Brands want to be known. They want to be talked about and in some cases even debated. But how do you monitor what is being said about you and your business?

What if there was a tool that could alert you when your brand was being mentioned; be that on a social post, in an online community forum or even featured in web content elsewhere?

Well, look no further, as Google Alerts is that tool!

Google Alerts does what it says on the tin. It notifies you when a keyword, be that a brand name, the name of a key member of your team or indeed a hot topic you simply love to talk about is mentioned elsewhere, online be that in the news, on blogs, on the web or in community forum chats.

You can set up as many Google Alerts as you like. You can set where you want the tool to listen in - perhaps it’s worldwide, or maybe you want to track the mentions closer to home, say in the UK.

You can select when you want the tool to send you an alert. Once a day? Once a week, or even right as it happens, at the point of mention?

The latter is particularly good if you want to remain agile and act on mentions as soon as they occur.

Google Alerts offers lots of benefits, it’s great to monitor and record recommendations and positive mentions, but it’s also particularly good in times of crisis.

If you encounter a situation where your brand has received some bad press, Google Alerts can notify you in real-time of any mentions and you can act on them fast and hopefully alleviate any negativity and restore your brand’s reputation far quicker than you might if you were not on top of each and every mention.

Google Alerts is also great to monitor your competitor’s activity.

What’s more, if you are keen to get involved in conversations that align with your brand; for example, I might like to follow people that like to talk about strategic or digital marketing. I can set up alerts for “strategic marketing” and “digital marketing” in the UK and then access those alerts and decide if I want to jump in on the conversation too.

Be mindful and respectful though when you enter into others’ conversations as that kind of interruption is not always welcomed. If you can’t add value in your comments or responses, then it’s probably best to not comment and simply monitor.

Stay on top of what is being said about you and your brand with Google Alerts. It’s free and super easy to use.

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Jo Buchanan, the author of this blog is the Founder and Director of TwitTwooYou Limited, a business growth strategic consultancy centred on getting brands noticed. TwitTwooYou offers a range of smart services to help businesses grow and achieve their aspirations and goals. Want to get your brand noticed? Get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat.