A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Analysis Social Data

Digital marketing agencies often promise brands deep insights into user feedback. But what does it take to deliver on such promises? Here’s a simple, two-step breakdown of the process involved in analysing user feedback, along with a glimpse into the challenges and nuances of this work.

Step 1: Gathering the Data

Collecting user feedback is getting harder every day. Social media platforms and e-commerce sites like Amazon and Instagram are constantly strengthening their data privacy measures, while marketing agencies are building tools to navigate these barriers. This tug-of-war raises critical questions about data ownership and ethical boundaries, but for now, let’s focus on the mechanics of data collection.

• Data Limits: To bypass restrictions, programs are often designed to pull a limited number of reviews (e.g., 100 at a time). This ensures the process remains manageable and effective.

• Consolidation: Once collected, the data needs to be cleaned and organized. Duplicate entries must be removed, and the final dataset must be stored in an accessible system for further analysis.

Without a well-structured data collection system, meaningful insights are impossible. Think of this step as building the foundation for your analysis.

Step 2: Designing the Metrics

What can the data actually tell you? Designing the right metrics is a nuanced task that depends on the product category, the platform you’re analysing, and the purpose of the insights.

Take, for example, some luggage manufacturer sepcific data we analysed. Since luggage is a low-frequency purchase category, Instagram offered little meaningful engagement. Amazon, on the other hand, provided a good source reviews. This distinction shaped the metrics we could measure. Product characteristics, Yes. Social Media Advertising Effectiveness, No.

Crafting the right metrics is like following a recipe—it’s all about using the right ingredients in the right proportions

Finding meaningful metrics is an art

Finally: Repeat and Refine

Repeat this process at a frequency that aligns with your business needs. Continuous analysis ensures that your insights stay relevant and actionable.

By understanding the behind-the-scenes mechanics of user feedback analysis, brands can better evaluate what their digital marketing agencies bring to the table. Armed with this knowledge, you can separate tall promises from actionable results.

This post has been lightly edited using OpenAI's ChatGPT.