Data analytics should be seamlessly integrated across all facets of your business operations, creating a cohesive and interconnected experience. Data offers valuable insights to drive critical decision-making when the right filters are applied to the analysis, and there are several to consider!
Fully leveraging the power of data requires an open-minded approach and suspending any preconceived assumptions. This is a crucial first step in building a robust social listening strategy. This mindset allows you to objectively explore the data without bias and discover unexpected patterns, trends, and correlations.
We discussed this and more with the always insightful, Nicholas Love, Agency Principal of the Kulur Group. He has advice to share from years of expert data analysis to inform various marketing and communications functions—and we have questions! In this interview, the last in a five-part series, we’ll uncover top tips and how to create cohesive experiences with data analytics.
And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out his earlier interview articles and LIVE events, including:
- Using Social Listening to Amplify the Call for Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging
- Taking a Deep Dive into Audience Understanding
- Drilling Deeper with DEIB
- Why Social Listening Sophistication is Critical for B2B
Let’s dive in!
What does it mean to be a “T-shaped marketer,” and how does that tie into creating a cohesive experience?
When we talk about what it means to be T-shaped, it is the ability to see one’s expertise in the context of environmental and organizational awareness. Depth and breadth of skillsets and services are fundamental expectations in today’s marketplace. If we examine this principle under the focus of social media marketing, to be T-shaped means that you need to understand so much more than what the untrained eye realizes.
Having a depth of understanding in content creation, community management, understanding the differences of user tendencies by social media platform, knowing how the various channels differ in capability, social advertising, social listening, measurement, and so much more. Quite frankly, there isn’t another channel that requires the individual to think with such nuance at scale. You must also understand how social media connects with email, search, advertising, demand gen, content marketing, and more.
One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen throughout my career is recruiting personnel for social media roles with an exclusive focus on publishing and copywriting skills, but candidates or organizations not understanding or leveraging social listening. Being t-shaped and not i-shaped allows you to see how your area of expertise integrates with other marketing channels so that you’re taking an interdisciplinary approach.
I-shaped individuals typically have developed expertise and depth in one area but don’t know much about other channels. In team collaboration, these individuals consistently focus on the same solutions and present their own ideas instead of thinking about the problem through a cross-disciplined approach. Being T-shaped allows concepts to go through a natural, rigorous process where the best ideas can be built or birthed.
Even in solely focusing on NetBase Quid®—this translates as going beyond simply analyzing social share of voice or brand sentiment, as it offers a broader range of capabilities. It can track ambassador activity, examine influential keywords, and shape your content creation, advertising targeting, and hashtag strategy. By leveraging these capabilities, you can optimize your presence in highly active hashtags, even those you might not have initially considered based on audience response.
Many business leaders will agree with this, as a tool with a broad range of capabilities is critical for any brand. Using hashtag tracking as an example, the analysis below offers us a quick glimpse into trending hashtags for Fenty Beauty. At the top, we see #denolaxfentybeauty:
Why is this important for Fenty? Because it shows that the new collaboration with its brand ambassador, Denola Grey, is resonating with targeted followers:
A robust tool allows them to identify influencers and monitor impact during the engagement to ensure they’re made the right match. Monitoring hashtags is just one of the many ways to do so.
How does data analytics enhance omnichannel opportunities?
There’s a distinction between multichannel and omnichannel approaches. Multichannel focuses on individual channels without a cohesive marketing ecosystem, while omnichannel combines various channels to create a unified experience.
As humans, we require multiple touchpoints to fully process information. This includes website searches, advertisements, community forums, and social media posts. The more data that you have at your disposal, the more you can customize or personalize the experience for your target audiences. Understanding the versatility of tools like NetBase Quid® allows you to leverage the technology effectively for directional intelligence. However, we’re past the days where you can rely only on a single tool, as your tech stack must be complimentary with each other, and social listening tools have to work in tandem with others that may provide you with an understanding of intent data. Audience intelligence is so key, and audience insights are only as good as the tools you have.
Brands need a 360-degree view of their customers. The ability to look at social media platforms and reviews, forums, blogs, news, and more is critical to capturing this view.
Continuing our Fenty example, separating conversations into categories according to channels is possible and extremely helpful. You can look at conversations across the social web as a whole and then break it down to understand which sources see the most interaction, which will guide your promotional strategy:
And you can further segment to understand how your brand is trending on specific forums, such as Reddit. For example, Fenty is killing it on multiple sub-Reddits currently:
And this helps companies understand where people are talking, and diving deeper can help brands discover what’s driving the conversation about them or a specific topic. And this is particularly true on Reddit, where posts are raw and unfiltered.
How do analytics offer brands a holistic view of their company?
The trick is digging deep and gathering valuable insights by exploring the tool’s features. It’s like getting a complete picture of your business strategy and how you want to reach your customers. Just like omnichannel marketing is essential, using the tool to its fullest lets you see everything from every angle
This 360-degree view lets you make intelligent choices, spot trends, and find opportunities across different channels and touchpoints. Data analytics tools have many different features and can be used in various ways, creating opportunities for personal and business growth. It helps you get the most out of your investment in a tool like NetBase Quid®.
There are a million ways to slice and dice data. Top tools allow brands to choose between options like sentiment, sentiment drivers, a brand passion index, crosstab analysis, demographics and psychographic intel, geographical intel, image analysis, and so much more:
From there, you get a quick yet detailed view into these specific analytics that you can investigate further to inform your next moves:
A tool that allows you to click into the images and data to see what drives the conversation is mission-critical.
Finally, do you have any boot camp advice for people just starting out with data analytics?
The most crucial step is to set aside any preconceived assumptions that you might have. It’s vital to approach learning environments with an open mind, ready to absorb new information and insights. This means being willing to have your initial thoughts redirected or guided in different directions. It’s about embracing the idea that your existing notions may need to be adjusted or completely changed based on the knowledge and data you encounter.
An open-minded approach to data analytics enhances learning and promotes cohesion in business operations. It encourages exploration and discovery, challenging assumptions and uncovering hidden patterns. By being open and having the right tools, brands can:
- Continuously adapt perspectives and strategies based on data-driven insights. This adaptability helps navigate a rapidly changing business landscape.
- Integrate diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration and internal cohesiveness.
- Encourage innovation, leading to unique insights and unconventional solutions.
With the power of advanced AI-powered data analytics, brands can evolve and grow as technology advances. If you want more information on improving your social listening strategy and creating a more cohesive company and brand experience, you can connect with Nick to help you. And then reach out for a demo to see how to use data analytics to inform your next move!