Media companies were among the earliest adopters of social media marketing, using the platforms to share content with readers and establish a firm web presence. According to Erica Anderson, Twitter’s manager for news and journalism, the company will launch new analytics tools for journalists and publishers to help them understand their social reach.
According to Read Write Web, the analytics capability will be similar to those offered by HootSuite and SocialFlow, which are popular third-party social apps.
Allowing publishers, whether they’re major newspaper or businesses using content marketing, to assess the true impact of their content will help inform social media marketing campaigns. Anderson did not say whether or not the analytics solutions will include predictive capability. However, she is quoted as saying, “the predictive nature of Twitter is still largely untapped.”
Businesses using social media marketing have waited for an analytics tool for Twitter for some time. According to comments on the Read Write Web report, Twitter was rumored to be working on analytics in 2009, and Brafton reported that the microblogging site came out with limited “Twitter Web Analytics” last September, but the service hasn’t been widely releases.
Twitter may lure more publishers to its platform with the launch of an analytics tool, but it might also find a bevy of new users headed its way. Brafton recently reported that more than half of Facebook users are concerned about the impending Timeline launch, which may inspire them to look elsewhere for social interactions – and marketers should consider this when planning social media marketing.
