BrandMentions – Social Media & Web Monitoring Tool [AppSumo 2020]

Introduction

In today’s digital landscape, monitoring your brand’s online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. BrandMentions, a powerful social media and web monitoring tool, offers a solution to this challenge. This comprehensive review explores the features, benefits, and potential applications of BrandMentions, as offered through AppSumo in 2020.

Dave Swift from ThatLTD.life, known for reviewing AppSumo deals, provides an in-depth look at this tool. BrandMentions allows users to track mentions of their company or competitors online, providing valuable insights into who is talking about their brand and where these conversations are taking place. This information is essential for businesses looking to join conversations, steer them in a positive direction, or ensure their brand is part of relevant industry discussions.

Throughout this review, we’ll delve into the deal specifics, setup process, reporting features, and practical applications of BrandMentions. We’ll also explore how it compares to similar tools and its potential value for businesses and agencies alike. Whether you’re a small brand owner or managing multiple clients, this review will help you determine if BrandMentions is the right tool for your online monitoring needs.

Deal Overview [00:31]

The AppSumo deal for BrandMentions offers users a cost-effective entry point into the world of brand monitoring. Priced at $49 for a single code, this deal provides access to a range of features designed to help businesses track and analyze their online presence. Let’s break down the specifics of what’s included in this offer:

Single Code vs. Double Stack

• Single Code ($49):
• 20 keywords
• 100,000 instant mentions
• 15,000 historical mentions
• 5 projects
• Daily alerts
• 1 year of storage history
• Double Stack ($98):
• 40 keywords
• 200,000 instant mentions
• 30,000 historical mentions
• 10 projects
• Real-time alerts
• 5 years of storage history
• White label reports
• Data export capabilities

Key Features and Limitations

• Keywords per Project: It’s important to note that the 20 keywords (or 40 with a double stack) are limited to 20 per individual project. This means that to fully utilize the 40 keywords in a double stack, you would need to monitor multiple brands or create separate projects.
• Instant vs. Historical Mentions:
• Instant mentions provide immediate data on recent brand mentions.
• Historical mentions allow users to dig deeper into past data, offering a more comprehensive view of a brand’s online presence over time.
• Project Capacity: The ability to manage 5 or 10 projects makes this tool particularly attractive for agencies or businesses monitoring multiple brands.
• Alert Frequency: The upgrade from daily to real-time alerts with the double stack can be crucial for timely reputation management.
• Storage History: The extended storage history in the double stack (5 years vs. 1 year) allows for more in-depth long-term analysis.
• White Label Reports: This feature, available in the double stack, is particularly valuable for agencies presenting data to clients.

Deal Evolution

It’s worth noting that the deal has evolved since its initial launch. Originally, BrandMentions offered only four keywords per brand, but this has been increased to 20, significantly enhancing the tool’s value proposition.

Considerations for Purchase

When deciding between the single code and double stack options, consider:

• The number of brands or projects you need to monitor
• The importance of real-time alerts for your business
• The need for extended historical data
• Whether you’ll be presenting reports to clients (white label feature)
• The potential for future expansion of your monitoring needs

The flexibility and scalability offered by the double stack make it an attractive option for growing businesses or agencies managing multiple clients. However, for smaller brands or those just starting with brand monitoring, the single code option still provides substantial value and functionality.

Project Setup [03:09]

Setting up a project in BrandMentions is a straightforward process designed to get you monitoring your brand quickly and efficiently. Let’s walk through the steps and explore the various options available during setup:

Creating Your First Project

Brand Identification:

• Start by entering your brand name
• BrandMentions can recognize even small or lesser-known brands
• The system will attempt to auto-fill some information based on the brand name

Sites and Social Accounts:

• BrandMentions automatically searches for your website and social media profiles
• You can manually add any accounts that weren’t automatically detected
• This step ensures comprehensive monitoring across your online presence

Market Selection:

• Choose the geographical areas you want to monitor
• Default setting is worldwide and any language
• Options to select specific countries or languages

Customization Options

• Geographical Targeting:
• Ability to select individual countries for monitoring
• Limitation: Can’t select multiple specific countries (it’s either worldwide or a single country)
• Language Selection:
• Multiple language options available
• Limitation: Can’t monitor multiple languages simultaneously (either all languages or one specific language)

Initial Data Collection

• After setup, BrandMentions begins researching your brand immediately
• The system pulls in mentions from various sources, including social media and websites
• Initial results may include:
• Direct mentions of your brand
• Mentions in related content (e.g., recommended videos on YouTube)

