UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL DATA IN !THE CONTEXT OF ELECTIONS

CITIZENS ARE POLITICALLY ACTIVE ONLINE.!In fact, 66% of users have engaged in civic or political activities with social media. So, how do we use this social data responsibly? There are numerous factors to consider when looking at politics and social data. Here are a few.

SEGMENT DEMOGRAPHICS.01

When looking at your demographics, it may seem obvious to separate out pundits and analysts; however, this not always done. !!

Analysts' jobs are to talk about how political issues and candidates are doing. This will skew any analysis. To get a much more accurate picture, make sure you’re removing this data set.

DON'T SKEW YOUR SET.

SENTIMENT MATTERS.02

While still a shaky metric, sentiment factors in more in politics. !!

Sentiment is one of those metrics that technology is still refining, largely because analysis of human language is so nuanced. Sarcasm is hard to code. But that doesn’t mean it can’t provide a window of insight. The ratio of positive to negative mentions actually gives you a better sense of how an issue or candidate is actually faring. !!

For example, Ed Miliband was mentioned frequently, but that doesn’t mean it was all good. That ratio is a better indicator of success.

FOCUS ON ENGAGEMENT, !NOT NOISE.

03

THERE IS A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOISE AND ENGAGEMENT. !You want to filter out the noise. There is a known correlation between party success and their rate of retweets/Favorites. !!

However, keep in mind, correlation does not determine all. It is assumed this correlation displays how well a party is able to resonate what the electorate cares about. Over one-third of users use social media to like or promote issues that are important to them. Share what is important, and you should see a rise in the shares of said content. !!

But just like with businesses, you can’t use the platforms as a broadcast tool. Conversations online should influence real-world decision-making.

UNDERSTAND YES/NO VOTES.04

Treat Yes/No votes differently. !!

The Scottish Referendum showed a marked departure from interpreting social data. While Yes votes were overwhelmingly active online, the vote stayed No. What analysts have realised is that a Yes/No vote asks for a change from the status quo. So, the results will always be skewed. !!

With Yes/No votes, social data currently isn’t sophisticated to address the full range of voters. But that day will come as increasingly more users become voters.

SOCIAL DATA WILL INCREASINGLY MATTER IN ELECTIONS; IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU INTEGRATE IT.

With millennials increasingly becoming voters and social an integral part of life, we will see social data becoming more reliable in elections. Until then, social data is helpful as long as you keep the above caveats in mind.

A BIT ABOUT BUZZ RADAR.

BUZZ RADAR IS AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN CAPTURING AND VISUALISING REAL-TIME SOCIAL DATA.!

We make social data simple, engaging and powerful -- faster than anyone else. Real-time data helps you spot emerging trends and react quickly to feedback. Whether a brand, agency or event planner, we can help you unlock your data, quickly interpret it and broadcast it better.

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