The Social Media Observatory at Indiana University has released three new tools on Twitter that allow users to more closely examine information shared on the app’s social media.
Those looking to analyze how information moves through Twitter and how topics go viral now have the tools to do so.
Visualization of information spread on Twitter
Screenshot from OSoMe Network Tool, July 2022Created by the Social Media Observatory, or OSoMe, at Indiana University, the collection includes three freely available tools that comprehensively examine conversations, players, messages, and polarization in online discussions around tweets and hashtags.
- Networks Tool – Creates 3D maps of information networks that visualize retweets, mentions, relationships between hashtags and other data.
- Trending Tool – Analyzes the volume of tweets within a given hashtag, URL, or keyword over time to identify trending topics, viral content, and specific topics such as brands, products, or stocks.
- BotAmp Tool – Identify and measure bot activity for a specific keyword or hashtag and compare bot activity across topics.
“You often hear that something is going viral, but how? Our tools tell you what the conversation is, who the players are, what the viral messages are, and you can even visualize the polarization. It provides a place for exploring topics and how they work together,” said Filippo Menczer, director of OSoMe and Luddy Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Informatics in the IU Luddy School of Computer Science, Informatics and Engineering.
The tools collect roughly 10% of all public tweets, or 50 million per day, which are then indexed and analyzed. This information is stored for three years, allowing users to examine historical trends and data and create an accurate picture of trends and themes over time.
All three social media tools are free, along with other tools, APIs and datasets on the OSoMe website.
A deeper look at inauthentic online communication and behavior
OSoMe is a joint project between the Network Science Institute, the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research in the Luddy School of Computer Science, Informatics and Engineering, and the Indiana University School of Media, specializing in the study of information, misinformation and vulnerabilities that have arisen with social media.
While this seems like a purely platform-specific problem, researchers have found that many of these tactics have real consequences in the offline world.
An example of these projects involves manipulating Twitter through deletions.
Examining more than a billion deletes from more than 11 million accounts, the researchers found that a small number of bad actors will strategically delete large amounts of content to avoid tweet volume limits.
They also found networks of accounts coordinated to like and dislike content before deletion. This tactic artificially boosts specific content and popularity while avoiding detection.
Users, brands and media then latched onto these topics, expanding the reach beyond the platform.
A new generation of tools and analytics for brands and publishers
Journalists, researchers, and users don’t have to find solutions to major social media issues to find OSoMe tools valuable.
As competition increases, consumer habits change, and the noise level of the online world continues to rise, companies, marketers, and even nonprofits need to take a deeper look at the data they already have at their disposal.
Personas, for example, used to be based on basic demographic information.
Now, deep dives into social networks allow marketers to understand:
- Linguistic patterns
- Pain points
- Customer education opportunities
- Content and branding gaps
- Use and purpose of keywords
- Market and target segments
- Advertising and marketing gaps
- Profitable partnerships
And this is just the beginning. Marketers can significantly expand their current knowledge and data research by analyzing information networks, keyword usage, and hashtags on Twitter.
However, there is an important caveat: As the tools provide a deeper look into the systems that underpin the digital world, marketers, brands, journalists and others will need to be careful about the interpretations and assumptions they make of the data.
Featured Image: Andrii Yalanskyi/Shutterstock
