What does social intelligence mean to you?
Social intelligence is data-driven storytelling that transcends traditional advertising and marketing. It’s about building genuine audience relationships, shaping product evolution, and creating content that truly resonates. By marrying content performance analysis with direct consumer feedback from comments and mentions through social listening, we gain a holistic understanding of our audiences. This approach allows us to craft detailed audience profiles that reveal not only who our followers are but also what they want, need, and enjoy.
More than just data, social intelligence fosters authentic connections between people and brands. It’s the key to curating personalized experiences that truly resonate, delivering value that feels tailored and relevant. In essence, social intelligence bridges the gap between understanding and action—allowing us to listen, learn, and respond in ways that are impactful and authentic.
Why social intelligence? How did you find yourself working in social intelligence?
While pursuing my graduate degree at the University of Alabama, I was recruited to work in the newly established social listening lab, The Public Opinion Lab, due to my background in TV research. Social intelligence was still an emerging field, and few institutions offered training in it. However, under the guidance of Dr. Jameson Hayes and Dr. Brian Britt, I integrated social intelligence into my master’s thesis, exploring the alignment of brand and consumer personalities on Twitter, which inspired me to pursue a career in the field.
My passion deepened during my time at Warner Bros. as a social analyst for Turner Networks (TNT/TBS/TruTV). When TNT launched All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the social analytics team, led by Alida Lambert, played a critical role in establishing quantitative benchmarks that validated the program until ratings reflected the audience’s loyalty. My role involved creating social listening reports highlighting standout personalities and resonant storylines. Hearing announcers reference insights from my reports during broadcasts underscored the tangible impact of social intelligence on shaping consumer-brand relationships. It was a pivotal moment that cemented my desire to continue contributing to this dynamic and impactful field.
What do you love about working in social intelligence?
Social intelligence is the perfect mix of storytelling and problem-solving. It fulfills a creative itch while still giving me the satisfaction of deep critical thinking – figuring out what content excites viewers. It’s like solving a constantly evolving puzzle—using data to understand audiences and determine the best ways to engage them.
What I really appreciate is how authentic this area of research feels. Instead of relying on surveys or focus groups, we’re seeing real feedback in real time. That makes it easier to craft content that’s actually meaningful for specific audiences. And if something isn’t working, we can pivot quickly to try a new angle—no wasted time or effort.
I love that it’s a career where creativity meets strategy and where you can actually see the impact of your work. Social intelligence lets you build smarter connections with audiences and gives you the tools to keep evolving as their needs and interests change.
What skills do you think you need to be successful in social intelligence?
As cheesy as it might sound, passion is key. While identifying data patterns and pulling insights takes skill, most of the technical aspects in this field can be taught. You don’t need an advanced degree to succeed in social intelligence, but you do need to care about the work. People who love digging into this type of research will not only excel but also find real satisfaction in it.
The ability to pivot is just as important. Whether it’s tailoring a narrative for a stakeholder’s specific needs or adapting recommendations as algorithms and platform trends evolve, flexibility is critical. Social intelligence is a fast-moving field, and staying agile ensures your insights stay relevant and impactful.
Finally, it’s all about balance—being a team player while standing firm in what the data shows. In any research-based role, there’s a natural temptation for people to want data to validate their preconceptions. Part of the job is guiding teams toward insights that align with the data, even when it challenges their original perspective. Being collaborative while staying true to the numbers is critical to succeeding within the field.
What’s been your biggest win in your career so far?
One of my proudest career moments was seeing my team’s work organically drive new business within a client’s organization. After successfully delivering impactful insights and recommendations, our primary contacts shared their positive experiences with other teams within their business. This led to a series of new projects, including audience evaluations, social goal-setting, and monthly performance tracking.
The fact that this growth came from word-of-mouth referrals felt especially meaningful. It reinforced the value of fostering strong client relationships and consistently delivering high-quality work. To see such tangible trust and appreciation for changes I’d made to some of the reporting processes after my first year at the agency was a rewarding milestone and a reminder of the impact we can make when we approach every project with care and precision.
What do you think needs to change in the social intelligence industry?
One of the biggest shifts I’d like to see is moving social intelligence from being mostly reactive to more proactive. Right now, we spend a lot of time analyzing performance after a post goes live, figuring out why it did well (or didn’t), or interpreting how people feel about a product or trend. That’s valuable, but there’s so much potential to use social insights to predict what users want next—whether it’s the type of content they’d engage with, a product feature they’d love, or even changes to their social experience.
Another change I’d like to see is social intelligence taking a bigger role in executive decision-making. Right now, consumer sentiment often takes a backseat to product priorities, and that can lead to missed opportunities or underwhelming results. If leadership placed more trust in the data and insights we uncover, social intelligence could help steer strategies that align better with audience expectations and ultimately drive stronger business outcomes.
There’s a real opportunity to elevate the field—making it a key player in both shaping the future of brands and strengthening their connection with consumers.
How do you see the industry developing?
AI is poised to play a transformative role in the future of social intelligence. Its ability to improve data collection, simplify social listening, and uncover micro-patterns within large datasets could fundamentally change how we approach analysis. I’m particularly excited about AI’s potential to gather public-facing social data and quantify the impact of influencer campaigns. Early applications have also shown promise in clustering sentiment and feedback into clear, actionable themes—something traditional tools often struggle with. Additionally, AI’s capacity to analyze historical datasets may reveal trends that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Personalization will also become increasingly critical as platforms pivot to interest-based algorithms like TikTok’s For You Page. These shifts make it harder to reach intended audiences because the traditional strategy of curating followers is less relevant. Brands will need to adapt by creating content tailored not just to their general audience but to the nuanced preferences of individuals across various platforms. And social analysts will play a key role in figuring out how to best get in front of the intended community.
Ultimately, the future of social intelligence is about working smarter, leveraging technology to deliver deeper insights while adapting to the ever-evolving digital landscape.
What are you looking forward to in social listening for 2025?
One area of social intelligence I’m particularly interested in for 2025 is how the industry might adapt to the growing prominence of video content, especially on platforms like TikTok. As users increasingly turn to short-form videos to share personal experiences, review products, and engage with brands, social listening tools may need to evolve to better capture insights from these formats.
There’s potential for advancements in analyzing audio, visuals, and context within videos—whether it’s recognizing sentiment through voice tone, identifying trends in visual aesthetics, or categorizing themes from user-generated content. Imagine tools capable of not only tracking what users say about a product but also how they creatively showcase and interact with it. While current technologies are still catching up, the opportunity to explore and understand this visually driven dialogue could redefine how brands measure engagement and sentiment in the years ahead.
This shift excites me because it aligns with the way people naturally communicate—through storytelling that blends words, images, and emotions. It’s an area that feels ripe for innovation, and I look forward to seeing how social intelligence evolves to meet the challenge. Let me know if you'd like further refinements!
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