Refining Your Monitoring

• Backlink Monitoring:
• Option to connect Google Analytics for backlink tracking
• Receive email notifications for new backlinks to your website
• Filtering and Segmentation:
• Create custom filters to focus on specific types of mentions
• Example: Filter for mentions from high-influence domains (Domain Influence > 50)
• Save segments for easy access to tailored data sets

Handling Irrelevant Mentions

• For brands with common names or multiple meanings, you can refine your monitoring:
• Add required keywords to ensure relevance
• Use exclude keywords to filter out unrelated mentions
• Example: Monitoring “Apple” for tech but excluding fruit-related mentions

Tips for Effective Setup

• Be thorough in adding all relevant social media accounts and websites
• Consider your geographical and language needs carefully
• Start broad with monitoring and refine as you learn what data is most valuable
• Regularly review and adjust your filters and keywords to improve relevance

Setting up your project correctly in BrandMentions is crucial for getting the most valuable data. The flexibility in setup allows you to tailor the monitoring to your specific brand needs, whether you’re a small local business or a multinational corporation. As you use the tool, you’ll likely find opportunities to refine your setup for even more targeted and actionable insights.

Reports [8:30]

One of the key features of BrandMentions is its robust reporting capabilities. These reports allow users to compile and present their brand monitoring data in a clear, professional format. Let’s explore the reporting features in detail:

Creating a Report

Accessing the Report Feature:

• Navigate to the “Reports” section in the sidebar
• Click the red “Create Report” button to start

Customization Options:

• Title: Give your report a descriptive name
• Cover Page: Option to add a cover page for a more professional look
• Custom Message: Add a personalized note or explanation for the recipient

Content Selection:

• Toggle different categories of data on or off
• Customize the report to include only relevant information
• Examples of toggleable sections:
  • Language data
  • Mentions list
  • Performance metrics

Report Design and Layout

• Visual Appeal:
• Reports are generated as attractive, easy-to-read PDFs
• Includes graphs and charts for visual representation of data
• Clean, professional layout enhances readability
• Data Presentation:
• Top mentions are highlighted
• Performance metrics for each mention are included
• Dates of mentions are clearly displayed
• Interactive Elements:
• Hyperlinked mentions allow recipients to click through to the original source

Branding Considerations

• Default Branding:
• Reports are heavily branded with BrandMentions logo and colors
• Each page includes BrandMentions branding
• White Label Option:
• Available with the double stack purchase
• Allows removal of BrandMentions branding
• Essential for agencies presenting reports to clients

Practical Applications of Reports

• Client Presentations:
• Agencies can use these reports to showcase the impact of their brand monitoring efforts
• Professional appearance adds credibility to the data presented
• Internal Reviews:
• Marketing teams can use reports for regular brand health check-ups
• Easy-to-digest format makes it simple to share insights across departments
• Competitor Analysis:
• Create reports on competitor mentions for strategic planning
• Compare your brand’s performance against industry benchmarks
• Trend Identification:
• Use reports to spot emerging trends in your industry
• Track the evolution of your brand’s online presence over time

Tips for Effective Reporting

• Customize reports for different audiences (e.g., executive summaries vs. detailed analytics)
• Use consistent reporting periods for easy comparison over time
• Include actionable insights or recommendations based on the data
• Regularly review which report elements provide the most value and adjust accordingly

The reporting feature of BrandMentions is a powerful tool for turning raw data into actionable insights. Whether you’re an agency looking to impress clients or a brand manager aiming to keep stakeholders informed, these customizable, visually appealing reports can significantly enhance your brand monitoring efforts. The option for white-labeled reports with the double stack purchase makes this feature particularly valuable for professional service providers.

Quick Research [09:24]

The Quick Research feature in BrandMentions is a powerful tool that allows users to gather instant insights about any brand or keyword, even if it’s not set up as a full project. This feature is particularly useful for competitive analysis, market research, or getting a quick snapshot of a brand’s online presence. Let’s dive into the details of how to use Quick Research and its potential applications:

How to Use Quick Research

Accessing the Feature:

• Navigate to the Quick Research section in the sidebar
• Enter the brand or keyword you want to research

Customization Options:

• Select the countries you want to monitor
• Choose the language(s) you’re interested in
• Set the time period for the research (e.g., last week, last month)

Initiating the Search:

• Click the search button to start extracting mentions
• The system will begin pulling in data in real-time

Types of Data Collected

• Web Mentions:
• Mentions from websites, blogs, news articles, etc.
• Often provides more in-depth context about the brand or keyword
• Social Mentions:
• Mentions from various social media platforms
• Offers insights into public sentiment and conversations

