Social Media Research Association Social Media Research Briefs

Social marketing is really a series of micro moments, and there's a lot to it. Small businesses can find this especially challenging, as they may feel that it's more difficult to be seen in social and trying to do it all with limited resources. However, there are so many great opportunities out there to get some great insight into customers and build a foundation for a social presence. Darcy Sullivan of Propel Marketing & Design, talked about a lot of great strategies, tips, and advice for building a strong social presence. She talks about the importance of building a foundation with strong SEO and offers other great advice, including: How to use social conversations to REALLY learn about your customers & how personality matching can be effective Using competitive insight in ways you may not have thought of (reading competitor reviews? Why?) How to align keywords, SEO, and content creation around the ways people are now searching for information How to own and benefit from negative reviews Darcy shared an example of this last point, and I wanted to share links to the commercial she talked about, and another great example of using negative feedback to your benefit: Ski slope commercial Restaurant advertising using negative feedback If you'd like to connect with Darcy, you can find her on LinkedIn or Propel's website.  Listen: Small Business Opportunities for Building a Social Presence

It’s been a wild ride….where has social taken us, and where are we headed in 2020? I had the opportunity to talk with Michalis Michael of DigitalMR, who I originally talked with in February, 2018. You can listen to that episode here. Back then, we talked about the state of social monitoring, listening, and intelligence and he made some predictions for 2020. So here we are…..was he right? Listen as Michael and I talk about what’s happened in the last year and a half, what’s new, and what we need to pay attention to in 2020. He also shares a new prediction for 2023. As references to our conversation, you will want to take a look at this great resource from Esomar, " Briefing questions when considering tools and services for unstructured data – text, images, audio, and video"  and get familiar with Social Brand Performance Score & Digital Brand Equity Scores, which Michalis explains during our conversation. These are two terms we will need to become familiar with in the new year as they work toward providing insights and measurement/guidance for marketers and researchers in the coming year. We also touch on DigitalMR's listening247® service. You can learn more about it here.  Please take some time to learn more about Michalis and DigitalMR. You can visit their website or connect with Michalis on LinkedIn or Twitter. Listen: The State of Social With Michalis Michael, DigitalMR

We talk about brand building for companies and on a personal level as adults, but what about kids? Is it too early to start building your brand as a child? Absolutely not! Our kids are growing up in an online, social world. We need to keep them safe while helping them understand that their online activities will follow them throughout their lives. I had the opportunity to talk with Josh Ochs from SmartSocial. He shared some information about his work with parents, students, and schools and how to help navigate social sites and apps. You can learn more about SmartSocial by visiting their website, or you can learn more about Josh and his Digital Drivers Ed Program on the Smart Social website. He has a great app review section on his website, which you can access here. Feel free to reach out to Josh on Linkedin to get to know him, and watch our video chat while we recorded this episode! Listen: Keeping Kids Safe & Building Their Brand Online

Did you know that cats prefer Apple products, while dogs tend to be more sporty, preferring Adidas?  As marketers are moving away from vanity metrics & realizing there is so much more to the story, research & listening has expanded beyond traditional text based listening into visual. This episode talks about visual image recognition and how it is used in social listening & research. Vad Sapozhnykov, Marketing Director at YouScan, talks about how it works, what insights can be gained, and how it is being incorporated into more traditional programs. He talks specifically about situations in which: Brands identified influencers through image recognition A brand quickly realized their branding was displayed at an event that they did not support Two brands compared side by side found that the reasons people were discussing each brand were very different, allowing for not only marketing insight but competitive intelligence To learn more about YouScan, you can visit their website or connect with Vad on LinkedIn or Twitter to get to know him better! Listen: YouScan & Visual Listening Through Image Recognition

The more we can clap for each other, the better the world will be… That is the premise behind Videosocials, a program that launched earlier this year designed for folks who know the importance of incorporating video into their social strategy, but realize being on video is not their favorite past time. What is Video Socials? Who’s behind this new social program? Meet Vik Rajan, cofounder of PhoneBlogger.Net, who launched Videosocials earlier this year. He talks about the importance of video in social strategy, and how this program helps people become comfortable in front of a camera and learn how to leverage video in the social landscape. Don’t forget to connect with Vik on LinkedIn and Twitter, and learn more about his company, phoneBlogger.net. Listen: What You Need to Know About Video & Social Strategy

