Caster Communications
Challenge
How Do You Measure Success?
As early adopters of social media, Caster Communications knows that the original content it generate for clients leads directly to successful campaigns. But, how do you demonstrate those results? Using the Meltwater app the team has been able to pull real-time metrics that help communicate a campaign's success.
"Do Metrics Better"
The challenge in every business is to give your clients what they want and need - and then some. Timing is important, and knowing what competitors are up to helps you remain a step ahead. For Caster Communications, this meant becoming early adopters of social media more than a decade ago. Social media's new channels of communication meant more opportunities for information gathering and outreach. To exploit social fully, Caster began using Meltwater's platform for media monitoring and engagement. Caster is a medium-size agency that punches above its weight by emphasizing personal, hands-on service assisted by copious amounts of automation. Soon Caster was using Meltwater to track keyword mentions, follow trending topics, and monitor the activities of their clients' competitors. Caster began using these findings to develop original content to share with their clients' followers and drive more successful campaigns. Assigning a value to the work they were doing was where they fell short.
Caster's Kimberly Lancaster says, "Everyone needs to know their ROI, right? The number one question we're asked when pitching is, 'how do we show results?'. The trade media talks about it all the time, the desire to do metrics better. It lives in your head when you're a PR person."
"If we left metrics off the table, nobody would sign the deal. There isn't anyone we talk to who doesn't want accountability."
Kimberly Lancaster, Owner and President Caster Communications
Solution
Metrics to Believe In, Available 24/ 7
Caster went from being Meltwater customers six years ago to becoming vocal advocates two years later with the release of the Meltwater mobile app. Previously, only two people at the agency had access to the data. Since the data went mobile, all their teams do. More eyes on their clients' data means better, more personal service in real time. Kimberly Lancaster calls the mobile app a game-changer. "That's when Meltwater really became a key resource for us, in terms of the information they can glean, present, and summarize in reports with great charts and graphs."
Along with the charts and graphs came new tools for measuring sentiment, share of voice, and media exposure, all of which more accurately reflect the value of the data. Simple tools that summarized, automated, and reflected the work that Caster was doing played a huge role in furthering their relationships with their clients.
The quality of the metrics have become a differentiator for Caster, and Lancaster is certain they're helping her agency land new business. She uses the app at trade shows to show prospects how to pull up data in real time and get share of voice, keyword mentions, total number of stories, and advertising value. She says she watches people's faces and often sees their jaws drop.
Summary
Meltwater Helps Caster Communications
Provide a higher degree of personal service by engaging the whole team
"The app was a game-changer, in terms of having a high availability of information, including the news of the day, the top stories across all our clients, and the ability to monitor star brands. The app was when we went from only a couple of people having access to Meltwater, to the whole team having access."
Measure their true value-add and ROI with trusted real-time metrics
"We live in a world where metrics and numbers and charts and graphs still matter. Meltwater adds value by providing simple tools that summarize, automate, and reflect the work that we're doing, all of which keeps clients happy. This is why Meltwater has been one of our key tools for the last five years."
Capitalize on every opportunity when prospecting for new business
"I pitch at trade shows where everything happens in real time. I pull up Meltwater on my phone and show prospects what we track and how we measure. I show them dashboards with share of voice, sentiment, and media exposure. Many of these companies are small and the only way they'll ever see this is through us."
