A social network analysis allows us to know the impact of digital influencers.
Social network analysis is the study of the interactions that occur in a community . The concept arose associated with the research of interpersonal relationships, although it is currently linked to the measurement of various metrics on virtual platforms such as Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , TikTok , YouTube , Snapchat and X (formerly known as Twitter ).
It should be noted that an analysis is a detailed examination of something. A social network , meanwhile, is a framework or structure where people develop interrelationships and satisfy different needs.
History of social network analysis
The analysis of social structure began long before the emergence of virtual communities. The pedagogue, psychosociologist and psychiatrist Jacob Levy Moreno ( 1889 – 1974 ) is mentioned as a precursor since he was the one who devised sociograms to measure the ties between individuals. Levy Moreno proposed this tool to examine group dynamics, giving birth to sociometry in the 1930s .
Over time, graph theory also began to be used to analyze relational social structures and then social psychology emerged. In this way, since the middle of the 20th century, social network analysis began to be forged as an interdisciplinary discipline .
Starting in the 21st century , the notion focused on the analysis of digital social networks . In this framework, notions such as trend analysis , online reputation management and digital surveillance gained relevance.
It is possible to use artificial intelligence in social network analysis.
Main features
Social network analysis aims to investigate social phenomena . Its purpose is to achieve a modeling of the ties established between the various entities that are part of the system, which in turn allows a description of the social structure.
Generally, the aim is for said structure to be represented in a visual way (that is, to achieve a visualization of networks ) and to know how the structure evolves over time and how it influences its members.
Broadly speaking, the work requires the identification , collection and cleaning of data before the analysis itself. Then the visualization and finally the interpretation of the information occurs.
Of course, studying educational networks is not the same as studying criminal networks , just as different resources are needed to investigate networks with personal or face-to-face interactions versus virtual networks.
Social network analysis helps understand online consumer behavior .
Digital social network analysis
Currently, the idea of a social network mainly refers to the digital platform that facilitates the contact and interaction of users through an application or a website. It can be understood that a social network is a means of communication that allows information to be shared, helps to learn about the activities of other subjects and contributes to the exploration of common interests.
In this framework, social network analysis is aimed above all at measuring indicators that allow us to know the performance of an account. This is very important in the field of marketing since digital social networks constitute a key instrument for the development of dissemination and promotion activities.
With this online network analysis it is possible to determine whether the account or profile is contributing, or not, to the fulfillment of commercial goals. It is also used to carry out a customer sentiment analysis or a competitor analysis, among other possibilities.
The management of virtual communities is also benefited by social network analysis since this task offers useful information when determining strategies.
Comments , shared posts , and Likes are some of the user actions that can be identified and measured. The same can be said for the number of followers and views .
Issues to consider
According to specialists, before proceeding to an analysis of social networks, it is essential to precisely define the objective of the presence and activity in said virtual spaces . From this definition, it is possible to examine whether what has been done is being effective or not, depending on the goal set.
The objective also allows us to establish which metrics should be prioritized. For example, conversion metrics (click and view rates) are key when trying to boost sales, while in other cases more importance will be given to the number of followers.
On the other hand, experts indicate that it is relevant to monitor social networks on a daily basis . This helps you understand the impact of each action and allows you to make quick decisions to establish the necessary corrections.
Examples of social network analysis
Let's take the case of a sports clothing brand that aims to optimize the use of its social networks to get the most out of them. That is why you begin to perform a social network analysis with the intention of understanding how interactions occur.
In this way, study which social network produces the most traffic to your online store . Also examine the number of comments on each post to find out if text, photos or videos generate more contributions. Another piece of information that managers are interested in is what days of the week and times of greatest activity are.
Let's now think about a portal that uses Facebook , X and a WhatsApp channel to disseminate its contents. Their social media analysis is aimed at determining whether posts with or without images generate more traffic and with what amount of text.