Post 5: Research in Media

    Research in social media is important because it can help a company or person determine their audience, help with marketing strategies, and can help keep a brand afloat. There are a few different types of research methods in social media. There is monitoring, listening, and analyzing. 

    Social Monitoring looks at analytics, metrics, and data to evaluate a person's brand. Social Listening is all about the trends, activities, the things people do, and the things people say to evaluate a brand. Both of these types of research have their benefits and can go hand in hand. These methods help you understand who your audience is and how they feel about different issues and topics. You can involve your audience better as well, and create a loyal following. 

    I mentioned metrics being used for Social Monitoring. There are four types of metrics, and they are basic metrics, advanced metrics, channel metrics, and behavioral metrics. Basic metrics included followers, likes, shares, and comments. Advanced metrics involve the attitudes and opinions of followers. Channel metrics are specific to one type of channel instead of spreading over multiple channels. Behavioral metrics involve actions, such as people subscribing or downloading things. 

    The third type of research method is Analysis. The analysis shows you if what you have been doing is working. You can use analysis metrics to see if the campaign you launched is working or if your audience agrees with you on a topic. 

    The best way to get results from your research is to combine all three methods, and really be involved with your audience.