Launching a new initiative takes a lot of work, and social media marketing can be extremely useful for increasing visibility, engagement, and buy in from customers. What challenges exist, and how can social media strategy be used effectively? This episode features Joe Cannata, Certification Director at Kinaxis, a supply chain management and sales & operation planning software company. He shares his story of launching a certification program and using social strategies as part of the program’s success. Key takeaways include: Challenges and opportunities for working with marketing to enhance a new program launch – how to get buy in from marketing, work in tandem for shared goals, and how to make the most of this relationship. How different departments can work together with marketing to create a strong social media presence Ways to effectively reach a niche market in a personal, engaging manner The success of such programs, and how they can evolve over time Joe brings to the table a lot of knowledge about certification & social strategy. Please feel free to reach out to Joe and connect with him socially to learn more from him! Learn more about Kinaxis  Take a look at the Kinaxis' Certification Program Connect with Joe on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook  Joe & I also talk about social media strategy certification, which is available through the National Institute for Social Media. To learn more, I encourage you to visit the NISM’s website, where you can take a look at their certification prep course and exam and take advantage of their webinar series. Listen: Social Media Strategy Tips For New Program Launches

In the second part of this two part series, Jimmy Matorin talks about psychographic profiling - what it is, how it's currently being used, and ways to take advantage of this constant stream of real time data from consumers. You can listen in to learn more on how the food industry and brands like Ikea are using psychographic profiling to better connect and understand their consumers. Jimmy also talks about the dangers and things to be aware of when using this newer data stream. How is Ikea using profiling? Follow Jimmy on social: Smartketing LinkedIn Twitter Listen: Psychographic Profiling

Consumer targeting & profiling is nothing new, but has taken on a new meaning with the volume of data thanks to social media. Is it too much? Is it better and/or more useful? How does the data lead to influencer marketing? Are micro or macro influencers better? All of these questions are answered during this episode of the Social Media Research Brief podcast. Listen as Jimmy Matron, Business Catalyst at Smarketing, shares his experience from traditional targeting to today's version of targeting via social media data. He also shares insight on how data can lead to marketing opportunities and connecting with the right influencers in your market. Be sure to check back next week for part 2 of my conversation with Jimmy, when we talk about psychographic profiling. In the meantime, please check out Jimmy's blog and connect with him on social - he'd love to hear from you! Learn more about Jimmy & connect with him on social: Smartketing Blog LinkedIn Twitter Listen: The Evolution of Consumer Targeting

In this episode, Logan Allec, founder of Money Done Right, shares his story about building his brand and how social marketing helped him grow his company to where it is today.   He turned traditional social marketing strategies on their side with great success: Traditional strategy tells us to find our audience online and start with marketing on that platform. Logan flipped the script a bit – where did he start and why? What challenges exist in building visibility and audience loyalty when the social platform is not traditionally used for user engagement? The broader the target audience, the trickier it can be to market to all effectively. How did Logan address this and use social strategy effectively to connect with Millennials to Seniors? Finding the value of repurposing content, but knowing its limitations There are some great ideas & takeaways in this episode! I encourage you to connect with Logan - he’d love to hear from you! You can find him where you hang out online: Website (Money Done Right) Linkedin Facebook Twitter Listen:  Logan Allec Shares Tips on Social Marketing to a Broad Audience

Sure, you’ve heard the term and probably considered using it as a part of your own marketing strategy, but there’s also a lot of misperceptions out there. Susana Yee, founder of Digital Everything Consulting, shares some information on the most common myths and misperceptions around influencer marketing. She addresses myths and answers questions, including: Is influencer marketing really less expensive than other marketing strategies? Is influencer marketing a quick, inexpensive marketing strategy? What are trickle down influencers and how can they work better than “big name” influencers? Can influencer marketing be used on its own? What clues are out there when vetting a potential influencer? How to choose between an influencer and brand ambassador? You might be surprised at some of her responses. If you’re considering using influencer marketing or have tried it with mixed results, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Susana also talks about her upcoming influencer roadmap course – this four module, self paced online course guides marketers through the entire process, from researching and identifying potential influencers to negotiating contracts and launching campaigns. If you want to learn more, you can visit her website and register to be notified when the course launches. I encourage you to reach out to Susana and connect with her to learn more about Digital Everything Consulting and influencer marketing. Digital Everything Consulting's website Check Out the Influencer Roadmap Course Connect With Susana on LinkedIn Listen now: Influencer Marketing Myths & Misperceptions

