While a pet food company curates its own social media accounts, it must also keep an eye on what others say about the company on social media, websites, blogs and other online forums. Marketing communications firm Woodruff recommended specific communications tools and strategies to help dog and cat food companies monitor numerous social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Social media monitoring becomes particularly crucial during a recall, lawsuit or other crisis for a pet food company.
“Social media monitoring software watches for branded terms, hashtags and people commenting on various channels,” said Brittany VanMaele, Woodruff’s social media manager. “It allows you see if there is anything alarming that could balloon. That allows you to be proactive and catch it before it blows up. For example, if a blogger says something negative, you catch that and see how people are commenting on that blog. Also, you can monitor how that amplifies beyond the original channel.”
Likewise, social media monitoring tools allow a pet food company to read what people post about competitors’ products. A pet food company can then decide if consumers’ comments could apply to them as well, or if they can position their brand as an alternative.
Tools for social media monitoring
Social media monitoring tools recommended by Woodruff included Brand24, Brandwatch and Spredfast. However, pet food companies may benefit from choosing a tool that works best for their brand.
“Selecting the right tool depends on company size, along with the volume of mentions that you anticipate needing to track, which depends on how many brands a company has,” said VanMaele. “Then, look at prices to determine what you need. A small brand needs just basic monitoring, whereas a larger brand needs a very robust system.”
Pet food communication tools series
This article is part of a series on communications tools that pet food companies can use for crisis management, as well as for maintaining an active social media presence. Read more: