If you work in PR, marketing or communications and use a media intelligence platform, you might be familiar with the “good enough for now” syndrome. Maybe you are using a media monitoring platform that isn’t delivering on the promises you were made when you bought it, but does the bare minimum you need to get your job done.
Maybe you bought what was supposed to be an “all-in-one” solution that actually requires you to go outside the platform to track specific media types, or maybe you have trouble reaching customer support when you have a question. If you are experiencing anything like this, you have probably at least toyed with the idea of switching to a new platform, only to confront a host of reasons why switching is too difficult.
In other words, the “good enough for now” syndrome is quite common—here a some of the most common symptoms:
- You feel like learning how to use a new tool will take too much time
- You are concerned that no matter what you are told, you won’t be able to monitor all media types from one platform
- You worry that you’ll get the same empty promises about support that you got last time
- You worry that in the end, switching solutions won’t be worth it
While all of these concerns are legitimate, sticking with a platform that is just good enough can have significant long-term drawbacks.
For instance, if the media monitoring service you currently use is missing crucial online news mentions or broadcast hits, you may be trying to fill those gaps by doing manual searches outside the platform. The time you spend on those searches could be spent trying to grow your earned media exposure. Similarly, if your current solution doesn’t deliver results in real time, you aren’t getting maximum value out of your investment.
You may also not be getting the quality of platform support that you need, which can impact you negatively in several ways. As an example, the time you spend trying to figure out how to use the tool the way you need is keeping you from being productive in other areas of your job. Additionally, if you can’t get a platform expert on the phone—or via chat/email—when you need one, you may get caught jumping through hoops trying to get a simple answer.
But how do you shake off the symptoms we mentioned earlier? Here are some of the ways changing platforms may be easier than it seems:
- Invest in a platform that provides you with a dedicated account manager and robust onboarding—you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can get comfortable with the tool
- During the vetting process, ask potential providers to show you how to track TV, radio, online news, licensed print and social media in one tool—the proof is in the pudding
- Ask other PR and communications professionals you know about which media monitoring companies have a reputation for providing great service
- Weigh the small amount of time it will take to get up-and-running on a new platform against all the time your current “good enough” platform is costing you every week
If anything in this piece sounds familiar, take a look at this one-minute video to see how fast and intuitive a media monitoring platform can be.
Eric Lebowitz
Eric Lebowitz joined Critical Mention in 2018 as its Director of Marketing. A native New Yorker, he originally began his career in journalism and later moved to marketing, discovering a passion for branding and analytics. Eric brought a background in content marketing, marketing measurement and marketing automation, having previously co-founded and managed his own agency. In his spare time, Eric loves to play as much golf as possible at courses across the country.
