Introduction

In the modern digital landscape, social media plays a pivotal role in shaping business strategies.
Organizations rely heavily on social media analytics to measure performance, enhance customer
engagement, and optimize their digital presence. Social media analytics is a data-driven
approach that helps businesses extract meaningful insights from social interactions and trends.

Social media analytics can be categorized into four main types:

1. Descriptive Analytics – Summarizes past data to identify trends.

2. Diagnostic Analytics – Examines data to understand the causes of trends and anomalies.
3. Predictive Analytics – Uses historical data to forecast future trends.
4. Prescriptive Analytics – Provides actionable insights and recommendations to improve
strategies.

1. Descriptive Analytics

Definition: Descriptive analytics focuses on analyzing past data to identify patterns and trends. It
provides organizations with valuable insights into their social media performance by presenting
metrics such as engagement rates, follower growth, and content reach. Descriptive analytics is
the process of using current and historical data to identify trends and relationships. It’s
sometimes called the simplest form of data analysis because it describes trends and relationships
but doesn’t dig deeper [1].

Importance: Descriptive analytics plays a crucial role in helping businesses understand their
audience, measure the success of past campaigns, and track key performance indicators (KPIs).
This type of analytics relies heavily on historical data, providing a foundation for future
decision-making.

Key Tools:

● Google Analytics – Offers detailed insights into website traffic, user demographics, and
content performance.
● Twitonomy – Provides Twitter-specific analytics, including tweet engagement and
follower statistics.
● Netlytic – An advanced tool that analyzes text-based social media data to detect trends
and sentiments.

Pros and Cons:

 Tool Pros Cons
Google Comprehensive insights, free(demo) version Steep learning curve, limited real-
Analytics available, integration with various platforms time analytics
Twitonomy Detailed Twitter insights, Limited to Twitter, lacks
user-friendly interface integration with other platforms
Netlytic Strong text analysis, sentiment detection Requires data expertise, limited
visualization features

Use Case: A marketing agency uses Google Analytics to track the engagement levels of their
social media campaigns, identifying which content types drive the most traffic to their website.
This allows them to refine their content strategy based on audience preferences.

2. Diagnostic Analytics

Definition: Diagnostic analytics explains why certain trends occur by analyzing correlations and
anomalies in social media data. It helps businesses identify performance gaps and understand
audience behavior. Diagnostic analytics is the process of using data to determine the causes of
trends and correlations between variables. It can be viewed as a logical next step after using
descriptive analytics to identify trends [2].

Importance: Understanding the reasons behind trends allows businesses to make informed
decisions about adjusting their strategies. This is particularly useful for identifying the reasons
behind spikes or drops in engagement, customer churn, and campaign success or failure.

Key Tools:

● SocialMediaMineR – An open-source tool used to diagnose engagement patterns and

audience sentiment.
● Netlytic – Assists in diagnosing trends by analyzing text and network data.
● Google Analytics – Identifies key traffic sources and behavioral trends to pinpoint
content performance issues.

Pros and Cons:

Tool Pros Cons
SocialMediaMin Free, powerful for engagement Requires technical knowledge, limited
eR analysis UI
Netlytic Strong community analysis Paid plans required for larger datasets
Google Strong behavioral insights Privacy concerns, steep learning curve
Analytics

Use Case: An e-commerce company uses SocialMediaMineR to understand why engagement on

their recent ad campaign was lower than expected, finding that their target audience was active at
different hours than originally scheduled. Adjusting their posting schedule leads to increased
engagement.

3. Predictive Analytics

Definition: Predictive analytics leverages historical data and machine learning techniques to
forecast future social media trends. It enables businesses to anticipate audience behavior and
optimize their marketing efforts accordingly. Predictive analytics is all about using data to make
educated guesses about what might happen in the future. In social media, this means using
algorithms to analyze user behavior and predict what they might do next [3].

