Social media analytics: how they support company public relations

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Tam ◽  
Jeong-Nam Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Media Data

Purpose In the midst of practitioners’ increasing use of social media analytics (SMA) in guiding public relations (PR) strategy, this paper aims to present the capabilities and limitations of these tools and offers suggestions on how to best use them to gain research-based insights. Design/methodology/approach This review assesses the capabilities and limitations of SMA tools based on industry reports and research articles on trends in PR and SMA. Findings The strengths of SMA tools lie in their capability to gather and aggregate a large quantity of real-time social media data, use algorithms to analyze the data and present the results in ways meaningful to organizations and understand networks of issues and publics. However, there are also challenges, including the increasing restricted access to social media data, the increased use of bots, skewing social conversations in the public sphere, the lack of capability to analyze certain types of data, such as visual data and the discrepancy between data collected on social media and through other methods. Originality/value This review suggests that PR professionals acknowledge the capabilities and limitations of SMA tools when using them to inform strategy.

Public relations in the age of data: corporate perspectives on social media analytics (SMA)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy R. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Paula L. Weissman
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Management Function ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Corporate Brands ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThe aim of this study was to understand how public relations leaders view and use social media analytics (SMA) and the impact of SMA on the public relations function.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved in-depth interviews with chief communication officers (CCOs) from leading multinational corporate brands.FindingsThe findings revealed that although CCOs perceive social media analytics as strategically important to the advancement of public relations, the use of social media data is slowed by challenges associated with building SMA capacity.Theoretical and practical implications – The research extends public relations theory on public relations as a strategic management function and provides practical insights for building SMA capabilities.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to provide empirical evidence of how companies are using social media analytics to enhance public relations efforts.

Destination image through social media analytics and survey method

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Lin ◽  
Yun Liang ◽  
Joanne X. Xue ◽  
Bing Pan ◽  
Ashley Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Tourism Destination ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Intercept Survey ◽  
Media Data

Purpose Recent tourism research has adopted social media analytics (SMA) to examine tourism destination image (TDI) and gain timely insights for marketing purposes. Comparing the methodologies of SMA and intercept surveys would provide a more in-depth understanding of both methodologies and a more holistic understanding of TDI than each method on their own. This study aims to investigate the unique merits and biases of SMA and a traditional visitor intercept survey. Design/methodology/approach This study collected and compared data for the same tourism destination from two sources: responses from a visitor intercept survey (n = 1,336) and Flickr social media photos and metadata (n = 11,775). Content analysis, machine learning and text analysis techniques were used to analyze and compare the destination image represented from both methods. Findings The results indicated that the survey data and social media data shared major similarities in the identified key image phrases. Social media data revealed more diverse and more specific aspects of the destination, whereas survey data provided more insights in specific local landmarks. Survey data also included additional subjective judgment and attachment towards the destination. Together, the data suggested that social media data should serve as an additional and complementary source of information to traditional survey data. Originality/value This study fills a research gap by comparing two methodologies in obtaining TDI: SMA and a traditional visitor intercept survey. Furthermore, within SMA, photo and metadata are compared to offer additional awareness of social media data’s underlying complexity. The results showed the limitations of text-based image questions in surveys. The findings provide meaningful insights for tourism marketers by having a more holistic understanding of TDI through multiple data sources.

scholarly journals Journalists’ Use of Social Media to Infer Public Opinion: The citizens’ perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dubois ◽  
Anatoliy Gruzd ◽  
Jenna Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Journalistic Practice ◽  
Media Data

Journalists increasingly use social media data to infer and report public opinion by quoting social media posts, identifying trending topics, and reporting general sentiment. In contrast to traditional approaches of inferring public opinion, citizens are often unaware of how their publicly available social media data is being used and how public opinion is constructed using social media analytics. In this exploratory study based on a census-weighted online survey of Canadian adults (N=1,500), we examine citizens’ perceptions of journalistic use of social media data. We demonstrate that: (1) people find it more appropriate for journalists to use aggregate social media data rather than personally identifiable data; (2) people who use more social media are more likely to positively perceive journalistic use of social media data to infer public opinion; and (3) the frequency of political posting is positively related to acceptance of this emerging journalistic practice, which suggests some citizens want to be heard publicly on social media while others do not. We provide recommendations for journalists on the ethical use of social media data and social media platforms on opt-in functionality.

Applying sentiment analytics to examine social media crises: a case study of United Airline's crisis in 2017

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Tian ◽  
Wu He ◽  
Feng-Kwei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
Public Reaction ◽  
Media Data

PurposeIn recent years, social media crises occurred more and more often, which negatively affect the reputations of individuals, businesses and communities. During each crisis, numerous users either participated in online discussion or widely spread crisis-related information to their friends and followers on social media. By applying sentiment analysis to study a social media crisis of airline carriers, the purpose of this research is to help companies take measure against social media crises.Design/methodology/approachThis study used sentiment analytics to examine a social media crisis related to airline carriers. The arousal, valence, negative, positive and eight emotional sentiments were applied to analyze social media data collected from Twitter.FindingsThis research study found that social media sentiment analysis is useful to monitor public reaction after a social media crisis arises. The sentiment results are able to reflect the development of social media crises quite well. Proper and timely response strategies to a crisis can mitigate the crisis through effective communication with the customers and the public.Originality/valueThis study used the Affective Norms of English Words (ANEW) dictionary to classify the words in social media data and assigned the words with two elements to measure the emotions: valence and arousal. The intensity of the sentiment determines the public reaction to a social media crisis. An opinion-oriented information system is proposed as a solution for resolving a social media crisis in the paper.

