In the world of Facebook, Twitter and Yelp, water-cooler conversations with co-workers and backyard small talk with neighbors have moved from the physical world to the digital arena. In this new landscape, organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to government agencies to political campaigns continuously monitor online opinions in an effort to guide their actions. Are consumers satisfied with our product? How are our policies perceived? Do voters agree with our platform? Measuring online opinion is more complex than just reading a few posted reviews. Social media is replete with noise and chatter that can contaminate monitoring efforts. By knowing what shapes online opinions, organizations can better uncover the valuable insights hidden in the social media chatter and better inform strategy. This book can help anyone facing the challenge of making sense of social media data to move beyond the current practice of social media monitoring to a more comprehensive use of social media intelligence.

‘This is the first book to combine meaningful analytical depth as well as practical forward-looking advice to the area of social media intelligence. Moe and Schweidel do a great job of blending their well-respected academic insights with cutting-edge business decisions in order to bring real clarity to a rapidly growing topic that desperately needs it.'

Peter Fader - Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

‘Gathering data about social media has become so straightforward that we're all now flooded with information. The real challenge is in understanding that data and turning it into actionable intelligence. This is the book you need to turn the conversations you monitor into business-growing ideas.'

Andy Sernovitz - author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking