ServiceFriday: The Potential is Limitless – Using Search Engine and Social Media Data for Real Insights and Impact

In an article from Forbes Agency Council, John Bracamontes investigated recent changes in approaches for marketing research in the age of digitization and big data. Social media platforms and search engines collect vast amounts of data that is readily available to marketers which can then be used to improve service delivery or create new service or product offerings. What is unique to the information shared by customers on social media and search engines over traditional methods of data collection such as feedback surveys and focus groups, the information collected is “raw and unfiltered”. This provides marketers with insights that are authentic and not subject to self-censoring. Customers regularly go to search engines to ask for answers to their questions, providing marketers with information that can be used to optimize service delivery. 

“Getting an answer to a market research question is as simple as asking the search engines to provide you with what people are searching for and at what volume. You get unfiltered answers and the associated sample sizes to ensure your research is sound. A more common way is to conduct keyword research to quickly gain the most popular searches with the highest volume on any given question or topic.  You can then use that information to optimize your organization — by fixing problems, creating new products or delivering practical educational content that answers their questions.”

Leveraging the data available on social media platforms is proving to be a powerful way to conduct market research and has limitless potential. 

The original article in Forbes Agency Council can be found by visiting this link: https://bit.ly/2JiekDX