Social media usage in business decision-making: the case of Malaysian small hospitality organisations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K. Siti-Nabiha ◽  
Norfarah Nordin ◽  
Boon Kar Poh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Business Decisions ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Media Data

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to examine how small- and medium-sized hospitality organisations engage with social media and how social media data are used by their managers to inform business decisions.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used in this research in which interviews were conducted with top management, comprising the owners/directors and other key managers from small- and medium-sized organisations based in Penang, Malaysia. Fan and Gordon's (2014) categorisation of the social media data analysis process and Simon's (1995) concept of the interactive and diagnostic usage of data were used in the analysis of data.FindingsThe managers of small- and medium-sized hospitality organisations engage with social media for customer relationship management and the understanding of key main competitors. Social media is used to understand, build and manage relationships with current and potential customers; these activities are also linked to actions taken to protect a company's reputation. Even though, for the companies concerned, data gathering is still at the capture stage with no formal procedures and processes in place, the data are utilised in an interactive way to inform two areas’ major business decisions-making, i.e. those related to pricing and promotion and the strategic formulation and reorientation of the business.Research limitations/implicationsThe respondents of this study were mainly from smaller hospitality organisations. Hence, the insights gained are limited to the context of smaller hotels.Originality/valueA significant number of social media studies within the hospitality sector have focussed on marketing aspects. This study explored the wider use of social media in the case of smaller hospitality organisations and how they compete and position themselves in the competitive hospitality industry.

Accepting the challenges of social media research

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Weller
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Publication Output ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
General Audience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Research ◽  
Social Media Research ◽  
Media Data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new viewpoint series, Monitoring the Media: Spotlight on Social Media Research, by providing an overview of the key challenges in social media research and some current initiatives in addressing them. Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers publication output from disciplines dealing with social media studies and summarises the key challenges as discussed in the broader research community. Findings – The paper suggests that challenges originate both from the interdisciplinary nature of social media research and from the ever-changing research landscape. It concludes that, whilst the community is addressing some challenges, others require more attention. Originality/value – The paper summarises key challenges of social media and will be of interest to researchers in different disciplines, as well as a general audience, wanting to learn about how social media data are used for research.

scholarly journals Journalists’ Use of Social Media to Infer Public Opinion: The Citizens’ Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dubois ◽  
Anatoliy Gruzd ◽  
Jenna Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Journalistic Practice ◽  
Media Data

Journalists increasingly use social media data to infer and report public opinion by quoting social media posts, identifying trending topics, and reporting general sentiment. In contrast to traditional approaches of inferring public opinion, citizens are often unaware of how their publicly available social media data are being used and how public opinion is constructed using social media analytics. In this exploratory study based on a census-weighted online survey of Canadian adults ( N = 1,500), we examine citizens’ perceptions of journalistic use of social media data. We demonstrate that (1) people find it more appropriate for journalists to use aggregate social media data rather than personally identifiable data, (2) people who use more social media are more likely to positively perceive journalistic use of social media data to infer public opinion, and (3) the frequency of political posting is positively related to acceptance of this emerging journalistic practice, which suggests some citizens want to be heard publicly on social media while others do not. We provide recommendations for journalists on the ethical use of social media data and social media platforms on opt-in functionality.

Journalists’ Use of Social Media to Infer Public Opinion: The citizens’ perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dubois ◽  
Anatoliy Gruzd ◽  
Jenna Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Journalistic Practice ◽  
Media Data

Journalists increasingly use social media data to infer and report public opinion by quoting social media posts, identifying trending topics, and reporting general sentiment. In contrast to traditional approaches of inferring public opinion, citizens are often unaware of how their publicly available social media data is being used and how public opinion is constructed using social media analytics. In this exploratory study based on a census-weighted online survey of Canadian adults (N=1,500), we examine citizens’ perceptions of journalistic use of social media data. We demonstrate that: (1) people find it more appropriate for journalists to use aggregate social media data rather than personally identifiable data; (2) people who use more social media are more likely to positively perceive journalistic use of social media data to infer public opinion; and (3) the frequency of political posting is positively related to acceptance of this emerging journalistic practice, which suggests some citizens want to be heard publicly on social media while others do not. We provide recommendations for journalists on the ethical use of social media data and social media platforms on opt-in functionality.

Application of social media analytics: a case of analyzing online hotel reviews

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 921-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wu He ◽  
Xin Tian ◽  
Ran Tao ◽  
Weidong Zhang ◽  
Gongjun Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Text Mining ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Reviews ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Online Customer Reviews ◽  
Media Data

Purpose Online customer reviews could shed light into their experience, opinions, feelings, and concerns. To gain valuable knowledge about customers, it becomes increasingly important for businesses to collect, monitor, analyze, summarize, and visualize online customer reviews posted on social media platforms such as online forums. However, analyzing social media data is challenging due to the vast increase of social media data. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online customer reviews related to various hotels through a case study. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a tested approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining, and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online textual content. The value of the proposed approach was demonstrated through a case study using online hotel reviews. Findings The study found that the overall review star rating correlates pretty well with the sentiment scores for both the title and the full content of the online customer review. The case study also revealed that both extremely satisfied and extremely dissatisfied hotel customers share a common interest in the five categories: food, location, rooms, service, and staff. Originality/value This study analyzed the online reviews from English-speaking hotel customers in China to understand their preferred hotel attributes, main concerns or demands. This study also provides a feasible approach and a case study as an example to help enterprises more effectively apply social media analytics in practice.

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