan might include:

• Posting frequency adjustments: Increase or decrease your posting frequency depending on competitors' strategies and audience engagement.

• Content diversification: Introduce new content types or enhance existing content to engage your audience more effectively.

• Hashtag strategy: Adopt more relevant or trending hashtags to increase your visibility.

• Influencer partnerships: Start collaborations with influencers or brand ambassadors to increase your reach and brand authority.

7. Track and Measure Improvement Over Time

Benchmarking is not a one-time process. Regularly track your brand's performance to ensure that the improvements you’ve implemented are making an impact. Set new goals based on the progress and adjust your strategy accordingly. Tools like Google Analytics, Hootsuite Insights, or Sprout Social can help track the ongoing progress of your social media campaigns.

Key Actions for Ongoing Monitoring:

• Set quarterly or monthly reviews to track changes in performance.

• Monitor changes in social media trends and adjust your strategy.

• Perform SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for continuous improvements.

8. Benchmark Against Industry Trends

Lastly, it’s important to stay updated with broader social media trends. Participate in industry events, surveys, and webinars, and continuously monitor industry leaders and global social media developments to ensure that your brand stays competitive.

Conclusion

Social brand benchmarking is a crucial process for understanding how your brand is performing on social media in comparison to others in your industry. By collecting data, analyzing performance, identifying gaps, and implementing actionable insights, you can refine your social media strategy to improve your brand’s reach, engagement, and overall success.

Use of Online data for crisis anticipation

In the digital age, brands, governments, and organizations have unprecedented access to vast amounts of real-time data from online platforms. This data can be a valuable tool for anticipating and managing crises before they escalate, offering early warning signs and enabling proactive responses.

Crisis anticipation involves monitoring online activity to detect potential risks or emerging issues, enabling timely interventions to mitigate the damage. Here's a breakdown of how online data can be used for crisis anticipation:

1. Social Media Monitoring and Social Listening

Social Media is one of the most powerful sources of real-time data. Monitoring and analyzing social media conversations through social listening tools allows you to identify rising concerns, sentiments, or rumors that could signal an impending crisis. By tracking mentions of your brand, industry, key influencers, and even related topics, you can detect patterns or early signs of trouble.

Steps:

• Track Brand Mentions: Use tools like Brandwatch, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social to monitor mentions of your brand across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

• Monitor Trending Topics: Keep an eye on popular hashtags or keywords that might be related to potential threats, controversies, or issues.

• Analyze Sentiment: Use sentiment analysis tools to gauge whether conversations around your brand or industry are turning negative. A shift from positive to negative sentiment can signal dissatisfaction or frustration that could escalate into a crisis.

Example:

• A company could detect a spike in negative sentiment around product quality on Twitter before customers begin filing complaints in large volumes. This early detection allows the company to address issues promptly, minimizing long-term damage.

2. Online News and Media Monitoring

Online news sites, blogs, and forums often break stories that could lead to a crisis before they reach traditional media. Using media monitoring tools, organizations can track mentions of their brand, industry, or relevant topics on a global scale. Keeping an eye on news trends, particularly in niche or specialized outlets, helps identify emerging threats early.

Steps:

• Set Up Alerts: Use tools like Google Alerts, Meltwater, or Mention to receive notifications of breaking news and trends related to your brand or sector.

• Track Key Media Outlets: Monitor both mainstream and specialized media outlets for early signs of negative reporting, whistleblower stories, or investigations that could cause reputational harm.

• Analyze Headlines: Look for headlines that could indicate brewing crises, such as negative exposure of your company, industry-wide scandals, or adverse regulations.

Example:

• If an investigative journalist starts publishing pieces about a potential issue with your product or service, detecting these articles early can allow you to prepare a response strategy before the story goes viral.

3. Web and Forum Scraping

In addition to social media and news outlets, discussions on forums, review sites, and blogs can also provide valuable insights into potential crises. Web scraping tools allow organizations to gather and analyze data from a wide range of online platforms, including product review sites like Yelp, Trustpilot, and Reddit, as well as niche forums and communities.

