We’d all love to “set it and forget it” as they say on that cheesy infomercial… But the truth is things change. All the time. In front of our eyes.
Since spring is the time for renewal, now is an ideal time to re-examine your media monitoring program. Fortunately you don’t need the rubber gloves and mop for this one, but you’ll need to apply a bit of critical thinking.
What you’ll need to evaluate here will depend on what you are already measuring and what your goals are. Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to measurement, so we’ve compiled a list of five tips to get you on the right track:
Toolkit tune-up
Are you equipped with the right tools? Is each achieving what you need from it? One example: have you started monitoring social media? Are you measuring the right social media? Take a look at the tools you’re using and make sure you’ve got the complete set.
Keyword Cleanse
The likely scenario: you set up a set of keywords one day and let your software take care of the rest. The reality is: the only constant in business is change—so it’s very likely your media monitoring keywords should change over time. Have any of the following changed:
- Competitors: Any new ones on the scene? Perhaps one has fizzled out or changed focus? Are there any indirect competitors vying for the same audience as your business?
- Issues: Issues that affect your organization may change over time, make sure you include all the latest. Some new issues may even pop up in your regular monitoring.
- Buzzwords: Buzzwords come and go all the time, yesterday’s ‘innovative’ is today’s ‘disruptive’ you may be missing key coverage if they’re not up-to-date.
- Misspellings: Come across a common misspelling of your keyword? Make sure to update your keywords to include these so you’re not missing relevant coverage throughout the year.
Clean up contacts
Is your media contact list up-to-date? What about your monitoring distribution list? Save yourself the hassle later and update now. Consider combining this tip and #1 and add a distribution and events manager service to your toolkit. Leave the updating to someone else!
Polish up parameters
Does your toning scale still make sense? Are circulation numbers accurate? Look at the values you’re using to measure and make sure they still fit with your overall goals.
Prune your process
Have you allocated the proper resources to media monitoring efforts? Are your reports getting out in a timely matter? Are you monitoring frequently enough to meet your department’s objectives? Take a minute to examine your process and so that your measurement is happening in an efficient and effective manner. Finding you’re spending too much time doing it yourself? Consider using a third-party media monitoring and analysis company that provides your account with a dedicated analyst.
