12 most important uses of social media research

To avoid that problem, here are 12 important opportunities and goals social media research offers:

1. Measure an advertising campaign.

Likely the most popular use of social media research, tracking a commercial or marketing campaign from anticipation to launch to completion is simple. You can measure any changes in conversation volume as consumers positively or negatively anticipate the campaign. You can then discover whether the anticipation evolves into a viral sensation or a dismal failure.

2. Compare your brand to competitive brands.

Regardless of how well your brand is doing, the best measure of success is whether it’s doing better than your competitors. No one likes bank or service fees, or waiting for a repair person to arrive, but when social media research says your company consistently does something better than anyone else, you have a good thing going.

3. Discover your true competitors.

As brand managers, we think we know our brand inside and out. But sometimes consumers have different ideas. They may lump your brand in with brands you never considered, or brands you never realized compete in your space. Pay attention when consumers mention those other brands.

4. Identify product flaws.