“We now create 1.7 megabytes of new information each second for every human being on Earth.” No wonder companies struggle with data analysis – with so many sources of information, how does a company make the most of it in an efficient, relevant manner? I had the opportunity to talk with Nancy Schuetz, Managing Director & Founder of Mettacite. We talked about big data, challenges & opportunities for B2B companies, and best practices for collecting, managing, and analyzing big data. Nancy shares a great case study that highlights the benefit of incorporating social data into the mix – what key factor did a company learn that changed their marketing strategy? We also talked about the 5 V’s of big data, and you can read the entire article we discussed here. I also encourage you to take a look at Mettacite’s service offerings & connect with Nancy online – she’s a great source of information! Resources Learn More About Mettacite  Connect with Nancy on LinkedIn Follow Mettacite on Twitter Read: The 5 V's of Big Data Listen: What Every B2B Company Needs to Know About Big Data

“The more data you have, the cloudier it gets. That’s why there’s a need for good media analysis.”   If you feel this way, you’ll want to listen to this episode! I’m talking with Michael Lieberman, founder of Multivariate Solutions. We had a great discussion around social network analysis – this is different than social listening. Find out more about the 4 types of social network analysis and the 6 different maps. Each map can provide insight into social conversations, including:  How does conversation flow? Is there an influencer driving conversation? What are the “hot topics” surrounding a brand/campaign and who are the people talking about it? Is a marketing campaign sending the right message? Polarized conversation maps may alert you to potential issues. Learn more about social network analysis, how it can be used to maximize marketing and advertising efforts, and how Michael's expertise can benefit companies who are seeking this type of data analysis. Listen: Social Network Analysis I encourage you to learn more about Michael & Multivariate Solutions. Below are links to his website and social accounts – stop by and say hello! Connect with Michael on LinkedIn Follow Michael on Twitter Learn more about Multivariate Solutions  I also promised I’d share some of Michael’s work and examples of social network analysis maps  & case studies so you can get a good understanding of what we are talking about in this episode.  Publications by Michael LiebermanTwitter Analysis Case Study: Nordstrom & a Polarized Community 

In our last episode, we talked about how to use social listening & research when a social media crisis hits. Today we explore what steps you can take now to be ready. During this episode, we feature clips from a presentation by Olivia Harting, Chevron's Social Media Manager, Corporate Public Affairs that highlights some great tips & tricks on how to prepare. If you have a story to share or questions on the topic, please feel free to send us an email. As promised, I am including the link to the entire presentation as well as Social Media Examiner's hashtag research site suggestions for you to take a look at. Listen to Chevron's full presentation Take a look at Social Media Examiner's hashtag research resource Listen: Before a Crisis Hits...How to Prepare

Chances are your brand will face a social media crisis at some point – with the way social media is designed, it’s bound to happen. Are you prepared to handle it? This episode shares insight, tips, & tricks on how to use social listening & research before and during a crisis – easily identify when something is brewing, collecting information to manage the crisis, and ways to use it to keep your staff safe in high profile crisis situations. Do you have your own tips or stories on how your brand faced a social crisis? If so, please share with us to be featured in an upcoming episode. You can send your stories to Marianne Hynd at marianne@smra-global.org. You can learn more about the Social Media Research Association at smra-global.org and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Listen: How to Use Social Listening & Research During a Crisis

What is the future of social research? Will it continue to live within the market research discipline or become a discipline of its own? Who better to ask than Dr. Jillian Ney, the UK’s first Dr. of Social Media. Listen as Jillian talks about the importance of social research, how it has evolved, and where it’s headed in the future. She also talks about the Social Intelligence Lab, which she created for those in the social research field, and the Digital Intelligence Council, which strives to drive the social intelligence industry forward, establish ethical data analysis practices, and improve the value of social data analysis. Jillian would love to connect with you! We encourage you to engage with her online and keep tabs on her work: Dr. Jillian Ney's website  Connect on LinkedIn Connect on Twitter We also invite you to learn more about initiatives Dr. Ney is working on: The Social Intelligence Lab The Digital Intelligence Council Listen Now: Dr. Jillian Ney Talks About the Future of Social Research

We hope you enjoyed last season’s podcast series – we hope you've had time to catch up on Season 1 and are ready for more! This episode is a brief recap of what to expect this season and to ask for your input to make this season a great one! Always feel free to share ideas, questions, or feedback with me at marianne@smra-global.org. While you’re waiting for the first episode, take a look at some of our partners & sponsors: Preznc Reports: https://preznc.com/ National Institute for Social Media: https://nismonline.org/ The Social Media Strategies Summit: https://socialmediastrategiessummit.com/ The Social Shake Up Show: https://www.socialshakeupshow.com/ Listen: We're back for Season 2!

