Big Data for Business
Management
Module 3: Applications
3.3 – Social Media Analysis
Our Journey
Module 1
Milieu > Module 2 Infrastructure >

■ Business Intelligence
■ Visual and Predictive Analytics
■ Social Media Analytics
■ Introduction to Big Data
■ Big Data in Business
■ Big Data Value Creation
This module introduces you to the concept of Business Intelligence and analytics. It takes a
closer look at the collection and use of data to inform business decisions.
■ Information Systems
■ Data Warehouse and Cloud
■ Processing Platforms for Data
Discovery

1 Social Media and Analytics
2 Crowdsourcing
3 Digital Marketing
This topic introduces the concept of social media
listening/monitoring, and examines the process of
gathering data from client conversations in the digital
media, processing them to obtain insights, leading to
information driven business decisions. Platforms such
as Facebook, LinkedIn and techniques of
crowdsourcing are discussed.
Topic Overview
Social Media and Analytics
Social media is often defined as the future of communication. It consists of
countless number of Internet based tools and platforms that enable not only
information sharing, but also enhancing its quality. Transfer of text, photos, audio,
video and any information is becoming seamless through smart devices such as
smartphones and tablets of Internet users.
Definition
Platforms
Platforms such as Facebook and Linkedin has enabled the creation of online communities. People
share information as they desire, resulting in content (data) that can be created, shared, searched and
be used of analytics. Tools and websites such as Digg and Reddit find specific information search
simple by tagging (or assigning) sites searchable with keywords.
Twitter is a Micro-blogging site that enables aggregated information possible using hashtags (#).
Whatsapp – is an instant messenger system that currently enables video and audio exchanges.
Social Media and Analytics
(source: http://www.socialmediadefined.com/what-is-social-media/)
Tools
Social Media and Analytics
Social Media Analytics (or SMA) is the practice of aggregating data from
blogs and social media websites and analysing this data to inform business
decisions.
Digging customer sentiment is the most common version to support
marketing and customer service. This process stretches beyond monitoring
data, or undertaking a basic analysis of retweets or ‘likes’. It is the process
of developing an in-depth idea regarding a customer, rather at an emotional
level, so that it can be used for targeted advertising.
Here are 25 top social media analytic tools:
http://keyhole.co/blog/list-of-the-top-25-social-media-analytics-tools/
(Source: Creating an analytics success story, Techtarget, E-guide, 2015)
Facebook
Social Media and Analytics
(Source: Creating an analytics success story, Techtarget, E-guide, 2015)
As per the latest Sensis Report, Facebook remains the topmost preference for social media platforms. What
do they do? Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zd7X98eOs
Facebook was founded in 2004 with a mission to connect people across the world. Starting with friends and
families, the platform has now evolved to discover the latest happenings in the world, to share and express
what matters to connected communities.
An opinion on Facebook does matter, as analytics is able to aggregate consumer opinion based on ‘Likes’.
The most important feature is that the power is in the hands of the consumer, who can make or break a
product or service. The platform has evolved to become the topmost influencer across all age groups.
The latest on Facebook is a feature known as ‘Instant Articles’, a new way to create interactive articles,
faster. Watch this video: https://youtu.be/hArWdpKuLE4
LinkedIn
Social Media and Analytics
LinkedIn enables people to create a professional profile of
themselves, and then connect with professionals in the network.
The network is not a ‘social network’ but is rather a professional
network.
Please read :
https://www.thebalance.com/introduction-to-linkedin-1794572
LinkedIn Influencers are selected by invitation only from a pool
of 500+ of the world’s foremost thinkers, leaders, and innovators.
As thought leaders in their geographic locations and industry
sectors, they discuss and write articles on trending topics. These
may be the future of higher education, the workplace culture at
Amazon, the plunge in oil prices, and the missteps of
policymakers – just to name a few.
https://www.thebalance.com/introduction-to-linkedin-1794572
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing: The use of collected intelligence, often gathered from the
public, to inform business related tasks is better known as the technique of
Crowdsourcing. These tasks are usually done by a third party service provider or
another company.
Definition
Crowdsourcing
Businesses gain insight into their customers and their desires, often free. There is no
longer the need to hire full-time staff to gain these insights, as the Internet has given birth
to the largest pool of workers – the Crowd!
Here is an example, iStockPhoto. It allows both amateur and professional photographers,
and videographers as well as illustrators to upload their work. If the images are bought,
they earn loyalties. There is often criticism in that this technique kills the professionals.
However, in the digital era, this effort is becoming mainstream rapidly.
Crowdsourcing
In 2014, Ebola in West Africa killed approx 11,000 people. At the time, public engagement
was required to keep this disease at bay globally and prevent its spread. Enter Healthmap!
