What does social intelligence mean to you?
To me, social intelligence means being a professional stalker on social, but for work purposes. Jokes aside, it’s a practice where I get to exercise my left and right brain. My left brain comes into play when I have to analyze and interpret the data at hand, while my right brain allows me to get creative when answering questions that require a complex query.
Why social intelligence? How did you find yourself working in social intelligence?
I stumbled into social intelligence by chance as I explored a Japanese concept known as ikigai, which is analyzing the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. I realized that I spend hours consuming media and entertainment, whether it’s binge watching my favorite show or doom scrolling on TikTok. I listen, and I judge... quietly. Now I do it for work; what’s there not to love?
What do you love about working in social intelligence?
I love the entire social media community, from the social media users and active engagers to the industry professionals that are tasked with making sense of it all. Working in social intelligence provides rewarding little moments where maybe I read a funny comment or see a heartwarming post that brightens up my workday. I also love how open people in the industry are to sharing their knowledge and work experiences. It’s been great to connect with so many experts in the industry.
What skills do you think you need to be successful in social intelligence?
I believe the ability to combine the power of art and science will make you more successful in social intelligence. You need to be able to identify keywords, write queries, QA data, and most importantly, synthesize information into actionable insights.
What’s been your biggest win in your career so far?
The biggest win in my career is meeting a supportive manager, dependable team members, and like minded individuals who are my biggest advocates. These connections contributed to my growth and allowed me to excel at my job, which ultimately led to my first promotion in my career :)
What do you think needs to change in the social intelligence industry?
The social intelligence industry has made great progress over the years, but there is always room for improvement. Better integration across systems and platforms is a great place to start. Although there are many tools and resources available, it’s hard to present a cohesive story when they all work in silos. Cross-platform insights and further collaboration across players could lead to more effective and accurate outcomes.
How do you see the industry developing?
As vendors attempt to incorporate AI into their services in an effort to improve their offerings and user experience, I predict that many vendors will continue to concentrate on this area. More players are likely to emerge with niche offerings, and the ones that breakout would most likely merge or get acquired by the bigger players.
What are you looking forward to in social listening for 2025?
I am looking forward to more accessible sources, cross-platform measurement, and further developments across vendor tools.
Get Social with SILab