Preznc® Report bridges the gap between click-to-report and expensive researcher-based methodologies – you get affordable, relevant, & actionable insights. Listen as Steven Groves talks about Preznc Report & the upcoming webinar series hosted by the SMRA. If you are an SMRA member, you'll want to join us on one of the webinars to find out what's in store for you. Not a member? Not a problem! Join us for one of the upcoming webinars to learn more about Preznc Report and how to become an SMRA member to take advantage of the benefits that come with membership. Click to learn more about: Preznc Report Webinar Series Listen now:  Introducing Preznc Report

Ever wonder how many hashtags generate the most reach? What type of content will get the most engagement? Want to test your theories but don’t have the time or budget? Look no further than the Social Media Research Lab for answers. I had the chance to chat with Scott Ayres, Content Scientist for Agorapulse & author of Facebook All-in-one for Dummies. He launched the Social Media Lab in 2017 & took research to a very literal level, busting myths along the way. Listen & learn more about the lab, the experiments that have been done, and tips on social media engagement. You can also learn more about Agorapulse and the Social Media Lab by visiting their websites: Agorapulse: https://www.agorapulse.com/ Social Media Lab: https://www.agorapulse.com/social-media-lab You can also connect with Scott on social – he’d love to hear from you! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwayneayres/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottayres Listen: Social Media Research With Agorapulse

Imagine you only had 10 minutes to spend on LinkedIn and wanted to spend that time engaging with prospective clients, or maybe some new connections you made at a recent conference. How would you find them quickly & engage before your time was up? Meet Vik Rajan, who is developing a LinkedIn add on, Inner Circles. Listen as Vik explains what Inner Circles is & how it will make LinkedIn more effective. We also talk about the good, bad, and ugly of LinkedIn, so you’ll want to check it out. Want to get a sneak peek of Inner Circles? Take a look at the website and sign up for updates so you’re the first to know of new developments. Don’t forget to connect with Vik on LinkedIn and Twitter, and learn more about his company, phoneBlogger.net. Listen: What's in Store With Inner Circles?

“I don’t want to reach the world…I just want to find my individual segment.” If you’re not familiar with the term micro fame you’ll want to listen to this episode. Meet Alexander Lowry, a Professor of Finance at Gordon College and the Director for the Master of Science in Financial Analysis program. Listen as Alexander talks about disrupting the higher education industry & how social media helped him in this efforts. He shares some innovative social tips & techniques you’ll want to make note of. You can learn more about Gordon College by visiting their website. Also be sure to take a look at their Master of Science in Financial Analysis program, especially if you’re thinking about a future in finance! here Alexander shared information about Gordon’s Finance & Faith Forum, which is held quarterly. Click here to learn more the forum and see which speakers will be presenting You can find Alexander on LinkedIn & Twitter if you'd like to connect with him!  Listen: Alexander Lowry on Micro Fame & Industry Disruption  

Imagine being at work and not picking up the phone when it's ringing.... Todd Grossman, CEO Americas for Talkwalker, used this as an anaolgy when talking about the importance of listening to social conversations. In this episode, Todd talks about image recognition as it relates to social listening and shares an interesting case study looking for the most popular type of pasta - the study found much more than this. Listen to learn how one thing led to another in their research. You can learn more about Talkwalker by visiting their website, and you can learn more about their pasta research in the article, "Finding Actionable Consumer Insights Using Visual Listening." We invite you to connect with Todd on social media - he'd love to hear from you on Twitter or LinkedIn! Listen: Talkwalker's Case Study on the Value of Image Recognition in Social Research

In the corporate world, acquisitions and mergers are not for the faint of heart. Careful due diligence is not all about the financials - listen as Michalis Michael, CEO of DigitalMR, shares tips and best practices for looking at social data to better understand a company's current standing and to prepare to hit the ground running once the acquisition is final. Michalis recently spoke with us about best practices in social research, which is another great podcast episode to check out. To learn more about Digital-MR or connect with Michalis, you can visit the DigitalMR website or find them on Twitter at @DigitalMR and @DigitalMR_CEO. You can also connect with Michalis on LinkedIn. Listen: Social Research & Corporate Acquisitions

In this podcast episode, Tatiana Tosi talks about how social media research plays into netnography and understanding how to engage with and market to online communities. Influencer marketing is also discussed (hint: it's not what you think it is)... Want to connect with Tati? She'd love to hear from you! You can find Tati on LinkedIn & Twitter. Listen: Social Media in Netnography & Influencer Marketing

