Not everyone talking about your brand online shares the same relationship with your business. The Customers, Prospects & Observers chart in BrandMentions categorizes mentioning authors into distinct segments based on where they sit in your customer journey, allowing you to tailor your marketing and engagement strategies to their intent.
Defining the Audience Segments
BrandMentions analyzes post language, author bios, and intent signals to group conversation sources into three core categories:
Customers: Active, paying users sharing post-purchase feedback, product reviews, unboxing posts, or product tips.
Prospects: Engaged lead-stage accounts asking questions, comparing your product against competitors, seeking recommendations, or expressing high purchase intent.
Observers: Industry commentators, media channels, casual social media users, and general observers discussing broader industry trends or news related to your brand without immediate buying signals.
Affiliated: Partners, ambassadors, employees, affiliates, sponsored creators, and commercial associates connected directly to your organization.
Press & Reviewers: Journalists, tech reviewers, industry bloggers, and media accounts evaluating your brand for publication or public coverage.
Understanding the Relationship Breakdown
The Brand Relationships chart provides a visual percentage breakdown comparing these three groups:
Customer Retention vs. Acquisition: A high percentage of Customers indicates strong post-purchase engagement and user retention. Conversely, a dominant share of Prospects signals high acquisition demand and top-of-funnel brand interest.
Funnel Health Check: If Observers make up almost all of your mention volume, your brand may have high general awareness but struggle to convert casual discussions into active buying interest.
How to Apply These Insights
Targeting Prospects: Create targeted mid-funnel content - such as comparison guides, customer testimonials, and FAQ resources - to help convert prospects asking questions into paying customers.
Leveraging Customers: Identify your vocal Customers to build advocate networks, invite them to referral programs, or feature their user-generated content (UGC) in marketing campaigns.
Refining Messaging for Observers: Shift casual conversation among Observers into consideration by sharing educational content, industry reports, and clear calls to action.
Segmenting your audience by brand relationship helps you deliver the right message at the right stage of the conversion funnel!