Analyzing the Results

• Mention Count:
• Total number of mentions found
• Breakdown between web and social mentions
• Sentiment Analysis:
• Positive, negative, or neutral sentiment of mentions
• Helps gauge overall public perception
• Top Sources:
• Identifies the platforms or websites where the brand is most frequently mentioned
• Influencers:
• Highlights key individuals or accounts talking about the brand

Practical Applications of Quick Research

• Competitor Analysis:
• Quickly assess a competitor’s online presence
• Identify their strengths and weaknesses in brand mentions
• Market Research:
• Research industry trends or keywords
• Understand the conversation around specific topics or products
• Crisis Management:
• Rapidly assess the scope of a developing situation
• Identify key sources of information or misinformation
• Opportunity Identification:
• Discover potential partnerships or collaborations based on brand associations
• Find gaps in the market by analyzing related keywords

Converting Quick Research to a Full Project

• If the Quick Research results are valuable, users can easily convert them into a full monitoring project
• This allows for ongoing tracking and more detailed analysis over time

Tips for Effective Quick Research

• Use specific and varied keywords to get a comprehensive view
• Experiment with different time ranges to understand trends over time
• Compare results across multiple brands or keywords for context
• Use Quick Research as a starting point for more in-depth analysis

The Quick Research feature in BrandMentions offers a fast and efficient way to gather valuable insights about any brand or keyword. Whether you’re looking to stay ahead of the competition, understand market trends, or simply curious about a particular topic’s online presence, this tool provides a wealth of information at your fingertips. Its ease of use and the ability to convert research into ongoing projects make it a versatile asset for marketers, researchers, and brand managers alike.

Filtering BrandMentions [11:33]

Effective filtering is crucial for extracting meaningful insights from the vast amount of data BrandMentions collects. The platform offers robust filtering options to help users focus on the most relevant information for their brand monitoring needs. Let’s explore the various filtering techniques and their applications:

Basic Filtering Options

Mention Types:

• Web Mentions: Filter for mentions from websites, blogs, news articles, etc.
• Social Mentions: Focus on mentions from social media platforms

Time Range:

• Select specific date ranges to analyze
• Options for preset periods (e.g., last week, last month) or custom date ranges

Sentiment:

• Filter mentions by positive, negative, or neutral sentiment
• Useful for quickly assessing overall brand perception

Advanced Filtering Techniques

Keyword Refinement:

• Add Required Keywords: Ensure mentions contain specific terms
• Exclude Keywords: Remove mentions with irrelevant terms
• Example: Monitoring “Apple” for tech, excluding fruit-related mentions

Domain Influence:

• Filter by the authority or influence of the mentioning domain
• Useful for focusing on high-impact mentions

Language and Location:

• Filter mentions by specific languages or countries
• Valuable for brands with international presence or targeting specific markets

Creating Custom Segments

• Save frequently used filter combinations as custom segments
• Quickly access tailored views of your data
• Example: Create a segment for high-influence, positive mentions in a specific country

Practical Applications of Filtering

• Brand Protection:
• Filter for negative mentions to quickly address potential issues
• Set up alerts for specific keywords related to brand crises
• Competitive Analysis:
• Create filters to compare your brand mentions against competitors
• Analyze sentiment differences across brands in your industry
• Campaign Tracking:
• Set up filters for specific campaign hashtags or keywords
• Monitor the success and reach of marketing initiatives
• Influencer Identification:
• Filter for high-influence mentions to find potential brand ambassadors
• Analyze the context and sentiment of influencer mentions

Tips for Effective Filtering

• Start broad and refine: Begin with wider filters and narrow down based on initial results
• Regularly review and update filters: As your brand evolves, so should your filtering strategy
• Use a combination of filters: Combine different filter types for more precise results
• Test and iterate: Experiment with different filter combinations to find what works best for your brand

Handling Ambiguous Brand Names

For brands with common names or multiple meanings, advanced filtering is crucial:

Identify Irrelevant Mentions:

• Review initial results to understand what irrelevant mentions look like

Create Exclusion Lists:

• Develop a list of keywords associated with irrelevant mentions
• Regularly update this list as new patterns emerge

Use Context Filtering:

• Combine required and excluded keywords to capture the right context
• Example: For a tech company named “Swift”, require “programming” and exclude “Taylor”

Leverage Domain Filtering:

• Focus on industry-specific domains to reduce irrelevant mentions

Continuous Refinement:

• Regularly review filtered results and adjust your strategy
• Be prepared to adapt as language and context around your brand change

Mastering the filtering capabilities of BrandMentions is key to extracting valuable insights from your brand monitoring efforts. By effectively using these tools, you can cut through the noise and focus on the mentions that truly matter to your brand. Whether you’re managing a crisis, tracking a campaign, or simply staying on top of your brand’s online presence, smart filtering ensures you’re always working with the most relevant and actionable data.

