FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Media Monitoring, Measurement & Analytics
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Glean.info's news monitoring, social media monitoring and media measurement services.
- What does Glean.info do?
Glean.info is an automated media monitoring, measurement and analytics service. The media intelligence service finds, aggregates, archives, delivers and measures mentions in news sources and social media about companies, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies. It also monitors brands, competitors and industry issues. It is designed primarily for use in public relations, marketing, reputation management and competitive intelligence.∧ - Is Glean.info a Software as a Service (SaaS) like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, and Splunk?
Yes. CyberAlert, founded in 1999 and the parent of Glean.info, was one of the first SaaS platforms that stored proprietary software in the cloud. Established long before the most famous SaaS companies, it was an innovator in cloud computing and pioneered online media monitoring and measurement.
The software for Glean.info's media monitoring and its measurement dashboard is housed on servers in a data center in New York City and accessed online via a password-protected subscription, rather than bought and installed on individual computers. SaaS subscriptions feature lower costs and can be installed and upgraded more quickly than traditional desktop software.∧ - Does Glean.info offer human analysis in addition to automated monitoring and measurement?
Yes. Glean.info has a staff of well-trained and experienced media analysts who are experienced in multiple industries, including media and entertainment, pharmaceutical and medical, technology and consumer staples.
Using rigorous criteria developed together with each client, the analysts assess news articles and social media posts for sentiment/tone, messages, spokespersons and other qualitative measures. They also review the articles and posts for context and issues to flag. Using the Glean.info dashboard and additional software, they develop monthly or quarterly reports of exceptional depth and insight to help clients prove and improve communications effectiveness. - What media does Glean.info monitor?
Glean.info offers the most comprehensive media monitoring services available. We monitor:
- more than 100,000 online news sources in 200+ languages in 191 countries ∧
- more than 190 million blogs worldwide ∧
- closed caption text and full video of almost all TV stations in all 210 U.S. markets, including network, cable and local TV news programs∧
- more than 250 news and talk radio stations in the top 50 U.S. markets∧
- more than 25,000 print news sources worldwide∧
- more than 70,000 message boards and forums∧
- social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.∧
Competitors may claim to monitor a preposterously high number of online news sources — far more than actually exist online. Believe us, there aren't the number of independent news sources online that they claim to monitor.∧ - Is a long-term contract required?
Glean.info does not require an annual contract for automated monitoring and measurement services. Clients are free to cancel with a 30-day notice.
Services using human analysts require a 6-month agreement and can be cancelled with 30-day notice. Even with these lenient cancellation policies, Glean.info's churn rate is extremely low. Most clients choose to stay with Glean.info for many years.∧ - Do you offer customized services?
Yes, Glean.info can create customized media monitoring packages to fit your needs and budget. If our coverage doesn't include a news source you need, we can add it within 72 hours to our monitored media list. Glean.info welcomes feedback and client inquiries on specialized or customized media monitoring services. We are happy to discuss your needs and try to adjust the Glean.info services to meet your specialized requirements. Contact us at info@glean.info.com or 800-461-7353.∧ - Do you monitor websites that require paid subscriptions?
Yes. Glean.info clients can receive clips from subscription publications by using their corporate subscription to access content through our service.∧ - Are there any news sources that you do not monitor?
A few online news sites block automated robots, prohibiting Glean.info's software from accessing them. Clients can still obtain access with manual searches and import results into the Glean.info dashboard.∧ - Why should I pay for Glean.info instead of using free Google News alerts?
Google Alerts and other free services don't match the quality and features of subscription media monitoring services like Glean.info. Google News has become so unreliable that it's not very useful as an on-going media monitoring tool for PR, marketing and corporate reputation management. It reports only selected media mentions. It does not store clips in an archive for later reference. It does not provide any data with clips it identifies. It has no measurement dashboard, requiring users to move the clips into a spreadsheet.