Steps:

• Scrape Reviews and Ratings: Monitor online review platforms to identify recurring complaints or issues. A sudden rise in negative reviews could signal a developing crisis.

• Monitor Niche Forums: Industry-specific forums or public discussion platforms like Reddit may contain early discussions that can help detect customer concerns that haven’t yet gone mainstream.

• Track Competitor Feedback: Look at competitor feedback as well, which may reveal trends or issues that could spill over into your industry, affecting your brand.

Example:

• A rise in complaints about a particular feature of a product on a forum like Reddit could be an early indicator of dissatisfaction that could escalate into a public relations crisis.

4. Google Trends and Search Data

Search behavior can provide valuable insights into the evolving interests and concerns of the public. Google Trends and search data analysis can help organizations anticipate crises by identifying spikes in searches related to their brand or industry.

Steps:

• Analyze Search Queries: Monitor spikes in search queries that are related to negative topics, such as “lawsuit,” “recall,” or “scandal” along with your brand name.

• Monitor Competitor Searches: Keeping an eye on competitors’ search trends can also reveal potential risks in the marketplace that may indirectly affect your organization.

Example:

• A significant uptick in searches for your product paired with keywords like “unsafe” or “dangerous” can alert you to a developing crisis concerning product safety or public perception.

5. Consumer Reviews and Feedback Analysis

Consumers frequently leave feedback or express their concerns through online reviews, surveys, and comment sections. Analyzing this feedback regularly can provide an early warning system for potential crises.

Steps:

• Survey Monitoring: Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform to analyze customer feedback and identify negative trends.

• Review Aggregators: Regularly check review aggregator sites to detect signs of dissatisfaction. Negative reviews can serve as a precursor to broader public outrage if left unaddressed.

Example:

• If a company receives a series of negative reviews regarding a specific product issue, addressing it early can prevent the problem from becoming a larger-scale crisis, such as a product recall or public backlash.

6. AI and Predictive Analytics

AI-powered tools can process large datasets from social media, news articles, blogs, and consumer feedback, offering predictive insights into potential crises. By using machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics, you can identify patterns that are likely to lead to a crisis.

Steps:

• Sentiment Analysis: Use AI tools to analyze the sentiment of conversations about your brand across various platforms. This can give you an indication of how public opinion is shifting, especially in a negative direction.

• Trend Prediction: Predictive tools can help identify emerging trends that could impact your reputation or business, enabling proactive crisis management.

Example:

• AI tools could detect a growing trend of negative sentiment across multiple social channels, warning you of a potential crisis related to your corporate policies or public image.

7. Crisis Simulation and Scenario Planning

Using online data to simulate different crisis scenarios is another way to prepare for potential risks. By analyzing patterns in online data, organizations can create crisis scenarios and develop response strategies.

Steps:

• Simulate Potential Scenarios: Use historical online data to create hypothetical crisis situations (e.g., product recall, social media backlash) and develop a set of responses for each.

• Monitor Real-Time Data: Track and assess real-time data as it unfolds to test the effectiveness of crisis response plans.

Example:

• A company could simulate a PR crisis involving a high-profile social media backlash, based on previous incidents tracked through online data, and create a response strategy before an actual incident occurs.

8. Crisis Response and Reputation Management

Once online data signals a potential crisis, organizations can use the insights to plan their crisis communication and reputation management strategies. Timely, transparent, and proactive responses are critical in limiting damage and restoring public trust.

Steps:

• Create a Crisis Communication Plan: Ensure that you have predefined protocols for communication across all platforms in case of a crisis.

• Engage with Your Audience: Respond quickly and appropriately to concerns raised online, whether through social media, blog posts, or press releases.

Example:

• If a product safety issue is detected early through online reviews, the brand can swiftly issue a recall notice and engage in transparent communication with customers to prevent negative publicity from spreading.

