Jackie Cuyvers

What’s the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in social listening?

One thing I wish I'd known when I started in social listening is the critical importance of differentiating between mere findings and actionable insights. Early in my career, understanding that what might seem interesting or relevant to a researcher might not hold value or interest for the client was a learning curve. The essence of impactful social listening lies not just in gathering data but in meticulously crafting insights that directly answer the research and business questions at hand. This nuanced discernment requires not only a deep understanding of the client's objectives but also an ability to anticipate their needs based on direct feedback. Experience plays a pivotal role in honing this skill, teaching you to sift through data with a keen eye for what truly matters to the client, ensuring that every piece of analysis provided is both relevant and strategically aligned with their goals. For this, you need to not do the work in isolation - but be involved in the client discovery process and feedback, as you can’t learn and grow without that exposure.

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Have you had any experiences that have made you want to quit? What made you keep going?

There have been challenging moments, especially in the early days of establishing Convosphere, where the path forward seemed daunting. The pressure of innovating in a rapidly evolving field, coupled with the challenge of demonstrating the strategic value of social intelligence to sceptical clients, was overwhelming at times. What kept me going was my fantastic team. Late nights racing deadlines - team members all pitching in for “coding parties” while we keep each other laughing through encouraging messages and memes, keeping up the momentum - knowing we are all in it together. Or someone asking the team a question and getting answers from more than one team member not on the clock offering to help. It's seeing all of my incredible team members sharing the belief in the transformative power of social intelligence and the potential to make a real difference in how organizations understand and engage with their global audiences. Seeing the incredible work my team does and the positive impact of our work on our client's strategies and decision-making processes has been immensely rewarding and motivating. 

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What role does tech play in your social intelligence process? Where do people contribute?

While technology is the backbone of our social intelligence process, enabling us to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data efficiently -  the human element is crucial. Our team of analysts contributes by adding context, understanding cultural nuances, and interpreting the emotional tone of conversations. This blend of technology and human expertise ensures that our insights are not only accurate but also culturally and contextually relevant. The technology allows us to do the job efficiently and accurately at scale - but it’s an enabler rather than a requirement. 

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Who have you seen as a mentor in your career?

In my career, rather than having a single mentor, I've found invaluable guidance and inspiration from a supportive network of friends who are women entrepreneurs. This community of driven, innovative women has been instrumental in my growth and success. They provide insights from their own experiences, offer support during challenging times, and keep me motivated with their achievements and resilience. Their collective wisdom and encouragement have been as influential as any traditional mentorship, showing me the power of collaboration and shared vision. This network has helped me navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship and social intelligence with confidence, constantly inspiring me to push the boundaries of what's possible in our field.

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Most embarrassing mistake you made in a social listening project - what did you learn from it?

One of the most embarrassing mistakes actually led to one of the main drivers behind me starting Convosphere. Before starting Convosphere, the team I was leading misinterpreted the sentiment and context of a regional slang term, leading to a completely opposite analysis of the client's research. This mistake was a powerful lesson in the importance of cultural competence and the need for native language analysis to accurately interpret social data. It reinforced my commitment to having native speakers on our team and highlighted the necessity of continuous learning and adaptation in our field. It also led to some late nights completely re-working the analysis and insights to deliver the work on time which led me to my own b.

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How do you see the future of social listening evolving?

The future of social listening is a combination of art and science like it’s always been. However, the integration of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will allow us to deepen our understanding of complex data sets at scale quickly, allowing human analysts to focus their time and expertise on insights development and less on manual coding. I envision a future where predictive analytics plays a more significant role, allowing us to forecast trends and behaviours with greater accuracy. Additionally, the expansion of social listening into new data sources, such as voice and video, will provide richer, more nuanced insights. The industry will move towards a more holistic view of social intelligence, integrating it seamlessly with other forms of data analysis to inform strategic decision-making.

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What’s the most useful data source? Are there any you find useless? Why?

The most useful data sources are those that provide unfiltered, real-time insights into consumer sentiment and behaviour, such as social media platforms and forums where people naturally express their opinions and experiences. In this vein - Reddit is a phenomenal resource for health research. Many platforms are country-specific, so what works in one might not be the best or most relevant in other markets. On the other hand, data sources that offer limited interaction or depth—such as aggregated news feeds—can be less useful for deep social listening analysis because they don't provide the same level of insight into individual behaviours and sentiments. Over the last few years, we’ve seen previously rich data sources become more restricted, and new platforms emerge with little to no licensable or compliant access. Watching and navigating how data sources and access change over the next few years will be interesting.

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How have you been able to win over ney-sayers throughout your career?

Winning over sceptics has been a matter of demonstrating the tangible value and actionable insights that social intelligence can provide. By showcasing real-world examples where our analysis has led to strategic pivots, new product developments, or enhanced customer engagement, I've been able to convert doubt into belief. Educating clients on the methodology and potential of social intelligence, coupled with clear communication of outcomes and ROI, has been key to overcoming scepticism - and developing client advocates.