Who among us hasn’t descended into the depths of Internet commentary? Exploring the battles between two (or more) posters on any platform can eat up hours and hours of your day. What’s more, they can be found everywhere.
Pick a topic, any topic, and you’ll find an argument over it on the Internet.
“I respectfully disagree with that comment you recently posted to the Internet.”
Don’t believe me? Go look.
I’ll wait…
…
Welcome back.
Aside from the obscene language, what did we learn? There are two sides to everything.
This is the environment into which you’re executing communications campaigns. To some, it will be welcomed; while to others you’ll be vilified.
Find a thread on the same subject/topic/segment as your campaign and examine what’s been said, on both sides. Take note. I’ve found this type of activity to be incredibly informative in helping to identify the trigger points for the intended audience.
Sure, this type of resource and opinion tends to exist at the extremes, so take it for what it’s actually worth. I see it as identifying the landmines in communications materials and using that insight to develop talking points around, or through, issues.
Further, when pairing this anecdotal sentiment with market research, target demographics, and competitive analysis, you develop an idea of your audience, where they consume media, and their predispositions.
This piece by Cision articulates the need to identify patterns in customer reviews as well as pain points in the shopping/ownership process as a means to inform your messaging. While the focus of the piece is on “weaving data points into your brand’s PR storytelling strategies” in an effort to build trust, don’t ignore sentiment. It’s within the nuances that you’ll find the gems.
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