What's one tool or resource you recommend for monitoring your brand's earned media mentions? How has it helped you?

Question

Discover the top tools recommended by industry experts for monitoring earned media mentions, with practical insights to enhance your brand's media tracking. This article unveils the secrets behind effective media alert systems and how to leverage them for real-time brand mention monitoring. Learn from professionals about the most reliable and efficient tools to keep your brand at the forefront of the media landscape.

Justin Mauldin · Answer

In my PR work with tech startups, I've become a huge advocate for Mention because it catches media mentions faster than most alternatives I've tested. Last quarter, it helped one of our fintech clients spot an inaccurate story within hours of publication, allowing us to get it corrected before it spread widely. Though I've tried fancier tools, I keep coming back to Mention for its reliable alerts and clean interface, which makes it easy to share coverage with clients.

Praveen Kumar · Answer

I've found Mention.com to be incredibly valuable for tracking our brand across social media and news sites. Last month, it helped us catch a negative review within hours, allowing us to address the customer's concerns quickly and turn it into a positive experience. While it's a bit pricey at $99/month, the real-time alerts and sentiment analysis have helped us maintain better relationships with our clients and catch opportunities we might have missed.

Keith Sant · Answer

I have found that monitoring my brand's earned media mentions is crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and staying on top of any potential issues. One tool that I highly recommend for this purpose is Mention.
Mention is an online monitoring platform that allows me to track any mentions of my brand across various channels such as social media, news sites, blogs, and more. This has been extremely useful in helping me stay up-to-date with what people are saying about my business.
For example, there was one instance where a dissatisfied client had left a negative review about their experience working with me on a popular real estate website. Thanks to Mention, I was able to catch this review quickly and address the issue before it escalated.
I reached out to the client, apologized for their negative experience, and offered a solution to make things right. The client was impressed with my prompt response and willingness to resolve the issue, which helped me maintain a positive reputation in the eyes of potential clients who may have seen the negative review.

Georgi Petrov · Answer

One tool I highly recommend for monitoring a brand's earned media mentions is Mention. It provides real-time tracking across social media, online news, blogs, and forums, making it incredibly effective for staying on top of what's being said about your brand. 
What sets Mention apart is its ability to not only track keywords and brand names but also provide insights into sentiment and trends, allowing you to respond quickly and strategically.
For example, we used Mention to monitor a client's brand mentions during a product launch in the wellness space. Early on, we noticed a mix of excitement and skepticism in customer feedback across social media and online reviews. 
Using the tool's sentiment analysis feature, we were able to identify specific concerns that kept popping up. Instead of waiting for these concerns to grow, we addressed them head-on by crafting a series of educational posts and FAQs that tackled the misconceptions.
Mention also helped us uncover unexpected opportunities. During the same campaign, we found a positive mention from a micro-influencer we hadn't worked with before. Recognizing their potential, we reached out to establish a partnership, which boosted the campaign's reach and credibility even further.
This tool has been a game-changer for how we manage earned media because it turns data into actionable insights. It ensures we're never caught off guard by negative feedback and helps us amplify positive mentions in real time. By using Mention, we've not only protected our clients' reputations but also enhanced their visibility and engagement, proving the value of proactive brand monitoring.
This approach has solidified Mention as a must-have in our toolbox for managing earned media. It's not just about tracking mentions-it's about responding strategically and leveraging every opportunity to strengthen your brand's presence.

Patrick Carver · Answer

Our team relies heavily on Meltwater for monitoring media mentions across legal publications and news outlets. Just last week, it helped us identify when one of our law firm clients was quoted in a major industry publication, which we then amplified across their social channels for added visibility. The platform's Boolean search capabilities let us filter out irrelevant mentions and focus on what matters, though it took some time to get the search parameters just right.

Rizala Carrington · Answer

One tool I recommend for monitoring your brand's earned media mentions is SEMrush. While it's primarily known for SEO, its Brand Monitoring tool is incredibly effective for tracking where your brand is mentioned online, including articles, blogs, and forums. It provides real-time insights into how your brand is being discussed and whether the mentions are positive, neutral, or negative.
Using SEMrush, I was able to identify a surge in earned media mentions after a campaign launch, helping us understand which messaging resonated most with our audience. It also allowed us to spot and address a few inaccuracies in coverage quickly, maintaining our brand reputation. SEMrush not only keeps you informed but also helps you refine your strategy by identifying trends and opportunities in how your brand is perceived.

Vikrant Bhalodia · Answer

We use Brand24 to monitor our earned media mentions, and it's been a reliable tool for catching what people are saying about us. It doesn't just track mentions of our company name; it also flags related keywords and hashtags, which helps us find conversations we might have missed. One example that stands out is when we see influencers talk about our services in tweets, but they don't tag us directly. If there is no verification tool we probably won't find it. We participate with them. Start a meaningful conversation and that becomes an opportunity for future collaboration. It's not just about spotting mentions; it's about understanding how people perceive us. The insights we get from tools like this help us adjust our messaging and focus on what matters to our audience. It's been like having an extra set of ears always tuned in.

