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Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Writing a press release is only half the battle. Success with press release distribution in Australia relies on your knowledge of the media landscape. If you don’t have your own contacts, a media database for Australia is a good place to begin your research for how to get the best media coverage.

If you want to maximise your next Australian press release, your communications team can come out on top of the PR cycle by using a press release distribution service. Here’s all you need to know about finding a press release service in Australia.

Press release distribution services Australia

If don't have a PR agency, learning the basics of public relations helps you beat the competition when it comes to getting attention for your brand. Knowing the best places to distribute your release is essential.

Here’s a short list of the top Australian press release companies every marketing team should know:

Meltwater Australia’s press release distribution service includes:

Newswire integration to over 100 services for local, national and global audiences and a strong presence in Asia-Pacific

Pitching to Australian social media influencers

Product Overview: ICM + DE subtitles

Notable clients for Meltwater Australia include:

General Information about Meltwater Australia

Meltwater Australia website: www.meltwater.com

NewsMaker is a self-service, digital media release website that lets you:

NewsMaker does not reveal the names of their clients.

OzMedia operates as a media centre to send your content via:

OzMedia does not reveal the names of their clients

Get The Word Out is a small distribution service that allows you to upload a press release and send it to a small group of journalists.

General Information about Get The Word Out

PRWire is a PR wire service providing free distribution of your press releases. It’s part of the Influencing network.

PRWire does not reveal the names of their clients.

Best Press Release Distribution Companies in Australia

Data has become the currency of marketing. And thanks to modern technology, marketers have more data-driven insights than ever when it comes to learning about audiences, buying behaviors, and the impacts of their campaigns. However, only data that is normalized can go beyond the database to provide those insights. 

Database normalization adds context and structure to your data. Rather than having bits of information stashed here and there, data is arranged in a logical, usable format. Users can more quickly find information within the database without it feeling like a game of hide-and-seek. And when data can be more easily found, it can also be put to better use.

How can you transform database normalization from a problem into a top priority? Use this guide to get started.

Let’s get some clarity on database normalization: What exactly is it?

<div style="background-color: #c4f4f4; padding: 20px;">Data normalization is the systematic process of inputting and organizing a data set. It uses Structured Query Language (SQL), which is a standard for accessing and altering database information.</div>

Unlike the Marie Kondo approach, where you only keep what brings you joy, this type of organization focuses on arranging data in a logical manner. 

Normalizing data is the next logical step after creating a database. It is where you remove any potential anomaly, error, or redundancy, set up a rule to link certain data together, and test your rules to make sure they work.

The end results are simplicity and power. When you add structure and logic to your data, you can maintain a smaller database that’s accurate and easier to use. If that’s the case, you’re inherently able to do more with your data.

Normalized data has become increasingly important as marketing data proliferates. Marketers are collecting information from more sources than ever, including email, social media, search engines, and market research. If you’re using multiple Software-as-a-Service tools, those apps may not always support each other.

By normalizing how all of your data is stored and accessed, you can expect multiple benefits:

Normalizing data is also an opportunity to address anomalies that might cloud your analysis. For instance, anomalies might appear over time due to data insertion, deletion, or alteration. Once you find these anomalies and discover how to fix them, your data will ultimately do more for you.

The key thing to remember is that the ultimate benefit isn’t data normalization itself. Rather, companies need to focus on the benefits that lie behind the action. Without going through this process, a lot of the valuable data you collect will never get used — at least not to its full potential. Normalizing data is a great way to get rid of unnecessary or inaccurate data that affects big picture insights. 

Normalization has many faces, depending on the database. What are the data normalization types? Let’s look at some examples:

First Normal Form: The first normal form (abbreviated as 1NF) is the simplest and most basic form of normalization. This process focuses on removing redundant data and separating related data into their own tables.

Second Normal Form: An extension of 1NF, the second normal form (2NF) eliminates subgroups of data that are displayed in multiple rows on a table. New tables are created and connections between them are added.

Third Normal Form: The third normal form (3NF) satisfies all the rules from 2NF and then some. It eliminates columns that have no intra-table dependencies on the main key value.

Fourth Normal Form and Fifth Normal Form: The most complex normal form is the fifth normal form (5NF), with the fourth normal form (4NF) following closely behind. These are rarely used, as the first three normal form types are most common.

Boyce-Codd Normal Form: The Boyce-Codd normal form (abbreviated as BCNF) is a happy medium between 3NF and 4NF (call it a 3.5NF). After meeting 3NF guidelines, BCNF can determine a superkey value if all other values are functionally dependent on it.

With each increase in the level of normalization, data receive a more technical makeover. For example, in 4NF, all dependencies between multiple values are deleted. However, technical and complex processes are not to be confused with “better” processes. A lower level of technicality can work just fine. In some cases, you might choose a combination of rules from different normalization types.