In addition, Google Alerts only monitors online news. Integrated media monitoring and measurement services like Glean.info aggregate clips from blogs, social media, message boards, TV, radio and video-sharing websites like YouTube. Users also receive detailed measurement data and thorough analysis of audience reach and market penetration. Glean.info can bundle these services into a comprehensive, cost-effective monitoring and PR measurement solution.∧ - Why should I use an online news monitoring service such as Glean.info instead of a traditional press clipping service?
With rare exceptions, print publications now publish their content online. Most every article that's in print is also online. As a result, monitoring online news only is the most cost-effective media monitoring strategy.
The automated software of Glean.info misses fewer clips than human readers at old-fashioned press clipping services. Our proprietary searching and indexing software achieves essentially the same rate of accuracy as human readers — less than 2% "bad" clips for most every client.
Glean.info delivers clips throughout the day as our online spiders collect them. Delivery of paper clips often takes days or weeks.
We store client clips in a database, where they're easily accessible through your password-protected online dashboard at any time from any location. The measurement dashboard can be accessed by multiple staff members within the client organization at no additional charge. The dashboard also makes it possible to distribute clips to multiple individuals within your company.
Glean.info can conduct searches for archival news content up to one year old for an additional fee.∧ - Can you monitor just a list of specific sites for us?
Absolutely! We can monitor news sources by geography, language and type of media such as newspaper, magazine, trade publication, or online source. We can also create a custom media list for you. Just provide us with your list of "must-have" sites (news sources/publications) that you want to monitor. You can change your custom list of media sources at any time.∧ - Does Glean.info keep an archive of our clips enabling searches for past articles?
Yes. Glean.info archives your clips in an online database where the client can easily find and access all saved articles using the powerful search function in the online dashboard.∧ - Will you send me the list of online media you monitor?
Our list of online media sources is the most comprehensive media list available today. It's one of our family jewels that competitors have tried to get their hands on. So, we take great care to protect it.∧ - Will you add sites upon client request to your list of monitored online news sources?
Clients may send us a list of their "must have" online news sources. We compare the list to our media list and add any sites from the client's list that we don't already monitor — and we do it within 72 hours. Your account representative can explain how to submit the sites and the information we need for each site.∧ - Does Glean.info monitor radio news?
Yes! We perform speech-to-text radio monitoring on more than 250 local talk and news stations in the top 50 U.S. markets.∧ - How do you deliver my clips?
Glean.info delivers a daily (or more frequent upon request) email alert containing all the media mentions we found since the previous delivery. We also deposit all client media clips in the client's online dashboard.
Each clip alert contains the headline, name of media source, type of media, a short extract of the article with your keywords highlighted, a link to the entire article, and detailed circulation/viewership data for each source.
Delivery options, such as XML, are available upon request.∧ - Do you deliver paper clips?
No. Most clients find that receiving electronic clips in an email and online dashboard is more efficient, timelier, and more affordable.∧ - What time will I receive my clips?
Clients can specify the times and frequency of email alerts. Media mentions are deposited into each client's online dashboard in near real-time as we find and process them.∧ - Can my co-workers also view the clips you send me?
Yes. We can send your co-workers the same email alerts you receive. In addition, you can provide co-workers with access to the dashboard. You can export clips you select via email and create your own clip reports for distribution. The clip reports contain the same information as the email alerts, including the live link, brief excerpt and meta data.∧ - How accurate will my results be?
Glean.info provides clients with today's most comprehensive and accurate news monitoring service. We run all results through a "triple filtering" process to achieve extraordinary accuracy and relevance. For most clients, over 98% of delivered clips are "good clips" — no duplicates and few if any irrelevant clips.
Such accuracy is essential for clients with difficult search terms — for instance, those that contain generic words like "Orange" or "Gap," or common surnames like Smith or Johnson. In addition, we provide clients with superior customer service and expert assistance to help set up your search profile (keyword specification) to produce optimal results.∧ - What is the actual cost of the different services?
Our sales team will create a customized package based on your media monitoring needs. By customizing services to meet your specific needs, we can typically provide more affordable options than competitors. Contact us at 800-461-7353 for additional pricing information. You can also email us at info@glean.info.∧ - How does pricing work? Is there a per clip charge?
