Finding consumers that are talking about a certain product can be easy at first, but when it comes to finding specific data, it can be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. To solve that problem, Facebook has introduced a new data analysis tool that makes it easier for companies and marketers alike to nail down trends in customer word-of-mouth.
The company broke down the program in a blog post today, explaining the importance of learning what matters to a specific audience. “Marketers want to understand what people think about topics related to their business, so they can make their products and marketing more relevant to their customers,” the post reads. “In the past they’ve looked at the things people share online to get an idea of what people care about, but, until now, the information available offered a limited view. To make marketing content more relevant for people and more effective for marketers, we’re introducing topic data to select Facebook partners.”
However, users won’t have to worry about their information being shared, as the website has insisted that personal data will remain private, while details on the topic data is still easy to see.
Facebook explained a number of examples of how topic data can work for some companies:
“A business selling a hair de-frizzing product can see demographics on the people talking about humidity’s effects on their hair to better understand their target audience.”
“A fashion retailer can see the clothing items its target audience is talking about to decide which products to stock.”
“A brand can see how people are talking about their brand or industry to measure brand sentiment.”
While the data can’t be used to target ads directly, they can provide additional guidance for marketers. A partnership with DataSift, a leader in the data industry, will also help so that the data can easily be read into insights.
Nick Nyhan, CEO of WPP’s Data Alliance, stated, “When marketers have a deeper understanding of people and what they are interested in, they can create more relevant experiences for their audiences. We focus on providing WPP’s clients with insights into what people say and think about their brands and products. By looking at topic data, we empower brands to make smarter marketing decisions. And we’ve worked with DataSift for some time — the way they cleverly collect and organize data continues to make it simple for WPP to ingest, connect and leverage it across the agency network.”
Although the program isn’t widely available just yet (only a few partners in DataSift’s program will have access in the U.S. and Europe), Facebook will release it “thoughtfully and deliberately, and look to expand its availability at a later date.”
Could this help marketers nail down more specific ad information on Facebook It looks likely, but until the program goes widespread, we’ll just have to wait and see.