Now for the big question: How do you normalize data with all of the above information?

Normalization is a process, one that’s best broken down into phases. In a typical normalization project, you’ll need to do the following:

Let’s do a real-world sample project together.

Let’s say that you want to create a relational database for your marketing agency. You offer multiple marketing services for a variety of industries. So far, your relational database only has tables for campaigns, employees assigned to the campaigns, and projects within the campaign.

But you’d like to learn more. That’s why, after your initial database design, you’d like to add more details to your database. This will usually require normalization, since adding new values that weren’t part of the existing schema may not be properly connected to the other values. 

The first step is to make sure your table schema supports all of your values. It helps to start by creating a map of all the relational data you need to collect.

In the above use case, you’d have one table for listing your marketing services, one for employees, and one for projects.

Now, let’s say you’d like to add a customer table to add an extra layer of visibility. This new table will contain key customer details, such as company names, contact person, industry, phone number, address, and ZIP code.

Your table should be broken down into the simplest information possible. For example, you would not want to combine your contact person and job title into the same table column. Assign only one value for each column and row. Here’s a basic example:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:center;">ProjectID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Company Name</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Industry</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Contact Name</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Contact Role</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Contact Phone</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Address</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">City</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">State</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ZIP Code</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
   <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

You also need to give the table a primary key (also called a candidate key). The primary key is how users can identify unique data that is not the same as anything else. In this use case, we could assign project IDs as the primary key, which requires a separate column.

Also, make sure there is no repeating information in the table. For example, if you have multiple columns for project ratings to account for multiple projects for the same client, you should move these into a new table. This reduces the complexity of the customers table without getting rid of important feedback. From there, you can link the project ratings table to the customers table and projects table (which comes into play in the next phase).

Doing this should satisfy all 1NF requirements.

You could stop right here and consider your database normalized. But going the extra mile to finish 2NF doesn’t require much extra work. Plus, it can help you gain better control of your data.

In this phase, you need to make sure that all the columns in the table relate to the primary key. Those that don’t directly relate to the primary key should branch off into another table.

In our sample use case, we created a column for project IDs and made it our primary key. This unique identifier helps us see which projects belong to each client.

However, we wouldn’t be able to relate the contact person, job title, or phone number values to the primary key because this information might change. This adds some risk to your database accuracy: What if a new employee of that company becomes your new contact person? That might mean the phone number and job title values will also change. That’s a lot of extra fields to update when a point of contact changes.

So, since these values can’t relate to the primary key, we need to shift them to their own table. This new table will hold all the data related to the contact person. Then, we can connect the table to the customers table by using a contact person ID as the primary key. The new tables might look something like this:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:center;">ProjectID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">CompanyName</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Industry</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactPersonID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Address</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">City</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">State</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ZIP Code</th>
  </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
    <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactPersonID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactName</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactRole</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactPhone</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Now, when you get a new contact person for a client, you can simply update the "Contact Person ID" in the customers table. Looking at this ID will pull up all details for the current point of contact.

If the contact person changes, simply create a new record in the contact person table.

Rinse and repeat to ensure all columns in a table are assigned to a primary key and consider 2NF complete.

Phase Three: Connect Main Keys with Non-Key Values

To satisfy 3NF, we need to make sure that the columns only rely on the primary key and no other columns. Having functional dependency on more than one column in a table can impact data accuracy as values change over time.

Using our example customers table above, we see functional dependency at work in the city, state, and ZIP code columns. These not only relate to the customer’s primary key, but also to each other. For instance, if a company were to change locations, updating the city would most certainly affect the ZIP code.

Why doesn’t this apply to address or state, you might wonder? That’s because these values only affect each other some of the time. If a company moved down the street, it likely wouldn’t affect the city, state, or ZIP. Changing an address may or may not change the state. But changing cities or states will always affect the ZIP code.  

We can align with 3NF by (you guessed it) making a separate table. This table should contain the city, state, and ZIP code(s) associated with each client. You can link it to the customers table by creating a foreign key. In this case, it’s the "ZIPCodeID".

Our new tables will look something like this:

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:center;">ProjectID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">CompanyName</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Industry</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ContactPersonID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">Address</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ZIPCodeID</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
  <td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:center;">ZIPCodeID</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">City</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">State</th>
<th style="text-align:center;">ZIP Code</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
<td style="text-align:center;">...</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

When your customer changes their address, you can create a new record in the ZIP codes table to update the city, state, and ZIP, then update the address in the customers table.

Turning your big data into a normalized database can be quite the undertaking, but it also helps you get the most from data science practices. If machine learning, data model automation, or data mining for deep learning is on your radar in the future, you need to standardize your dataset organization. Good database management will only help you.