Using Online Data for Crisis Anticipation: A Detailed Approach

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the ability to anticipate and manage potential crises before they escalate is essential for protecting a brand’s reputation, operational continuity, and consumer trust. The vast amount of online data generated daily from social media platforms, news outlets, blogs, forums, and review sites provides valuable insights that organizations can use to detect early warning signs of emerging crises. By utilizing tools and techniques to track, analyze, and respond to this data in real time, brands can be proactive rather than reactive.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how online data can be used for crisis anticipation:

1. Social Media Monitoring and Social Listening

Social media platforms are often the first places where public sentiment or dissatisfaction manifests. Monitoring and analyzing conversations across these platforms can provide early indicators of potential issues that could develop into full-scale crises. Social listening tools track discussions, mentions, and trends related to your brand, competitors, industry, or related keywords, helping to detect any negative shifts in sentiment or public opinion.

Steps:

• Track Brand Mentions: Set up alerts for your brand name, key executives, products, and even competitors using social listening tools like Brandwatch, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social. This helps to immediately identify when there’s an uptick in mentions, especially negative ones.

• Monitor Trending Topics: Keep an eye on trending hashtags or keywords associated with your brand, products, or industry to detect emerging issues early.

• Sentiment Analysis: Sentiment analysis tools can track the tone of conversations (positive, negative, or neutral) related to your brand. A sudden shift in sentiment from positive to negative can signal growing discontent or a potential crisis.

• Crisis Indicators: Pay attention to spikes in negative posts, complaints, or mentions of sensitive issues like safety concerns, ethical issues, or regulatory violations.

Example: A company may use social listening to detect a growing number of complaints about a defect in their product before it becomes a viral issue. By catching this early, they can issue a recall or response before the issue becomes widespread.

2. Online News and Media Monitoring

News outlets, blogs, and digital publications are often the first to report on issues that can turn into a crisis. Monitoring online news helps identify when a story about your brand is developing, whether it's related to product defects, employee misconduct, or negative press coverage.

Steps:

• Set Up Media Alerts: Use tools like Meltwater, Google Alerts, or Cision to track mentions of your brand or key personnel in online news outlets. Setting up alerts for specific keywords associated with potential risks (such as "lawsuit," "regulation," or "investigation") can help you stay informed.

• Track Industry News: Monitor news sources not just for your own brand but for developments in the broader industry that may affect your reputation. For instance, news of government regulations, competitor scandals, or shifts in industry practices can indicate potential risks.

• Look for Patterns in Coverage: A pattern of negative news or an escalating story can signal an impending crisis. If multiple media outlets start reporting similar concerns or issues related to your company, it’s a sign that the problem is gaining traction.

Example: If an investigation into a competitor's practices is reported, your monitoring tools can alert you to potential reputational risks, especially if the issue is related to safety or regulatory compliance, which could affect the entire industry.

3. Web Scraping and Forum Monitoring

People often express dissatisfaction, ask questions, or share opinions on forums, online review sites, and specialized discussion boards. Scraping this web data can provide insights into customer perceptions and concerns that have not yet been picked up by mainstream social media or news outlets.

Steps:

• Monitor Review Platforms: Use tools like Trustpilot, Yelp, or Google Reviews to aggregate and analyze user feedback on your products or services. A sudden increase in negative reviews can signal dissatisfaction that could develop into a larger issue.

• Track Niche Communities and Forums: Monitor discussion platforms like Reddit, Quora, or industry-specific forums. These platforms often host candid discussions about products, services, or industry trends, and can reveal dissatisfaction or emerging problems before they go viral.

• Analyze Complaints and Feedback: Pay attention to repeated complaints or concerns. A recurring issue or comment could be a sign of a broader problem, such as a product defect or service breakdown, that could lead to a crisis if not addressed.

Example: If users in a popular online forum begin discussing potential hazards in using a particular product (such as a food item or consumer electronics), this can serve as an early warning to investigate the issue before it reaches mainstream media.

4. Search Data and Google Trends

The way people search for information online can offer significant insights into their concerns, interests, and emerging issues. A spike in search volume related to certain topics can act as a signal for potential crises, such as growing public concerns or a developing scandal.

