Mar 5, 2009

Buzz Monitoring = Brand DevelopmentBy Justilien GaspardSearchEngineWatch.com

Every day, people are talking online about your company and products. Some discussions are positive; some are negative. The trick is to capitalize on these discussions to build a better brand and link popularity.

There are several ways to capitalize on these discussions and product mentions. If a discussion is positive, have someone from your company post something showing appreciation — a simple thank you. Then, perhaps, provide greater insight or additional advice. Even offer a special promotion to the other readers. This added bit of attention can go a long way to developing a stronger customer base.

Is it a negative conversation? Look at this as an opportunity to resolve a customer problem and develop a better brand image. People expect problems. It’s how the problem is resolved that matters, and determines a company’s reputation. The online retailer Zappos is famous for this strategy.

Once people see how your company handles positive and negative comments, they’ll be more likely to recommend your product to others online (i.e. links) and offline.

To get you started, here are five ways to monitor what people are saying about your company, products, and services.

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