The Importance of Media Monitoring for IT Companies

August 14, 2024

Media monitoring gives IT companies valuable insights to fine-tune their communication strategies and align their projects with business goals. Discover how effective media and social media monitoring can drive success in the IT sector below.

Tracking the Employer Brand

A strong employer brand is a crucial reputational asset, which directly influences a company's success in the market. In the IT sector, managing the employer brand is a central element of the communication strategy because it affects both talent retention and the appeal of the company to new specialists. The media and social networks play a significant role in shaping this perception. Consequently, IT companies must monitor their employer brand across media and social platforms—not as a trend, but as a necessary practice, that affects productivity and image.

To track the employer brand effectively, use this formula:

Monitoring Object + Relevant Tags

Key tags to monitor include:

- Work Conditions: Full-time, part-time, remote work, and project-based formats.

- Work Environment: The physical and cultural workplace.

- Employee Reviews: Feedback from current and former employees.

- Corporate Culture: Internal events, external activities like exhibitions and hackathons.

- Compensation: Salary and benefits.

- Career Development: Opportunities for growth and advancement.

With Metricom, you can track social networks, forums, and review sites to capture relevant content and understand its sentiment. This allows you to quickly address negative mentions, understand their causes, and adjust your communication strategy accordingly. Additionally, monitoring can reveal what employees appreciate about your company, helping you to highlight strengths and tailor future events to their preferences.

Media monitoring also enables you to set up alerts for potential crises. For instance, disgruntled former employees may post biased reviews on professional forums or social networks. Promptly addressing such issues can help mitigate negative backlash and prevent it from escalating.

Monitoring Internal Activities, Collaborations, Educational, and Charitable Projects

IT companies are deeply involved in internal and external communications, especially through educational and charitable projects, courses, and collaborations. Each of these activities plays a unique role in shaping the company’s image and contributes distinct value to its media presence. Using Metricom simplifies the process of managing and evaluating these activities. You can track the impact of individual events or compare multiple projects to assess their effectiveness. By tagging different components of a project, you can break it down into smaller segments and determine which aspects performed better.

Media monitoring also helps you monitor collaborations and joint ventures. By analyzing partnerships with other brands, you can identify which collaborations gained more media attention and delivered better results. This insight enables you to refine your approach to future partnerships, making them more effective.

Market Analytics and Analysis

Gaining a solid understanding of the market involves analyzing both your own activities and those of your competitors, as well as tracking customer and consumer behaviors. Media and social network monitoring provides a powerful means to conduct this analysis. It allows you to observe and evaluate how your company and competitors are performing, identify major market trends, and respond to shifts in consumer demand.

You can assess competitors based on various criteria, such as comparing employer brands, the media activity of CEOs, or the effectiveness of events. Metrics like share of voice, number of mentions, audience reach, and sentiment analysis provide valuable insights into market dynamics. Filters can further enhance your analysis by isolating data based on specific features such as location, social network, or source type. This helps streamline data retrieval and allows for targeted analysis, whether you are focusing on regional media or expanding to an international scope.

Tracking Negative Mentions for Your Brand, Competitors, and Industry

Monitoring negative mentions in the media and on social networks is a crucial part of building and maintaining a strong IT brand. Negative feedback can come from many sources, including dissatisfied customers, former employees, and competitors. Since social media spreads reactions much faster than traditional media, monitoring these mentions is vital for managing your brand’s reputation.

To make this process more manageable and effective, set up specific alerts for negative mentions. By choosing relevant keywords, you will receive instant notifications whenever negative news appears, allowing you to respond quickly.

In addition to tracking your brand, it is beneficial to monitor negative mentions related to your industry and competitors. This broader perspective helps you stay informed about potential threats and trends that could affect your business, and it allows you to anticipate and mitigate negative influences.

Tracking Media Activity of Company Representatives

The CEO’s media presence directly influences the company’s brand. Developing a cohesive communication strategy that integrates the personal brand of the CEO with the company’s brand can help prevent unexpected issues and enhance overall media strategy.

To track the CEO’s media activity, focus on metrics such as audience reach, mentions, geographic distribution, and sources. This will give you a clear picture of the CEO’s impact and its alignment with the company’s goals.

Similarly, the media presence of your team is crucial. Monitoring social media for mentions of your employees can reveal both their successes and any potential issues. Set up alerts for specific team members to compare their media activity with the CEO’s and assess its effect on the company’s reputation. This information can also guide strategies for personal brand development for team members who need it.

Consider complementing your media monitoring with a survey on brand recognition and trust. For IT companies, this provides a comprehensive view of your media impact and reputation, helping you refine your communication strategies for the future.