Healthmap is an online monitoring system developed in 2006 at Boston University, with
epidemiologists, researchers and software developers. It has the following features:
Example
■ ‘healthmap.org’ and mobile app ‘Outbreaks Near Me’ deliver real-time intelligence on a broad range of
emerging infectious diseases for a diverse audience including libraries, local health departments,
governments, and international travelers.
■ It brings together disparate data sources, including online news aggregators, eyewitness reports,
expert-curated discussions and validated official reports, to achieve a unified and comprehensive view of
the current global state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health.
■ Through an automated process, updating 24 hours, 7 days and 365 days a year, the system monitors,
organises, integrates, filters, visualizes and disseminates online information about emerging diseases in
nine languages, facilitating early detection of global public health threats.
Two years from Ebola, we have Zika virus and there are personal risk profiles being made available in
addition to monitoring using mobile phones. Read more and watch the video here:
https://medtechboston.medstro.com/blog/2016/08/16/healthmap-develops-live-zika-tracker/
Source: http://www.healthmap.org/en/
In Australia
Crowdsourcing
According to Matthieu Jacomin, director for Australia and NZ at crowdsourcing agency
eYeka, local companies have swiftly embraced crowdsourcing as a new way to innovate
and market their products. Pop Tops launched a poster campaign. Australia Post
launched a social video campaign.
Nescafé challenged the eYeka community: how do you reinvent instant coffee to match
the quality you get in a coffee shop while keeping the convenience of ‘instant’, at
home?
Watch this video https://youtu.be/MkEx-Z91i8I
https://www.marketingmag.com.au/hubs-c/creativity-crowdsourcing-australia-stack-globally/
Smartphones and Tablets
Crowdsourcing
By end of 2016, smart phones had penetrated
every economy, small or large scale.
Searching for information is becoming a habit,
better known as ‘Googling’ named after the
‘Google’ search engine!
Sensis report (2016) suggests that in Australia,
people owned three Internet enabled devices,
but a rising number is using Smartphones
(76%). Males have embraced smartphones,
while females have taken to tablets and
wearable devices (such as those that monitor
heart etc).
Smartphones have become almost universal for under 40’s, becoming more common amongst
40-50 age group. Typically, the generation from 60s onwards is gravitating towards tablets.
https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF
Crowdsourcing
Smartphones, why?
There is an application for practically every service. Let us look at few examples.
■ Uber – The ability to track and trace a cab from when you request, to the minute, with a photo of the driver
from a mobile phone.
■ Menulog – An application that enables you to order food at the convenience of your home, and get a
delivery.
■ Gomoney – A bank application that enables you to transfer money to any account, using a mobile phone.
■ Express Mobile apps – a variety of services accessible via MyGov (including medicare) for Australians.
There is practically an application for every person, be it transport, medical care, emergency, banking.
Applications have enabled smartphones.
As we have seen in module 1, the trends towards self-service analytics is increasingly high amongst world
population.
Think about it – how often have you searched for the nearest café or restaurant? How about checking or
using a mobile bank account using a mobile phone?
https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF
Example
Advertising on Social Media
Crowdsourcing
Australian views (Sensis Report, 2016) are polarised towards businesses advertising on social
media. The report shows that 27% of the people have no issues with sponsored posts from
businesses they follow (or have opted in), 34% is happy to see ads, and 34% will click on the ads
occasionally.
Interestingly, 41% indicated that they will inspect any brand’s social media presence, before making
an online purchase (if they did not use the site previously). It shows that social media based
advertising is still an important tool.
The report also shows that 31% of social media users are rating products and services of any
business they use. According to the report, the rating has begun to dip drastically from 2015. And
people are providing ratings in 2-3 months.
Putting it all together, advertising on social media is no longer an added optional item for business –
it is a requirement to stay in business.
Influencing Customers
Crowdsourcing
In Australia, 60% of social media users claim to read Online blogs and reviews before making a purchase.
58% claimed to have looked at five reviews before making a purchase decision. On the other hand, 27%
online users post blogs and reviews.
What do these figures imply? Businesses do need to focus on social media and particularly avoid
negative reviews if they can!
Business in Social Media
Crowdsourcing
In the last year, the uptake of social media by businesses has risen in Australia. 48% of SMEs now have at
least a social media presence. 79% of large businesses have a social media presence.
The average Australian consumer using social media is 69%, although they are not interacting only with
businesses. With the increase in the number of applications and optimisation of services on them,
businesses are trying to reach out to average customers in their day-to-day life.
While smartphones are here to stay, the applications that are provided by every business that touches the
daily lives of people are now a requirement. Specifically, it is a necessary evil for the survival of every
business. That brings us to the business use of social media analytics – mainly in digital marketing.
https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF
Trends
Digital Marketing
According to Smartinsights (2016), the digital marketing landscape is changing rapidly.
