Listening:Free Tools & Techniques for Nonprofit Brand Monitoring

Gregory HellerPartner & Strategist

CivicActionstwitter @gregoryheller

“A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed.”

(The Cluetrain Manifesto, Levine and Locke

What Is Listening?

Brand Monitoring is developing tools and techniques to hear what people are saying about your

organization and your issues.

Everyone with an internet connection can say something that others will see or hear.

You need to know who is saying what.

People are already talking about you and your issues.

Keywords...

And how to find them:Brainstorm with your staff, members, audienceGoogle Trends (http://www.google.com/trends)Ask for help/feedback from others

On Twitter, or Facebook for exampleDelicious

Finding Keywords w Delicious

Use Delicious to see tags used by others

Testing Keywords w Google Trends

Listening StrategyDeveloping a Listening Strategy is essential Where to listen

Google News and Blog search, Technorati, Twitter Trendrr, Twendz Facebook Lexicon

How to listen feed readers (Google reader, Bloglines) Schedule time to listen

Re-evaluate your searches REGULARLY

Google Blog Search

TechnoratiDetailed search and analysis

High level analysis of keyword trends

Listening Tools: Twitter Search

Search for Keywords, Look at Trending Topics

Search & Hash Tags

Monitter: Twitter Search

Delicious SubscriptionsYou can subscribe to Delicious Tag Feeds.

Find the important tags, subscribe to the feeds through delicious, OR your feed reader of choice.

Listening Tools: Google Reader

Google ReaderA google news search result in google reade

Google ReaderLeverage your listening, use Google Reader to share

Other SourcesThere are many other sources, and new ways of

searching emerge daily. You can't find or use them all. Find the ones that work

for you. Re-evaluate periodically.

Twine is a social news and bookmark siteLoud3r is an automated semantic news site

Join the conversationYou know who is talkingYou know what they are talking aboutYou know where they are talking

Assign staff resourcesMake time in the scheduleCheck in to make sure it is happening

Notes and Resources

Visit Our Website For More Resources:http://CivicActions.com/social-media

Gregory HellerPartner & Strategist

twitter @gregoryheller