Importance: Predictive analytics helps businesses stay ahead of the curve by preparing for
emerging trends. It allows marketers to adjust their campaigns proactively rather than reactively,
ensuring maximum reach and engagement.

Key Tools:

● Lexalytics – Uses NLP (Natural Language Processing) to analyze social media

conversations and predict emerging trends.
● Google Trends – Provides insights into trending keywords and search behavior over
time.
● DiscoverText – Helps businesses detect sentiment changes and emerging topics in social
media discussions.

Pros and Cons:

Tool Pros Cons
Lexalytics Advanced NLP, strong sentiment analysis Paid tool, requires data expertise
Google Trends Free, easy to use Limited in-depth insights
DiscoverText Advanced predictive capabilities Requires technical knowledge

Use Case: A political campaign team uses Google Trends to predict voter sentiment based on
trending political topics, allowing them to adjust messaging in real-time. This helps the
campaign team tailor their outreach efforts to address key voter concerns.
4. Prescriptive Analytics
Definition: Prescriptive analytics goes beyond prediction by providing actionable
recommendations to optimize social media strategies. AI-driven tools analyze large datasets to
suggest the best course of action. Prescriptive analytics is a type of data analytics that attempts to
answer the question “What do we need to do to achieve this?” It involves the use of technology
to help businesses make better decisions through the analysis of raw data [4].

Importance: Prescriptive analytics helps organizations make data-driven decisions by

recommending specific actions based on predictive models. It is particularly useful for
automated decision-making in large-scale social media campaigns.

Key Tools:

● Lithium – Recommends content strategies based on engagement data.

● IBM Watson Analytics – Uses AI to analyze data and suggest improvements for social
media campaigns.
● Google Analytics (AI-powered insights) – Provides automated insights to optimize
engagement strategies.

Pros and Cons:

Tool Pros Cons
Lithium AI-driven recommendations, strong Expensive, limited customization
analytics
IBM Watson AI-powered insights, predictive High cost, requires expertise
Analytics modelling
Google Analytics AI-driven suggestions, free version Less effective for smaller
available datasets

Use Case: An online fashion brand uses IBM Watson Analytics to receive AI-driven
recommendations on the best content posting schedule, leading to increased audience
engagement and improved sales conversions.

Tool Comparison for Seven Layers

1. Text Analytics

Purpose: Analyze sentiment, topics, and keywords in posts, comments, and tweets. Tools:
DiscoverText, Lexalytics, Archivist, Twitonomy, Netlytic, LIWC, Voyant.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

Lexalytics Sentiment analysis, High Moderate Paid Used by Coca-Cola for
topic modeling, global brand sentiment
multilingual support monitoring
DiscoverTe Crowdsourced coding, High Low Paid NGOs use it for crisis
xt data filtering management during
disasters
Voyant Open-source text Moderate High Free Academic research on
visualization, word Twitter discourse trends
clouds
LIWC Psychological text High Low Paid Market researchers analyze
analysis (emotion, customer feedback
tone)

Key Insight:

● Lexalytics suits enterprises needing multilingual support, while Voyant is ideal for
budget-conscious researchers.
● LIWC excels in psychological profiling but requires technical expertise.

2. Actions Analytics

Purpose: Track user interactions (likes, shares, clicks, comments).

Tools: Lithium, Twitonomy, Google Analytics, SocialMediaMineR.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

Twitonomy Twitter-specific High High Free Journalists track viral tweets
metrics for news coverage
(retweets,
replies)
Google Cross-platform click High Moderate Free E-commerce brands analyze
Analytics tracking, bounce traffic from Instagram ads
rates
Lithium Community Moderate High Paid Microsoft uses it to monitor
engagement tracking Xbox forum interactions

Key Insight:

● Twitonomy is perfect for Twitter-focused campaigns.

 ● Google Analytics integrates seamlessly with websites but lacks platform-specific social
metrics.

3. Network Analytics

Purpose: Map relationships between users, influencers, and communities.