Glean.info pricing is based on the number of the different types of media you monitor - online news, print, blogs, social media.
There are no per clip charges in Glean.info's automated media monitoring and measurement service.
Glean.info charges a flat, monthly fee that depends on the number of services and keywords you order. The price for one service (e.g. online news) is $299 per month. Each additional media type carries its own additional charge. There are discounts for non-profit organizations.
You receive daily email alerts containing clips from all the media you ordered, access to the online dashboard, and up to 6,000 media clips per month. There is an additional charge of $75 per month for each bundle of up to 1,000 additional clips. Your Glean.info account representative will work with you to design the optimal media monitoring package and budget for your needs. In almost every case, Glean.info services are substantially less expensive than traditional press clipping services or competing online media monitoring services.
Optional human analysis of clips has a per clip charge. The charge for human analysis varies depending on number of measures, brands and competitors to be assessed in each article. To assure there are no unexpected costs, there is a monthly cap on the number of articles assessed. Your Glean.info account representative can provide more detailed pricing information.∧ - How do I change my keywords?
Clients can change or make additions to their keyword queries at any time by contacting their account representative or project manager at 800-461-7353 or sales@glean.info.com. Changes will be made within hours or overnight.∧ - How can I add another email address to the distribution list for email alerts?
Provide your Glean.info account representative with a list of email addresses that you would like to add to the distribution list for your e-mail alerts. Your account rep will make the changes.∧ - Do you include readership data with the clips?
We supply detailed media measurement and circulation data provided by Amazon's Alexa Web Ranking System. Each news clip you receive includes: news rank, web rank, reach per million, print circulation (if a U.S. print edition exists) and national impressions.∧ - What metrics does the Glean.info dashboard measure?
Our dashboard automatically reports a broad range of metrics, including reach, impressions, share of voice, and media type, geographical distribution, language and other parameters. The dashboard automatically generates charts and graphs to display the results and trends. The client controls the types of charts and reporting periods. We can link web analytics, webinar, email marketing metrics and CRM data into measurement dashboards. We also create custom metrics for clients.∧ - What are special features in the dashboard?
The Glean.info dashboard integrates analytics from all media and social networks, including the client's Google Analytics. The integrated analytics approach provides a 360-degree view of how earned media, marketing or social media campaigns impact key business objectives. Its intuitive design makes it easy to learn and use, and it's possible to have multiple simultaneous users for multiple purposes.
In addition to meeting the media measurement needs of small and mid-size organizations, the dashboard is designed to fill the special requirements of large or multi-national organizations. The dashboard, for instance, can segregate and analyze sets of clips on multiple brands or competitors. It can also perform analysis of clips by country, territory or language.
Divisions, departments, brand managers, or country managers can create different search and measurement profiles. They can generate charts and graphs for their particular needs. PR teams monitoring a crisis or a campaign can create specific views and filters.∧ - Do you offer a free trial?
We do! Potential clients may take advantage of our 14-day Free Trial of online news, blogs and Twitter by filling out the trial order form on our website. If you prefer, contact a Glean.info account representative to set up your free trial over the phone (800-461-7353). No credit card information is required. You are billed only if you specifically order the service at the end of your free trial.
You can also request a Free Demo to learn about Glean.info's full-featured dashboard and comprehensive coverage.∧ - How long does it take to start the service?
Allow 24-72 hours for testing and accurate collection.∧ - Does Glean.info produce executive newsletters?
Yes. Clients can use the Glean.info dashboard to assemble and edit daily executive news briefs. Clients can also retain the services of Glean.info's analysts to select and edit news articles each day and assemble them into a news brief for executives and managers.∧ - Is it possible to get a full or edited news feed from Glean.info?
Yes. The Omnibus News Feed from Glean.info delivers over 1 million news articles each business day. Clients can also enter keyword searches into the database of news articles through an API. For more information, see the Omnibus page on our website.∧
Don't see your question here? Call us today at 800-461-7353 or email us at info@glean.com. We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
