The top 5 ways CommsTech can help your entire team

By Sarah Phillips

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Using media data, insights and analytics has typically been a function of the marketing and comms leads to understand media presence or uncover how well a campaign resonated, or by the C-suite, to help inform strategic business decisions.

But the use of communications technology (CommsTech) like the Truescope app extends beyond these roles, and can be utilised by just about every position across all organisations and industries.

As insights from big data become faster and more accessible, specifically in media as communications technologies develop, the ability of all people to use data in their roles is now considered the “new norm”.  In its World PR Report 2020-2021, the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) found that having skill sets in this area is a top consideration of employers when it comes to future hires.

So whether you’re in marketing, corporate communications, R&D or finance, an established professional, relatively new to your industry, or a bit of a veteran then take a read of the top five capabilities the Truescope app can assist you and your department with.

‍1. Reputation and Crisis Management

‍‍Which departments can benefit most? Corporate Communications, Marketing and Public Relations, Sales, Business Development, R&D and Executive teams.

‍Communications technology tools enable you to gain a fast and accurate understanding of who is saying what about your brand and the exact sentiment of the messaging across all media, including traditional, digital and social.  

Given the rapid speed of information and prolific use of social media today, any unfavourable messaging online has the potential to amplify within seconds. CommsTech gives you access to the tools that can help control the narrative, where needed, and early.

Specifically, monitoring blogs and forums gives you the ability to quickly identify customers seeking help online through brand mentions, and react before they grow impatient - helping to avoid situations like a comms crisis, and instead increase chances of return sales and brand loyalty. You can even use these insights to inform your customer service procedures and processes, and identify exactly how and where things can be improved.

The ICCO report found crisis counsel, digital/social/online communications and corporate communications as the top services that have increased during the pandemic. This reinforces the importance of having access to data and tools that can help to ensure proactive instead of reactive customer-facing communications.

2. Campaign Analysis

Which departments can benefit most? Marketing, Public Relations, Sales, Business Development, Finance and R&D.

‍Use media data, insights and analytics to find out how well your last sales or marketing campaign performed.

Determine whether your campaign generated the mentions and coverage you expected, if it fired up the conversations with your target audience you hoped for, or identify the areas that didn’t perform as well. These insights can even be attained in real-time, meaning you can alter what is needed to improve campaign performance, or use the insights to inform your next campaign.

Perhaps what’s most valuable is the ability to create a compelling report to present to stakeholders about your activity, to determine what’s best to invest in next time - all backed by real time insights and information.

3. Media Relations

Which departments can benefit most? Corporate Communications, Marketing, Public Relations.

Media clippings, connecting communications activity to business results and engagement metrics are identified as the top three ‘most likely client requests’ according to the ICCO’s report.

Demonstrate your success with a complete picture of your results, for example the exact volume of coverage the latest product release generated thanks to your dedicated pitching, or show them all of the articles that simply mention their brand in wider industry pieces.

Identify authors, influencers and experts to potentially endorse a product, service or brand. Find out which journalists are commonly writing about a specific topic and diversify your contact book. Now that you know who is interested in different topics you can a) network network network! b) personalise and send hyper-relevant pitches c) contact them when you need to change the narrative in the midst of a comms crisis and ultimately, position your employees as experts to leverage your brand.

Why wouldn’t you be using the data and insights derived from CommsTech to inform your next media strategy and connect your activity to desired business results?

4. Market Research and Product Development

Which departments can benefit most? Marketing, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Sales and Finance, R&D, Executive teams.

The data derived from media intelligence can help you spot early signals and trends within an industry you’re already playing in, or looking to enter.

Access to these insights means you can use the information to identify gaps in the market (hello new business opps!), the likelihood of your audience being receptive to a given product or service and the specific functions customers want and need from a potential new offering.

Gain insight to how an industry has rapidly changed or evolved and its economic and financial outlook. Use this information to inform your forecasting and strategic planning -  is it worth investing millions if the industry you’re looking to expand into is expected to deflate in a year’s time?

5. Competitor Intelligence and Lead Generation

Which departments can benefit most? ALL departments!

‍If you ever wanted to be a spy, now’s your chance! Competitor Intel is KEY.

Source media coverage around your competitor, benchmark your brand or product against theirs and gain data around who has the leading share of voice in media. Use this information to then inform your strategy based on your brand’s needs,  whether that’s ensuring it remains ahead of your competitors, or working to close the gap if your competitors are the market leaders.

And it doesn’t end there...let’s talk lead generation! monitoring blogs and forums gives you the tools to look for recommendations for a product similar to yours, or listen to complaints about your competitors. This arms you with the insights to develop a strategy specifically targeted at those audiences which lets them know their needs are being heard, and ultimately aims to entice, convert and foster them as fans of your brand instead.

What now?

It rings true that regardless of which department you’re operating in, CommsTech enables informed and strategic communication, thinking and planning.

Measurement and analytics according to the ICCO report is the technology expected to have the greatest impact in years to come, however adoption is still a challenge. The report also found the majority of regions cited only sit at 5.1 in terms of technology adoption, with 0 considered poor and 10 being excellent.

It’s no secret this often comes down to the challenges the economic climate brings, and also often the perceived effort required to learn and manage new technology by already time-poor employees. That’s why the Truescope app’s tools and capabilities are comprehensive and simple to use no matter what level an industry professional sits. Not to mention, Truescope’s fully integrated and seamless tech experience means professionals CAN put their time and effort into the data, insights and information that matters. The adoption of tech is something that needs to be improved to help drive the previously mentioned impact of measurement and analytics further because as we’ve explored, it can have a game changing effect.