Tools: NodeXL, UCINET, Pajek, NetMiner, Flocker, Netlytic, Mentionmapp.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

NodeXL Network High Moderate Free/Pro Nike maps influencer
visualization, ($) networks for product
influencer ID launches
Netlytic Social network Moderate Low Free Non-profits identify key
analysis, hashtag advocates during campaigns
tracking
UCINET Advanced High Low Paid Universities study political
statistical analysis Twitter networks

Key Insight:

● NodeXL offers free basic features but requires training for advanced use.
● UCINET is powerful for academic research but not user-friendly.

4. Mobile Analytics

Purpose: Analyze mobile app usage, in-app behavior, and mobile traffic.
Tools: Countly, Mixpanel, Google Mobile Analytics, Google Fusion Table.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World

Application
Mixpanel In-app event High High Paid Spotify tracks mobile app
tracking, cohort engagement
analysis
Google Mobile Mobile traffic Moderate Moderate Free Small businesses
Analytics segmentation optimize mobile ads
Countly Real-time High High Paid Gaming apps monitor
dashboards, crash user retention
analytics
Key Insight:

● Mixpanel is ideal for deep user behavior analysis, while Google Mobile Analytics is cost-
effective for SMEs.

5. Location Analytics

Purpose: Analyze geographic data to localize social media activity. Tools:

Tweepsmap, Trendsmap, Followervonk, Esri Maps, Agos.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

Tweepsma Heatmaps of High High Free/ Starbucks localizes
p Twitter followers $ store promotions
Esri Maps GIS integration, High Moderate Paid Governments track disaster-
demographic related social media activity
overlays
Trendsma Real-time trending Moderate High Paid Event planners monitor
p topics by location festival buzz

Key Insight:

● Tweepsmap is user-friendly for basic geolocation, while Esri Maps offers advanced GIS
capabilities.

6. Hyperlinks Analytics

Purpose: Track shared links and referral traffic.

Tools: Webometrics Analyst, VOSON.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

Webometrics Link impact Moderate Low Free SEO agencies analyze

Analyst scoring, domain backlink strategies
authority
VOSON Hyperlink network High Moderate Paid Media companies track
visualization viral article sharing
Key Insight:

● VOSON provides detailed network insights but is costly, while Webometrics is free but
less intuitive.

7. Search Engines Analytics

Purpose: Correlate search trends with social media activity.

Tools: Google Trends.

Tool Features Accuracy Usability Cost Real-World Application

Google Keyword High High Free Marketers align campaigns with
Trends popularity, trending searches (e.g., "Black
regional interest Friday deals")

Key Insight:

● Google Trends is unmatched for real-time search trend analysis but lacks integration with
social platforms.

Comparative Summary

Layer Best for Startups Best for Enterprises Most Cost-Effective

Text Voyant Lexalytics LIWC (for niche uses)
Actions Twitonomy Lithium Google Analytics
Network NodeXL UCINET Netlytic
Mobile Google Mobile Mixpanel Countly
Analytics
Location Tweepsmap Esri Maps Trendsmap
Hyperlinks Webometrics Analyst VOSON –
Search Google Trends – Google Trends
Engines

References

[1] What Is Descriptive Analytics? 5 Examples, Harvard Business School Online, Accessed on 9
March 2025 https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/descriptive-analytics
[2] What Is Diagnostic Analytics? 4 Examples, Harvard Business School Online, Accessed on 9
March 2025 https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/diagnostic-analytics
[3] Harness the Power of AI: A Comprehensive Guide to Predictive Analytics in Social Media,
Kubbco, Accessed on 9 March 2025
https://www.kubbco.com/blog/harness-the-power-of-ai-a-comprehensive-guide-to-predictive-ana
lytics-in-social-media
[4] Prescriptive Analytics: Definition, How It Works, and Examples, Investopedia, Accessed on
9 March 2025 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/prescriptive-analytics.asp