Steps:

• Monitor Search Trends: Use Google Trends to track keyword searches related to your brand, products, or industry. Sudden increases in searches for terms like “safety issue,” “recall,” or “lawsuit” combined with your brand name can signal trouble.

• Track Competitor Search Trends: Keeping an eye on the search trends related to competitors can also provide insight into broader market issues. If competitor brands face a public relations crisis, it may spill over to affect the entire industry.

• Predictive Indicators: Analyzing past search data can also help predict when a crisis may be brewing. For example, a pattern of searches around “product recall” over time could indicate a general area of concern for your industry.

Example: A sudden rise in search queries for “unsafe ingredient in [Brand Name] product” could indicate that a rumor or factual concern is gaining traction online. This could prompt the brand to investigate the claim and address it proactively before it leads to a product recall or public backlash.

5. AI-Driven Sentiment and Predictive Analytics

AI and machine learning technologies can process large volumes of data from multiple sources, including social media, news, and customer reviews, to predict potential crises. Sentiment analysis can help identify negative trends early, while predictive analytics can forecast future crises based on patterns from historical data.

Steps:

• Use Sentiment Analysis: Implement AI-driven sentiment analysis tools to detect shifts in public sentiment. Tools like MonkeyLearn, Lexalytics, and Sentiment Analyzer can scan text data for positive, negative, or neutral emotions, helping identify early signs of dissatisfaction or anger.

• Leverage Predictive Analytics: Tools like Crimson Hexagon or Sprinklr can analyze past data to predict potential crises, providing insights into what might escalate into a larger issue. These tools analyze data trends and project how the situation might evolve.

• Scenario Simulation: Predictive analytics can be used to simulate how certain actions might play out in the context of a crisis. This helps organizations prepare for the worst-case scenarios and optimize their crisis response strategies.

Example: A brand could use AI to detect a series of negative posts related to a safety concern, and predictive analytics could help forecast the potential viral spread of the issue. By catching this early, the company could plan a communication strategy and crisis management plan to address it.

6. Consumer Feedback Analysis

Listening to customers is one of the most valuable ways to detect emerging problems. Surveys, customer support tickets, and chatbot conversations can offer direct insights into concerns that may not be visible on public forums or social media.

Steps:

• Aggregate Customer Feedback: Use tools like SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, or Zendesk to aggregate feedback from multiple touchpoints. Pay attention to themes that indicate a growing problem or dissatisfaction with a product, service, or experience.

• Monitor Customer Support Channels: Track conversations through customer service channels, including live chat, emails, and phone calls, for recurring issues or complaints.

• Identify Common Pain Points: Analyze feedback for common pain points that could turn into a crisis, such as problems with fulfillment, quality control, or customer service.

Example: If a company sees a rise in service complaints via their chatbot, indicating issues with delivery timelines or defective products, addressing these issues early can prevent escalation into a more severe operational or reputational crisis.

7. Crisis Simulation and Preparedness

While monitoring online data is crucial for identifying potential crises, organizations should also prepare for different crisis scenarios through simulation exercises. These can help brands understand how they would respond in a real crisis situation.

Steps:

• Create Crisis Scenarios: Develop crisis scenarios based on data analysis, such as product recalls, cybersecurity breaches, or social media backlash. These simulations should be based on potential risks identified through online data monitoring.

• Test Response Strategies: Using insights from social listening, news monitoring, and predictive analytics, simulate a crisis and test how your brand responds to it. Measure the response time, communication effectiveness, and the impact of crisis management efforts.

Example: A company may simulate a crisis involving a product defect, testing how quickly they can respond via social media, news releases, and customer support channels. This helps the organization refine its crisis plan and respond more effectively when a real crisis arises.

Conclusion

Using online data for crisis anticipation enables brands to be proactive rather than reactive. By continuously monitoring social media, news outlets, reviews, search trends, and applying AI-driven insights, organizations can identify early signs of potential crises and take action before issues escalate. Early detection allows for a more measured and strategic response, safeguarding brand reputation, maintaining customer trust, and mitigating financial losses.