This document provides tips for quick social media analysis when time is limited. It discusses using simple one-word queries to get results fast while still capturing most relevant mentions. Quick topic analysis using default dashboards and topic clouds allows exploring trends without extensive setup. Project-level rules that relate keywords to brands can monitor for changes without deep querying. Simple dashboards with no more than two components per tab allow testing templates with minimal effort. The advice focuses on performing essential analysis and discovery rapidly when time for in-depth work is not available.

1. When good is best, and simple is useful
Nate Walton nate@brandwatch.com
MAY 2014

2. Contents
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We don’t always (never) have as much time as we’d like for analysis; what then?
• The one-word query
• The quick topic analysis
• The project-level rule
• The simple dashboard

3. The “one word” query
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336,624 mentions

4. The “one word” query
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“coca cola” 120,980
coke 217,471
cocacola
10,550
"coca cola" NOT coke 108,953
coke NOT "coca cola” 205,444
cocacola NOT (coke OR "coca cola")
8,131
((coke NEAR/20 (blow OR yak OR cocaine)) OR raw:(_coke OR coke_ OR _Coke OR Coke_ OR _COKE OR
COKE_) OR author:(a*_coke OR b*_coke OR c*_coke OR d*_coke OR e*_coke OR f*_coke OR g*_coke OR
h*_coke OR i*_coke OR j*_coke OR k*_coke OR l*_coke OR m*_coke OR n*_coke OR o*_coke OR p*_coke OR
q*_coke OR r*_coke OR s*_coke OR t*_coke OR u*_coke OR v*_coke OR w*_coke OR x*_coke OR y*_coke OR
z*_coke OR _coke* OR coke_*) OR ((use OR do OR has OR have OR got) NEAR/0f coke))
7,377 mentions

5. The “one word” query
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326,424 mentions
10,200 fewer mentions (~3% fewer mentions)
15 minutes to write prior query
15 seconds to write above query
Use whenever time is scarce

6. The quick topic analysis
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7. The quick topic analysis
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New one-word query: “heartbleed”
Default dashboard – set to last 14 days
The topic cloud:
• “View on Graph”
• “Zoom Into”
• “View on Graph”
• Screen capture
• + Add tag(s)
Use for discovery, or for whenever time is scarce

8. The project-level rule
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Proximity to the brand generally makes rules better – for example “safety”, relating to
the Honda Accord:
Honda Query:
(hondaaccord OR hondaccord OR (accord NEAR/10 (car OR toyota OR ford OR honda OR chevrolet OR chevy
OR "mercedes benz" OR mercedes OR benz OR bmw OR volvo OR cadillac OR lexus OR tesla OR "smart car"
OR acura OR audi OR subaru OR nissan OR gmc OR dodge OR buick OR hyundai OR volkswagen OR lincoln
OR kia OR mazda OR mitsubishi OR infiniti OR scion OR "mini cooper" OR vw OR subcompact OR "sub
compact" OR compact OR sedan OR hatchback OR "hatch back" OR suv OR van OR truck OR "station wagon")))
Safety Rule:
(safe* NEAR/10 (hondaaccord* OR accord OR accords))

9. The project-level rule
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Dealers
Efficiency
Maintenance
Safety
Value
= 80 rules
Acura TSX
Audi A4
Buick LaCrosse
Cadillac ATS
Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler 200
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Lexus ES
Mazda6
Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan Altima
Subaru Legacy
Toyota Avalon
Volkswagen Passat
X

10. The project-level rule
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11. The project-level rule
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Use project-level rules when looking for brand association with certain topics –
great for alerts on change in trends & general listening.
Use query-specific rules when looking for the brand as the subject of discussion
– great for research & measurement.

12. The simple dashboard
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Start with default and delete
Maximum 2 components per tab
Duplicate!
Copy!
Use for testing dashboard templates, use whenever time is scarce