In this list:
Big Data – includes market and customer insight and predictive analytics
Content marketing Communities – branded niche or vertical communities)
Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) – improving website experiences
Display – banners on publishers, ad networks social media including retargeting and programmatic
Internet of Things (IoT) – marketing applications
Marketing Automation (incl CRM, behavioural Email marketing and web personalisation)
Mobile marketing – mobile advertising, site development and apps
Paid search marketing – e.g. Google AdWords Pay Per Click
Online PR – including influencer outreach
Partnerships – including affiliate and co-marketing
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO or organic search)
Social media marketing – including Social CRM and Social Customer Care
Wearables (e.g. Apple Watch, activity trackers, augmented reality)
http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/digital-marketing-trends-2016-2017/
SEO
Digital Marketing
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a set of strategies to bring in more visitors to a website.
This is achieved by getting a high ranking placement in search engine pages such as Google,
Bing, Yahoo etc.
A website that has been optimised, but yet focusing on relevance and organic ranking is
known to be following White Hat SEO practice. The technique of using keywords and
keyword analysis, backlinking, link building to link popularity, and writing content are white hat
practices.
Businesses who intend to make long term investments on their websites, better known as
Ethical SEO, are following White Hat practice.
Source: Webopedia, 2016
Pinterest
Digital Marketing
Pinterest is a platform that works like a
Scrapbooking concept, rather a catalogue
of ideas. It enables innovation,
entrepreneurship by making people think!
Read this article and think about it!
http://www.barrons.com/articles/should-goo
gle-and-facebook-be-worried-about-pintere
st-1484325901
Read
Question Time
Try answering these brief review questions:
1. Can you name six mobile applications that are used regularly? What are they used for?
2. What is the most popular social media platform in Australia? Why do you think it is popular?
3. What is social media analytics? Why do businesses undertake it?
4. What is crowdsourcing? What is its relevance in digital marketing?
Quiz
Summary
The objective of this topic was to give you a taste for social media and its
relevance in digital marketing.
Different platforms such a Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest use different
techniques for assisting people and businesses. The concept of Ethical SEO
is discussed.
We looked at the concept of Crowdsourcing and GIS mapping where consumers are engaged
in promoting their own work, connecting with others and obtaining a personalised risk profiles.
What does it all mean? Social media analytics is becoming user-driven, and in real time. It is no
longer pushed by businesses, it is rather created and run by users themselves. It affects
consumers and businesses alike. While consumers look for real answers in the market,
businesses require digital marketing techniques to stay in business.
References
■ Dell (2015) “Data Mining Techniques”, accessed online at:
http://www.statsoft.com/Textbook/Data-Mining-Techniques [Feb, 2016]
■ Fast Company (2013) “Why Data Artisans Are The New Data Scientists”, accessed online
at:http://www.fastcompany.com/3020211/dialed/why-data-artisans-are-the-new-data-scientists [Feb, 2016]
■ Minelli, M., Chambers, M., & Dhiraj, A. (2012). Big data, big analytics: emerging business intelligence and analytic trends for today’s businesses. John Wiley & Sons.
■ Ohlhorst, F. J. (2012). Big data analytics: turning big data into big money. John Wiley & Sons.
■ Qubole (2015) “Big Data and Customer Micro-Segmentation: Applications in Media and E-Commerce”, Jonathan Buckley (Ed.), accessed online at:
https://www.qubole.com/blog/big-data/big-data-customer-microsegmentation/ [Feb, 2016]
■ Schmarzo, B. (2013). Big Data: Understanding how data powers big business. John Wiley & Sons.
■ Schmarzo, B. (2015). Big Data MBA: Driving Business Strategies with Data Science. John Wiley & Sons.
■ Teradata (2013) “Listening to 100M Customers with Unified Data Architecture”, accessed online at:
http://blogs.teradata.com/customers/listening-to-100m-customers-with-unified-data-architecture/ [Feb, 2016]
■ Verhoef, P. C., Kooge, E., & Walk, N. (2016). Creating Value with Big Data Analytics: Making Smarter Marketing Decisions. Routledge.
■ Webopedia (2016) “Business Intelligence”, accessed online at: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/Business_Intelligence.html [Feb, 2016]
■ http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/the-history-of-social-networking/
■ https://medtechboston.medstro.com/blog/2016/08/16/healthmap-develops-live-zika-tracker/
■ https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-crowdsourcing-marketing-and-how-is-it-used-2295467
Extra Resources
Timeline for social media
http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/the-history-of-social-networking/
Sensis report for Social media in Australia
https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF
Branding in the age of Social Media (2016) Harvard Business Review, URL:
https://hbr.org/2016/03/branding-in-the-age-of-social-media
What Cancer Researchers can learn from direct-to-consumer companies (2017) Harvard Business
Review.
https://hbr.org/2017/01/what-cancer-researchers-can-learn-from-direct-to-consumer-companies