Is it a problem of overpromising/underdelivering, or are people developing these unrealistic expectations on their own? Either way, I'm seeing more examples of people who seem surprised that software doesn't do all of the work in social media analysis. I really don't think this is controversial: regardless of your choice of tool, there's a necessary human contribution to the process.
This notion that the software isn't good enough because it requires a person to do something with it seems to be picking up speed. The first post that really kicked off a conversation was probably Asi Sharabi's. I saw a couple this morning, including one from Mark Schaefer that focuses on the graphics:
I’ve been spending time studying the trends in social media monitoring and have been impressed with the rapid progress. But there is still a lot of noise like this chart that really tells us nothing. The fact is, the most meaningful keyword and sentiment analysis is all still being done MANUALLY.I'm not arguing that anybody's tool is perfect (the steady stream of updates strongly implies that the vendors don't think that, either). This is still a new category, and the software will evolve. So observations about which pieces work well—and which pieces need improvement—provide a valuable contribution. But we're not going to see a product that (a) analyzes the world, (b) develops meaningful insights, and (c) delivers it in a tidy, executive-ready package.
Building the social media spreadsheet
Think about spreadsheet software. When you first open a new spreadsheet, the software gives you a blank page. In the right hands, the software is a power tool for running financials, forecasting results, analyzing historical data... I've seen some impressive examples, but the most powerful spreadsheet software is useless without someone who knows how to use it. Which, if you think about it, is true of most software.
Social media analysis tools are software; they do some of the work, but to get the most out of them, you need someone who knows how to use them. The more you expect from your tool, the more the user needs to know. Anything that's fully automated either isn't doing much, or it has a lot of human effort baked into it.
Regardless of the tools used, at some point people take over. It may be earlier in the process (manual content analysis) or later (analysis and reporting), but eventually, a person takes what the computer produces and does something with it. All of those agencies that sell services based on the same SMA platforms presumably think this is where they add value.
If you want it done for you...
There is an answer for the company that wants the insights without putting in the effort, of course. Have someone else do it. You can't bypass the requirement for a human analyst, but you don't have to do it yourself. When you're shopping for social media analysis, just be sure to include analyst services among your requirements. That eliminates some of the best-known software companies, but it opens the door to an entirely different set of service providers.
If you want to make spreadsheets, you buy Excel. If you want financial projections, you roll up your sleeves or hire a financial analyst. It's up to you to decide whether that analyst will be an employee or work for an external service provider.
Where's the disconnect? Are unrealistic customer expectations coming from vendor hype, or is it just hope that things will be easy?
I think it's a hope that things will be easy. It's a computer, just push the button. The only people that get what you're saying are the people that have tried to use the tools. They realize how time consuming it is.
Outstanding post Nathan. You're right on the money. This is something we've been noticing for a while and I will be quoting your line about anything being fully automated probably isn't doing much or has a manual component baked in.
This post opens the door to another interesting conversation and dilemma that I think many of the providers like us are facing. Because there typically needs to be an analyst using the tools to gain maximum effectiveness (whether the analyst is at the company itself or with an agency), it sets up a potential disconnect between the buyer of the tool and the user. To add to the expectation problem you've described above, when the user and purchasing decision maker are different people, you often get a completely different set of expectations.
I chalk all of this up to simply the immaturity of the market. The upside is that we're seeing better understanding of the space and the differences between tools on almost a daily basis. But the responsibility is on vendors like us to make sure we're talking about what we do in a more clear and coherent way to set up those expectations. So my answer to your last question is that it's ultimately a question of messaging and packaging. And it's on all of us vendors to figure it out if we want to have a thriving business and industry.
Excellent post, Nathan, we couldn't agree more.
Great post Nathan. Your thoughts are spot on with the challenge SMA companies are facing right now.
In our experience, people in the companies are too busy to familiarize themselves with all the different platforms they use in they work. Then, understandably, they feel the services are too complex or that the analysis is too difficult to conduct.
I think the best solution to the problem is that the brands would use agencies to do the analysis work for them. The client could then use the service only to browse through the most relevant discussions - monthly or quarterly reports would assure that the company would see the bigger picture as well.
However, as Brian said, also the immaturity of the market and unclear packaging of the services might also make the buyers feel puzzled with the products. Thus, better definition of the goals of the analysis would make the service closer to the buyer as it's better connected to higher business goals.
Essi
Whitevector
Hi Nathan,
Great post and good to read the links too. I run an analyst (agency) services business (www.toprightcorner.net) that I set up to tell the story around customer feedback from social media and other sources.
Software can help with the heavy lifting but there will always be manual effort required. The other guys are right as well in that the claims of many vendors are over blown, potentially misleading and the tool output can be confusing and indigestible for a business exec.
Users should think of what question they're trying to answer; understand what the tools are capable of (i.e. what question are they answering) and then prepare for a bunch of manual work. Getting the analysis back into a business exec ready form is one of the main challenges.
Regards, Neil