5 reasons not to forget forums in your next social intelligence project

With all the focus on TikTok and Clubhouse these days, it’s easy to forget the forum and message boards that once ruled the internet. But, unlike MySpace, Orkut and Google+, which all failed to stick around when the giants entered the scene, forum platforms are still alive and kicking – albeit catering to a smaller crowd than a decade ago. In this post, I will explain the five reasons why, despite their reduction in size in terms of active users, they deserve a top spot as a source in your next social intelligence project.

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1) Posts are a permanent record

In a society heavily influenced by the concept of FOMO, stories have become the preferred content-sharing format for social media users in recent years. While the transitory nature of the stories features equal new engagement opportunities for brands and consumers alike, it’s a disadvantage from a social media listening perspective. In contrast to stories, forum posts don’t disappear after 24 hours but are there for the long haul. And it’s precisely their traceability that makes them so valuable for us social listeners. The icing on the cake is the fact they stay visible on Google, enabling us to not only learn what people think but also see what they're being exposed to when they search for a specific topic.

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2) Anonymity encourages honest engagement

In general, social media has become a tool for self-expression and self-definition. But, as anyone who’s ever fallen victim to online abuse or bullying will know, it can be an unforgiving place. While some people feel comfortable using their real identity online, others prefer hiding behind a pseudonym or alter ego – at least when engaging in topics generally considered controversial, private, delicate, distasteful or even taboo. Quite simply, anonymity encourages engagement from individuals who might otherwise fear intimidation when speaking their mind. In countries where certain topics are banned from public debate, anonymous discussion forums also offer citizens a safe(r) environment to express their thoughts.

Of course, I must mention here that there are two sides to the anonymity coin. While it makes it easier for us social listeners to source in-depth and authentic consumer opinions, it also facilitates the fast-spreading of disinformation, something which governing bodies around the world have struggled to regulate against for many years. I won’t be delving into that here, but stay tuned for future posts where we’ll assess the role of accounts verification or bots identification when it comes to banishing fake news.  

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3) The halo of trust among peers

With diminishing trust in social media, forums have become recognised as a more reliable information source. In fact, a 2019 survey found that 80% of people trust forums more than the information they see on Facebook and Twitter. The trust stems from the absence of commercial and personal aggrandisement as a motive behind the content posted. Instead, the motivation behind forum members’ activity is more likely linked to altruism, curiosity or generally just the positive feelings that come from frank peer-to-peer exchanges and recognition from like-minded people.

Anyone who’s joined an established forum or message board will probably agree with my description of them as a community. Being surrounded by people who share your interests, concerns or experiences fosters a sense of camaraderie and inclusiveness. In some cases, you might even find it easier to open up and find common ground with forum peers than your real-life friends.

Worth mentioning here is that a forum’s trustworthiness and credibility as an information source is often reinforced by so-called super users, whose equivalent is rarely found on regular social media. These super users are vocal contributors whose expertise, passion, empathy, general proactivity and approachability have rendered them a higher status on the forum. Validated by either platform admin or forum peers, they can be likened to mentors whom other forum members can turn to for advice or support.

Forums live and die by their perceived trustworthiness.  A user who feels at ease in the forum community will feel comfortable sharing their views and reflecting on issues and experiences on the channel. These natural and honest peer-to-peer exchanges are what make forums an ideal resource for genuine consumer opinions.

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4) Categorisation helps foster in-depth discussions

From Quora and Reddit to Mumsnet and MoneySavingExpert, forums have one thing in common: order. To make content easy to find, they are usually organised by spaces, threads, rooms and other logic categories so that members know precisely where to go to ask a specific question or join a conversation. This leads us to the next characteristic that makes forums so insight-friendly: their focus.

Although Twitter offers opportunity for users to debate, the brevity of a tweet means users need a certain prowess for making succinct statements to leave no room for misunderstanding or (deliberate) misinterpretation.  Alternatively, to offer more context, Twitter users can publish piecemeal posts by replying to their own tweets, but these threads can be cumbersome and confusing to read, thereby offering a less-than-ideal format for a constructive discussion.

In contrast, forums are made for nerdy talk. With no strict character limit, these platforms let users explain, reason, argue, assess pros and cons – in one single post. Threads featuring detailed accounts can be a goldmine of valuable consumer insights.

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5) They can enrich customer personas

Niche forums and message boards help us to find hidden clusters when mapping these communities based on the threads they participate in. An invaluable part in any consumer research, this allows us to go beyond basic demographic characteristics when looking at our target audiences. By obtaining a detailed portrait of the target audience’s interconnected interests, we can create in-depth persona profiles to help brands better understand the needs and wants of their customers.

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Conclusion

The lesson? Don’t underestimate the value of a forum thread due to its low volume in comparison to other social media platforms. As a seasoned social media intelligence expert, I always consider niche discussions platforms in my data sourcing, especially when I need to gain a deep understanding of a specific topic, identify the drives of the heavy-user/core consumer groups, and/or when working on a project that requires an in-depth assessment of barriers and drivers.