To learn how Meltwater uses database normalization on your behalf, contact us today.

An Introduction to Database Normalization

Social media users aren’t shy about sharing their thoughts and feelings. Thankfully, their comments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and other platforms are valuable tools for brands. When a user comments on your brand’s content, don't take it lightly. That engagement can help you get to know your customers more than ever.

Reading user comments is just the beginning, though. Your audience also wants you to reply. Research shows that 83% of users expect a reply within a day or less. As for how to reply, you’re going to need more than a Like button or cool emoji.

We’ve got you covered with this important yet delicate process. Here’s how to respond to both positive and negative comments on social media, plus some tips for responding to your Instagram audience.

What Types of Social Media Comments Are There?

When to Respond to Comments on Social Media

When we say social comments, we’re referring to the responses that users leave on your social media content. For instance, if you post an image or video to Instagram, users can leave comments that appear beneath your post.

There are lots of places a user can post a comment. For example, your audience might leave a review or recommendation on your Facebook page. Or, they might head to the comment section of your YouTube video. They could even send you a direct message (DM) on Twitter or join a discussion about your company using a specific hashtag. Social media has become a customer service channel of sorts, so users are increasingly reaching out to companies via private messages or public comments on social media pages, hoping someone will respond.

Every social media channel allows users to leave comments. You’ll usually get a notification when someone leaves a comment on a post so you can check it out and reply. It’s a good idea to assign someone to moderate comments and know how to appropriately respond to them so that you never miss an opportunity to reinforce your brand.

Social media comments can be a great way to get inside the minds of your customers. Sometimes, comments are positive. They’re sharing their own experiences with your product, giving you some virtual kudos, or recommending you to others.

Sometimes, comments are negative. People aren’t happy with their experience and want you (and others) to know about it. Some comments are questions from your audience about your product or post. And sometimes, comments are pure spam that has nothing to do with your content at all.

Each of these has varying degrees of urgency in terms of response. Let’s look at some of the types of social media comments, including what to look for and how to respond.

Brands love a compliment that puts them in a positive light! For example, if you’re a small restaurant, a happy customer might say: “Best meatloaf ever!”

Take these positive reviews as opportunities to reinforce your brand, say thanks, and show your appreciation for your customers.

Some comments are neither good nor bad. They don’t do anything to tear down your brand image, but they aren’t exactly building it up, either. For example, if a customer shares they’re planning to order the meatloaf, consider it a neutral comment. You might even take it to mean they like the meatloaf (so don’t change a thing about it!).

Or, customers might ask a question about a product or service. They simply want more information and choose to get in touch with you via the comment section.

No brand likes to think they’ve done something to upset their customers. And yet, negative social media comments happen to the best of us. An example of negative feedback would be: “My meatloaf was dry and cold. Never going back.”

But don’t let a negative comment sink your ship just yet. Many people watch to see how brands respond to negative feedback. And in many cases, you can still salvage the relationship and even earn new customers from it.

A study from BrightLocal found that 89% of consumers are highly likely to patronize a business that responds to all of its social media comments. In addition, 45% of users say they are likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews. That’s why learning how to properly respond to comments on social media is so important — it can tip the scales in your favor, even when the original feedback isn’t pretty!

Some comments will send you right into crisis mode. This might be someone making criminal threats, such as trying to trash or vandalize your restaurant. Or it might be something that could affect your business’s ability to stay open, like this: “I found a dead rat in my meatloaf. Disgusting!”

These aren’t just negative comments. They seriously threaten your bottom line. They instill fear in your other customers and could make people not want to do business with you, even if those comments are completely unfounded.

These types of comments on social media can’t be ignored. While crisis-level comments may be very few and far between, they do still happen. And they need to be addressed immediately — either by you or even legal authorities, depending on the content.

Sometimes, a comment is pure spam and has nothing to do with your content at all. Going back to our meatloaf restaurant, you might see comments from people promoting weight loss products. They might post an affiliate link or something non-intelligible. These types of spammy comments can damage your brand image because they’re clearly spam. You don’t want people to associate your brand with spam, right?

Internet trolls are deliberate troublemakers. They’ll make comments on social media that aren’t exactly geared toward you — you just happen to be convenient for them at the time. They might say something like “Meatloaf isn’t real food” or “Why would anyone even like meatloaf?”

Trolls have nothing better to do than to spread negativity. They crave attention, interaction, and engagement from others and will stop at nothing to get noticed by you. Treat them like the bears at the zoo: Don’t stick your hand through the cage to feed them.

One of the biggest questions a social media manager must answer is: Should I start a two-way conversation with every comment?

This is when it’s helpful to have dedicated social media management resources. Assigning someone to manage your comments on social allows you to be as responsive as possible. Here are our general rules of thumb:

Respond to all positive feedback, no matter how great or small. Every nice compliment is an opportunity to strengthen your customer relationships.

