Discover the 5 most important social media monitoring keyword types to track brand sentiment, competitors, campaigns, and customer experience effectively.
Social media has become much more than a communications tool in our 24/7 digital environment; it is a constantly evolving arena of conversations, opinions, and trending ideas.
“The more you know your consumers, the better you can serve them—and social media monitoring is a huge part of knowing your consumers,” notes Michael DiBello of MDG in an interview.
What a company can learn from consumers on social media includes what they are saying, how they feel, and what they want. The field of social media monitoring has shifted from a reactive approach to a strategic one.
Essentially, social media monitoring can be defined as the act of tracking particular keywords, terms, and mentions on various platforms in order to derive important insights. However, it should be noted that not all keywords are the same.
In fact, some keywords may generate more noise compared to others. In order for brands to monitor keywords effectively, a systematic approach must be adopted based on the most prominent categories. In fact, MDG frequently explains that it is essential to understand these categories.
The Importance of Keyword Tracking in Today’s World
“The fact is, consumer talk has moved from behind closed doors and into a public setting, and social media has become a key source of authentic consumer feedback. Tracking keywords means brands can identify future trends, potential crises, and consumer engagement opportunities.”
“MDG teams also find that keywords tracking enables data-informed decision-making – replacing guesswork with real-world data from actual consumer behavior.”
Of greater significance is that quality keyword tracking mediates a connection between listening and acting upon that listening. By doing this, the marketing, service, and executive teams are all able to start with the same set of information.
Whether a business wishes to enhance reputation, hone messaging, or provide for social media marketing objectives, the entire process is built upon keyword intelligence.
Brand Keywords: Preserving and Enhancing Identity
The first place that should be checked for social media tracking is by using brand keywords. Brand keywords include the business name, product names, slogan, and even misspellings. Monitoring this helps a business see how it is portrayed and where that is happening on social media platforms.
MDG normally recommends that a business tracks not only mentions but also mentions that are not directed at a business page since a customer doesn’t necessarily tag a business page when discussing their products.
Through the analysis of keyword data of a brand, companies can also determine some form of trend in moods, identify repeated grievances, and even pinpoint devoted supporters.
In a way, over time, this helps with reputation monitoring, where companies can immediately address concerns in a compassionate manner. Positive talk will also not be overlooked.
Industry Keywords: Stay Relevant in a Changing Market
Industry keywords center on larger concepts, trends, and conversations that relate to the niche that your brand deals with. These keywords serve a very important purpose because they help companies remain updated on what is being said in matters that go beyond the brand itself.
MDG points out that monitoring your industry is highly useful for thought leadership because it shows what your audiences care about and what they want answers to.
Monitoring industry-related keywords enables brands to participate in the conversation in a natural and organic way, without being promotional in nature.
It also helps brands to identify patterns of consumer sentiment change, industry regulations, and/or advancements in technology that could influence their industry and brands.
For marketing teams on social media platforms, this information helps generate creative and valuable content as opposed to being promotional in nature.
Competitor Keywords: Learning Without Guessing
A competitor keyword tracker can give brands insight into how their competition is working and how well audiences react to it. By monitoring the competition’s names, marketing efforts, and products launched, organizations can find out what does and doesn’t work. MDG advises that instead of copying, organizations should consider monitoring for market research instead.
The above-mentioned points help in identifying the market gap and potential collaboration partners. The process of competitor keyword analysis is important for understanding performance comparison and judging the success rate of a campaign. The methodology has been utilized ethically to enhance strategy without losing originality.
Campaign & Hashtag Keywords: Measuring Impact in Real Time
Campaign-specific keywords and hashtags are critical for the analysis of campaigns and other marketing initiatives. Campaign keywords are used to analyze the response of the audience to the promotion, event, and other initiatives undertaken by the brand.
The MDG teams always emphasize the importance of evaluating campaigns in real time, enabling brands to change the message, timing, and other variables during the running campaigns.
The list of campaign-related keywords informs on the reach, sentiment, and engagement level. The opportunities that the user-generated content presents are also identified.
Hence, through the years, the information in the past campaigns informs the future strategies for improvement in social media marketing.
Customer Experience Keywords: Listening to Real Needs
Customer experience keywords are centered on phrases used in customer service and customer-related problems and customer satisfaction. Examples of such phrases may include the word ‘problem’ and ‘review’.
According to MDG, customer experience keywords are important to predictive customer service since problems are identified before they become grievances.
Customer keywords can be tracked for improved responses. These keywords also create an opportunity for improved customer connections because, through tracking, they give an idea of issues that might not be expressed in customer surveys. Customer keywords include issues like customer complaints or customer issues.
Converting Keyword Insights into Actions
Data gathering is only the first step; implementation is where the value lies. As teams are able to take the insights in keywords and implement them through messaging, product, and engagement strategy, MDG encourages the implementation of cross-functional collaboration, meaning the insights will not get trapped in the marketing department.
Aligning the tracking and analysis of keywords with business outcomes transforms the process into something that is strategically valuable rather than merely for reporting purposes.
This will then enable the development of something of a “feedback loop,” where listening drives action and action drives better conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is social media monitoring and how is it different from listening?
While monitoring concentrates on keyword tracking, listening is a process of analyzing trends, moods, and patterns extracted from this data.
The optimal number varies depending on the goal. However, a good strategy is a balance of brand and industry-related terms with competitive data.
Is keyword monitoring beneficial for small businesses?
Yes, even small brands can use analytics tools to derive useful information by monitoring specific keywords that are targeted at their audience.
Keyword lists should ideally be updated at regular intervals depending on the need and should periodically be updated in accordance with new products, marketing campaigns, trends, and shifts in the language used by the audience.
Is tracking your keywords sufficient for your social presence?
Keyword monitoring is a building block, but it is even more powerful when integrated with analysis and engagement activities and consistent content plans.
Conclusion:
Social media marketing is no longer a “nice-to-have” option for brands that are serious about competing in today’s fast-paced digital environment. By monitoring the right kinds of five key words, brands have access to greater clarity, agility, and relevance in their digital presence.
At MDG, we appreciate how, combined with the right and considered action, keywords have the power to empower brands and authentically “reach out and touch” them in a positive and sustainable way.
Want to uncover what your audience is really saying? Start tracking the right social media monitoring keywords today and turn real conversations into smarter marketing decisions. Explore more in-depth business and tech coverage on TheWorldBeast.com
