If all the world’s “a-twitter”, do you know what people are saying about you? Do you know how to get meaningful data from all that Twitter chatter?

There are a few ways on Twitter to manage your online brand and see what people are saying about you.

1. Twitter has a great real-time search function. Just type in your company name, Twitter account name, etc. and see who is talking about you right now and what they are saying. This manual data-mining is a way to keep track of conversations and should be checked pretty often to give a good measure of the status of your brand and reputation.

2. Your @ replies. You can see these by clicking you account name in the right-hand column of your Twitter page. This shows you who has replied to one of your Tweets, what they said, and also those who have Re-Tweeted one of your posts. Another great way to jump into the conversation with your customers, competitors, partners, etc. and show your social media savvy.

3. Twitter Lists are a newer feature and are a more organized way to track your brand. According to Joanna Lord of Socialmedia.biz, you should be checking to see what lists you are on and who else is on those same lists. Is it how you want to be viewed or who you want to be associated with? If not, you might need to change up your Twitter strategy and push out a message more in line with what you are about. Also, what lists are you not on that you WANT to be on? Make your own lists, too. (You can even create private lists just for you to keep an eye on the competition!)

This is a lot of time and committment, but it is very clearly not a waste.  If someone is unhappy with your product or service, you can respond to them and troubleshoot issues. You can also thank people who are praising your brand, and all of this gives you a better understanding of how you are preceived in this space and what you need to focus on, so you’re not wasting precious resources.

Happy Data-Mining!! 🙂