In yesterday’s blog, I mentioned how important it was to closely monitor the presence of your hotel, chain or brand on third-party reservation sites:

“Closely monitoring your presence on third-party reservation sites is more important than ever. If you see a negative user-generated review, do everything within reason to rectify the situation. Remember: It’s the jilted customers who often become the most ardent and vocal supporters if things are made right.”

Well, as luck would have it, I came across a great list of tools that allow you to do just that. The list, “13 Essential Social-Media ‘Listening Tools,’” was compiled by Clay McDaniel for MarketingProfs. It includes excellent free and paid applications that scan and track any mention of your hotel or chain on the Web, regardless of whether it occurs on Twitter, Travelocity or TripAdvisor. 

The first three applications (all of which are free) on McDaniel’s list are:

1. Google Alerts—e-mail updates that send you links to relevant Google search results based on your keywords;
2. Technorati—a site that conducts real-time searches for user-generated media by tag or keyword; and
3. Jodange—a site that measures consumer sentiment about your brand.

Having used the first two applications, I can speak for their effectiveness and ease of use. For example, I receive a Google Alerts e-mail every morning that keeps me up to date on all the latest industry news.

I’ve never tried Jodange, but it certainly looks intriguing—as do the rest of the applications on the list, which can be found in full here. (Note: You must register at MarketingProfs to view the complete list. Registration is free and takes less than 20 seconds.)