Final Thoughts [15:10]

As we conclude our comprehensive review of BrandMentions, it’s clear that this social media and web monitoring tool offers significant value for businesses and agencies looking to track their online presence. Let’s summarize the key points and provide some final insights on the tool’s effectiveness and potential applications.

Overall Assessment

• Score: 8.8 out of 10
• Strengths:
• Comprehensive monitoring capabilities
• User-friendly interface
• Flexible filtering options
• Robust reporting features
• Agency-friendly with multi-project support
• Areas for Improvement:
• Limited multi-country and multi-language simultaneous monitoring
• Heavy branding on reports (unless using white label option)

Key Features Recap

Brand Monitoring:

• Track mentions across web and social media platforms
• Real-time alerts for timely response to brand mentions

Competitive Analysis:

• Monitor competitors’ online presence
• Compare brand performance against industry benchmarks

Customizable Reports:

• Generate professional-looking reports
• White label option available for agencies

Quick Research:

• Instant insights on any brand or keyword
• Useful for on-the-fly competitor analysis or market research

Advanced Filtering:

• Refine results based on keywords, sentiment, domain influence, etc.
• Create custom segments for tailored views

Historical Data:

• Access to past mentions for comprehensive analysis
• Extended historical data available with double stack option

Ideal Use Cases

Small to Medium Businesses:

• Monitor brand reputation
• Track customer sentiment
• Identify potential partnerships or collaborations

Marketing Agencies:

• Manage multiple client brands
• Provide professional reports to clients
• Offer competitive analysis services

PR Professionals:

• Monitor brand sentiment
• Quickly identify and address potential crises
• Track the impact of PR campaigns

Market Researchers:

• Analyze industry trends
• Gather insights on competitor strategies
• Identify emerging market opportunities

Comparison to Similar Tools

BrandMentions stands out in its agency-friendly features and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. While it shares similarities with tools like Civic Feed and Aworio, its focus on white-label reporting and multi-project management makes it particularly attractive for agencies and businesses managing multiple brands.

Value Proposition

At $49 for a single code (or $98 for a double stack) through AppSumo, BrandMentions offers excellent value for its feature set. The lifetime deal aspect makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to invest in long-term brand monitoring without ongoing subscription costs.

Recommendations

For Individual Brands:

• The single code option provides ample features for most small to medium businesses
• Consider the double stack if you need white-label reports or manage multiple sub-brands

For Agencies:

• The double stack is highly recommended for its additional projects, white-label reports, and extended historical data
• Leverage the multi-project feature to offer comprehensive monitoring services to clients

For Startups and Growing Brands:

• Start with the single code to establish your monitoring strategy
• Upgrade to the double stack as your needs grow and you require more advanced features

Final Verdict

BrandMentions proves to be a solid, reliable tool for brand monitoring and online presence management. Its user-friendly interface, combined with powerful features like Quick Research and customizable reporting, make it a valuable asset for businesses of all sizes. While it may not be necessary for brands that aren’t actively seeking mentions or engaging in extensive online conversations, for those who are, BrandMentions offers a comprehensive solution at an attractive price point.

The tool’s ability to adapt to various use cases – from simple brand monitoring to complex competitive analysis – demonstrates its versatility. As online brand presence continues to grow in importance, tools like BrandMentions become increasingly valuable for maintaining a positive reputation and staying ahead of the competition.

In conclusion, if you’re looking to enhance your brand monitoring efforts, streamline your competitive analysis, or offer comprehensive social listening services to clients, BrandMentions is certainly worth considering. Its AppSumo deal provides an excellent opportunity to access these powerful features at a fraction of the usual cost, making it an investment that could significantly boost your brand management strategy.

For those interested in exploring BrandMentions further or staying updated on similar deals, be sure to check out the following resources:

• ThatLTD.life website: https://clientamp.com for more reviews and insights on lifetime deals
• Join the Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/daveswift for discussions on the latest AppSumo deals and other LTD opportunities
• Follow Dave Swift on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidswift for real-time updates and quick tips on maximizing your LTD investments

Remember, effective brand monitoring is an ongoing process. Tools like BrandMentions provide the data, but it’s up to you to turn those insights into action. Start small, experiment with different features, and gradually build a monitoring strategy that aligns with your brand’s unique needs and goals.