This episode features a great discussion with Jennifer Radke, CEO of the National Institute for Social Media (nismonline.org). Not only does she serve as the Institute's CEO, she is an international author, speaker, and strategic business leader with over 15 years of experience in sales and recruitment leadership. In this episode, she talks about strategy and research for businesses, and offers information on the NISM certification and coursework that is available, as well as a special promotion for non-profits and the Social Media Job Study that is currently in progress for 2018. Helpful links: If you are a social media professional & would like to participate in the 2018 Social Media Job Study, please click here If you are a non-profit, take advantage of the FREE webinar hosted by the NISM entitled, "Measuring the Value of Social Media for Your Nonprofit" - Click here to learn more & register  About NISM certification: https://nismonline.org/sms-certification/ As a reminder, SMRA members receive a 10% discount on NISM courses & certification! Read the 2016 Social Media Job Study Report: https://nismonline.org/nism-2016-job-study-review/ Listen: Meet the National Institute for Social Media

A quick podcast from Marianne, host of the Social Media Research Brief - a huge thank you to our listeners, a brief overview of the SMRA, and a special offer for our listeners! Listen: Thank you for listening!

“The web is the biggest focus group in the world.” No truer words have been said. Listen as Michalis Michael from Digital MR shares three ways social media research can be incorporated into traditional research methods. He also shares tips on what to look for in a social listening platform and shares his insight into why social listening has taken so long to become a standard research tool. If you are interested in learning more about market research and Digital MR, I encourage you to visit their website at digital-mr.com. You can also find them on Twitter at @DigitalMR and @DigitalMR_CEO . Listen: Social Media Research Tips & Advice

Private investigators use social media & online research to enhance their cases, learn more about people of interest and players in a case. Listen as Deb Salerno, Social Media Specialist from eChatter talks about how social media and online content plays into an investigation. Listen: eChatter Social Media Research and Investigation

Listen as Katie McElveen, Associate Director of the Social Media Learning Center at Clemson University talks about the SMLC, uses cases, and benefits of engaging students in social media listening as part of their studies. The Social Media Listening Center (SMLC) at Clemson University is an interdisciplinary, cutting-edge laboratory that seeks to monitor, measure, and engage in social media conversations from across the web. It is the first of its kind, allowing college students the opportunity for hands on training and experience in social media research. Listen: A Peek Into Clemson University's Social Media Learning Center

Listen as Sandra Stibbards, Owner & President of Camelot Investigations explains how she uses social media and open source intelligence for corporate & individual investigations. Sandra conducts Open Source Intelligence Training (OSINT) courses & shares ways to keep your privacy intact online. Take a look at her OSINT training sessions or sign up for her newsletter. Listen: Social Media Investigations & Training With Sandra Stibbards

Listen as Mark Michelson, owner of Threads Qualitative Research talks about using social media research in conjunction with more traditional market research methodologies. Mark also shares information on a new study that is in the works – Changing Channels -  that you will want to check out. Listen: When Traditional Market Research Meets Social Media Research

Listen as Rich Groom & JD McKee from Sparks Research share tips and best practices on using traditional research findings to launch social media research to learn even more about their customers, identify influencers, and maximize marketing efforts and messaging. Social media research is an excellent tool to drill into traditional market research findings and brings an entirely new dimension of information. Listen here: Enhance Your Traditional Marketing Research With Social Research

Podcast Episode: Advanced Twitter AnalyticsOur Advisory Board Member, Jim Matorin of Smartketing Marketing dives into Twitter features & analytics in the second part of his two-part series. Listen Now: Twitter Analytics Part Two

Podcast Episode: Basic Twitter Analytics Are you looking at your Twitter Analytics? If not, you may be missing out on some free insights around the reach of your Social Media Marketing on Twitter.   Our Advisory Board Member, Jim Matorin of Smartketing, dives in and provide some great tips! Listen now: Basic Twitter Analytics Podcast

Podcast Episode: Social Media and Customer Service How does social media impact the customer experience? How can your business benefit? Studies show that customer using a social channel expect and answer within one hour. Get some tips & tricks for making the most out of your social listening data. Listen now: Social Media and Customer Service

Podcast Episode: Identifying Your Audience using Social Media Research How well do you know your customer demographics? Could you benefit from learning more about their likes and dislikes? Find out how to use social media analytics to your advantage. Listen now: Identify Your Audience Through Social Media Research

Podcast Episode: What is Social Media Research? This podcast scratches the surface explaining what social media research is and how it is currently being used by marketers, businesses, and researchers. Listen now: What is Social Media Research?