Eight Insightful Twitter Search Queries

June 29th, 2010 by Dr. Taly Weiss

Filed under brands perceptions, consumer behavior, feelings, purchase, research 2.0, search, social media, Trend Spots, Trend Spotting Behavior, Trend Spotting Tools, trends, twitter, Twitter buzz

Social media conversations can reflect peoples’ attitudes, needs, desires and intentions. The challenge is to listen wisely and use market research skills to “ask” the right questions.

When you wish to follow perceptions and intents keep in mind that you will need to follow day to day jargon, and that the conversations traced are typical to the specific social network you are searching at.

Currently, I find that there is no tool as Twitter to extract such knowledge and map real time reflection of peoples minds.

While conducting many social media research projects, I have collected some insightful search queries, useful for marketers and to those who wish to keep track on perceptions and shared interests.

I have divided eight social media queries to the following three categories:

1. Needs and desires

2. Attitudes toward brands

3. Buying intentions

Most of the examples presented here are global, but as you can now search Twitter conversations within specific locations (you can simply choose distance from a desired location and trace locations by coordinates), some of the conversations were generated in the New York area and by that reflect a specific demographic community.

I. Needs and desires:

Social media allows consumers to openly share and discuss their needs and desires. Put in real time context, we get natural expressions and spontaneous reactions. Brands should follow not only the conversations evolving around them, but come to understand general needs:

1. Follow these spontaneous expressions: “Must” and “Need” –

1.1 “I must get a new..” (global):

1.2. “I need to get..” (New York)

1.3. “I must buy” (global)

2. Wish expressions indicate desires, which sometimes can no be fulfilled. Nevertheless, they carry strong emotional character:

2.1 “I wish I had” (New York)

2.2. “I wish I could buy” (global)

3. As brands are trying to provide solutions to needs – why not use Twitter to follow “real time” direct help request?

3.1 “I need help” (global)

3.2 “I need help” (New York)

II. Attitudes toward brands:

In search for what makes brands likable, lets follow direct “love” and “hate” emotions.

4. “I love brands..” (global)

5. “I hate brands..” (global)

6. “I hate ..service” (global)

III. Buying intentions:

Open Social Media conversations can provide you not only with desires but also with real buying intentions, those can serve as behavioral indications:

7.” I plan to buy” (global)