Sandra Stoughton · Answer

I've used both BuzzSumo and Hootsuite specifically for monitoring our brand's earned media mentions, and each brought its own strengths to the table.
With BuzzSumo, I was able to see where our brand was being mentioned across blogs, news sites, and social platforms. It gave me clear insights into which content and mentions were gaining the most traction, helping me identify opportunities to amplify the buzz. For instance, during a product launch, I discovered a niche industry blog mentioning us, which allowed us to engage with their audience and build stronger visibility.
Meanwhile, Hootsuite was perfect for real-time social media monitoring. I set up keyword and hashtag streams to track mentions across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It alerted me to customer shoutouts and media mentions as they happened, so I could engage or respond quickly. For example, when a journalist mentioned our brand in a tweet, I caught it immediately and started a conversation, which led to a follow-up feature.
Both tools worked well together—BuzzSumo for broad earned media tracking and Hootsuite for staying on top of real-time social mentions. If you're serious about earned media, combining both can give you a comprehensive view!

Alexander Hill · Answer

I recommend using Brand24 to monitor earned media mentions. It tracks online discussions, reviews, and mentions of your brand across websites, social media, and forums in real time. It's been invaluable for staying on top of how my SEO company is perceived and identifying opportunities to engage with our audience. For example, I discovered a positive review on a niche marketing blog that I hadn't seen before, allowing me to amplify it on our social channels. Brand24 has helped me stay proactive in managing our online reputation and leveraging media coverage effectively.

Macy Troyer · Answer

I've found Mention.com to be incredibly helpful for tracking our social media agency's brand across different platforms - it caught a viral TikTok video featuring our work that I would've totally missed otherwise. The real-time alerts help me jump into conversations quickly, and I love how it lets me track both our agency's mentions and our clients' mentions in one dashboard.

Rachael Wilson · Answer

A powerful tool I swear by for monitoring earned media mentions is Google Alerts. It's free, easy to set up, and delivers real-time notifications whenever your brand or products are mentioned online. This has been a game-changer for catching untagged shoutouts, staying on top of PR coverage, and even identifying potential collaborations with creators or influencers who genuinely love the products.

Andrew Dunn · Answer

Ahrefs has been a game-changer for us at Zentro Internet, especially when tracking our recent fiber internet rollout campaign coverage and backlinks. I love how it lets me quickly spot new brand mentions and analyze competitor strategies, which helped us adjust our messaging when we noticed competitors were emphasizing price over speed.

Gregory Rozdeba · Answer

With my experience in the insurance industry, I've found Meltwater essential for tracking mentions of Dundas Life across financial news sites and social platforms. Just last month, it helped us quickly respond to some customer feedback on Reddit about our digital insurance platform, which turned a potential issue into a positive interaction.

Jean Christophe Gabler · Answer

Mention is a tool I suggest you use to keep an eye on your brand's earned media mentions. It gives me updates in real-time, which is very helpful for managing wellness programs. I remember that when we released a line of yoga goods, there was a lot of discussion about them online right after a local event showcased them. With Mention, we could interact right away with users who were sharing their stories, which strengthened our relationships and even brought more people to our site. Its data helped us figure out where the buzz was coming from, which allowed us to improve our messages and connect with people even more.

Shannon Beatty · Answer

I rely heavily on Google Alerts combined with Mention.net to keep tabs on House Buying Girls' online presence, especially since we work across different Texas markets. Last quarter, this combo helped me spot and respond to several positive client testimonials on smaller real estate forums, which I then shared on our website to build trust with potential clients.

Yarden Morgan · Answer

I learned the hard way that relying on just one monitoring tool wasn't enough, so at Lusha we use a combination of Google Alerts for basic coverage and Talkwalker for deeper social listening. This combo has been crucial for understanding how our sales tools are being perceived in the market, and it's helped us catch and address concerns before they became bigger issues.

Paul Sher · Answer

Meltwater has been invaluable for monitoring FuseBase's media presence across both traditional outlets and social platforms, helping us spot integration opportunities with potential partners. Just last month, it caught a Reddit thread discussing AI automation tools where we jumped in to address concerns, leading to several new enterprise leads.

17 Recommended Tools to Monitor Earned Media Mentions

17 Recommended Tools to Monitor Earned Media Mentions

Use Mention for Fast Media Alerts

Track Brand Mentions with Mention.com

Monitor Brand Mentions with Mention

Real-Time Tracking with Mention

Rely on Meltwater for Legal Mentions

Try SEMrush for Brand Monitoring

Monitor Media Mentions with Brand24

Combine BuzzSumo and Hootsuite

Track Mentions with Brand24

Track Social Mentions with Mention.com

Use Google Alerts for Media Mentions

Monitor Mentions with Ahrefs

Track Mentions with Meltwater

Use Mention for Real-Time Updates

Combine Google Alerts and Mention.net

Use Google Alerts and Talkwalker

Monitor Media with Meltwater