Combining Sentiment and Reach data gives you a complete picture of how impactful your brand conversations truly are. While Sentiment Analysis tells you how people feel about your brand, Reach Analysis shows you how many people are potentially seeing those mentions.
By examining these two metrics together, you can move beyond measuring emotion and start understanding influence and visibility. This approach helps you prioritize engagement, focus on high-impact mentions, and make smarter, data-driven reputation decisions.
Why Combining Sentiment and Reach Matters
Not all mentions carry the same weight.
A negative tweet from an account with 20 followers isn’t the same as a critical article published by a news outlet with millions of readers.
By combining these metrics, you can create a priority matrix for mentions based on both emotional tone and potential reach:
Category | Impact Level | Recommended Action |
High Reach + Negative Sentiment | 🔴 Critical | Address immediately. A negative mention from a major influencer or media outlet can harm brand reputation. Respond quickly and transparently. |
High Reach + Positive Sentiment | 🟢 High Opportunity | Amplify and engage. Positive coverage from influential sources boosts brand trust and visibility. |
Low Reach + Negative Sentiment | 🟠 Moderate | Monitor and respond. These may represent isolated customer issues that can be resolved before escalating. |
Low Reach + Positive Sentiment | 🟢 Community Value | Nurture relationships. These are your loyal advocates, engage authentically and help them grow. |
Tip: Think of sentiment as quality of feeling and reach as scale of impact. Together, they reveal both what people think and how many people it matters to.
How to Combine Sentiment and Reach in BrandMentions
You can easily analyze sentiment and reach together within your Mentions Dashboard using built-in filters.
1. Apply the Sentiment Filter
Open your Mentions Dashboard.
Use the Sentiment Filter to select the type of mentions you want to analyze (e.g., Negative).
This narrows your data to mentions expressing a specific emotional tone.
2. Apply the Reach Filter
Next, activate the Reach Filter.
Set a minimum threshold for estimated reach, for example, mentions with a reach greater than 10,000.
This ensures you’re viewing only the most visible mentions.
3. Analyze the Results
Your filtered mentions feed now displays only the mentions that meet both conditions, for example, negative mentions with over 10,000 reach.
These are your high-priority mentions, deserving immediate attention or engagement.
Example: A negative article with high reach indicates a reputational risk, while a positive influencer mention shows a promotional opportunity.
Practical Applications
1. Prioritize Crisis Management
During a potential PR crisis, you might see a flood of negative mentions.
By combining Sentiment and Reach filters, you can quickly identify which mentions are most influential helping you focus on what truly drives public perception.
2. Identify True Influencers
Not every high-reach user positively impacts your brand.
By filtering for high reach and positive sentiment, you can pinpoint influencers who genuinely enhance your reputation ideal partners for long-term collaborations.
3. Measure PR and Campaign ROI
Evaluate the effectiveness of your PR efforts by analyzing coverage from news outlets and media platforms.
Track positive, high-reach mentions over time to measure how your campaigns influence both brand visibility and public sentiment.
4. Guide Strategic Engagement
Different mention types call for different engagement strategies:
High-Reach Negative: Respond publicly, clarify facts, and manage the narrative.
High-Reach Positive: Share and amplify to extend reach.
Low-Reach Negative: Address privately for resolution.
Low-Reach Positive: Acknowledge and thank supporters personally.
This targeted approach ensures your engagement is proportional, effective, and empathetic.