Respond to neutral feedback in a positive way. A simple “Thanks for sharing!” often does the trick, but make sure your response is relevant to their comment.

Respond to genuine complaints. Most negative feedback is valid and they will appreciate you taking the time to try to make the situation right. And don’t forget – the person who made the complaint isn’t the only one waiting for a response!

Respond to crisis situations. In some cases, you may have to involve third parties, such as your local law enforcement when comments involve a threat. Screenshot the comment, then remove it and address it accordingly.

Don’t respond to spam or troll comments. Engaging with trolls isn’t going to do your brand any favors since they feed off attention and don’t really care what you have to say. Even deleting their comments will only stoke the fire.

Now that you have some general knowledge about responding to the comment section on social, let’s get a little more granular and focus just on Instagram comments.

There are several places where users can leave comments on your Instagram account. Explore where to find feedback and what to do next.

Instagram has become one of the top social media customer service channels. People are increasingly reaching out to brands in DMs with questions or expectations of customer support. If a follower sends a message to your inbox, you need to be prepared to respond.

To respond in a DM, hover your mouse over the specific message and click the curved arrow. This allows you to reply to that message. Type your message in the text box and click Send.

DMs are also helpful if you do not want to publicly respond to a comment. Simply reply to their comment that you’ve sent them a DM and then handle the rest behind closed doors. For example, if a customer commented that they still haven’t received their order from you, you wouldn’t want to share their tracking link or ask for personal details that other people could see.

Comments made on IG posts are viewable by the public. These need to be moderated and replied to promptly, especially if they contain negative content that may impact others’ impressions of your brand.

To respond to comments on a specific post, navigate to the post (via desktop or mobile app) and scroll down to the comment section. Click Reply on the comment you want to respond to. Type your thoughts and click Send.

It’s important to consider how your comment will appear to others. Remember — your reply might also be public to others!

Responding to positive comments is easy — just match the customer’s level of excitement. Neutral comments are easy, too. Toss in an emoji or two to make it more colorful.

Negative feedback is tougher to navigate. If the complaint is genuine, you want to come across as sincere and thoughtful in your response. Here are some tips for offering a palatable reply:

Start with an apology, even if the situation was beyond your company’s control.

Include some form of resolution, such as a discount and an invitation to give you another try.

Share steps you’re taking to make sure situations like these don’t happen again (if applicable).

Don’t engage when you’re angry. Wait for a clear head and let your logic do the talking, not your feelings. Take a step back, breathe deep, and answer when you’ve had time to thoroughly think through what you want to say.

Don’t argue with the customer. Now is not the time or place to talk about who is right or wrong. Your job is simply to acknowledge them and make them feel heard.

Responding to Instagram comments is a critical skill in the social media manager toolkit. It also requires real-time insights and an always-on approach to make sure you never miss a message. To learn more about how Meltwater can help you keep a finger on the pulse of your social media marketing, get a demo.

Social Media Comments Guide: How to Respond to Instagram Comments

It might not be the biggest or most popular social media platform, but X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to drive value for social media marketers and brands of all kinds.

Founded in 2006, Twitters microblogging platform lets users share original content and engage with each other via 280-character messages. Millions of users leverage the platform each day to discover everything from world news to funny memes and everything in between.

These Twitter stats prove that it deserves a place in your social media and social listening strategy. Let’s dive in!

Twitter Statistics on Marketing and Advertising

Twitter Stats on Popular Accounts and Topics

X, formerly known as Twitter, started growing in popularity after making a splash at the 2007 South by Southwest Interactive conference. Here’s a look at some general information about the X / Twitter landscape as it stands today.

Twitter has 217 million daily active users. (Statista)
The company last reported its monetizable daily active users in Q4 2021. However, Statista notes that Twitter no longer reports on this metric.

Twitter generates more than $5 billion in annual revenue. (Twitter)
The latest figure comes from a Twitter release, noting a growth of 37% in just one year. More than a quarter of the company’s revenue came from Q4 2021.

Twitter employs 7,500 workers, up from just 130 in 2010. (Statista)
In January 2008, just eight employees made up Twitter’s offices. That number jumped to 29 employees the following year. Its largest growth period was between 2011 and 2013, when Twitter went from 350 employees to over 2,700 employees.

Twitter is the 9th most visited website in the world. (Statista)
Active users enjoyed more than 2.4 billion sessions in 2021.

Twitter is the 15th most used social media platform in the world. (Statista)
Though Twitter has some stiff competition in the social media space, it still remains a Top 20 contender.

In terms of social media marketing, understanding a particular platform's user base helps you see if it includes your target audience. Here’s more information on X / Twitter demographics that can help you create your content strategy accordingly.

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