All digital strategies rely on a deep understanding of target audiences. This complex subject often requires combining various approaches to achieve precise consumer insights. Traditionally, Martech tools have focused on analyzing two main aspects of online behavior. However, a third aspect—Profiling (or audience analysis)—is becoming increasingly essential.
First Aspect: Understanding Interests through Search Query Analysis The first aspect involves understanding user interests via the analysis of their search queries on search engines.
Second Aspect: Analyzing Spontaneous User Comments in Public Web Spaces The second aspect involves analyzing spontaneous user comments in public web spaces.
While these two aspects are relevant, they have limitations. A user’s search query on Google does not always reflect a genuine interest. Additionally, the analysis of online conversations often neglects the "passive" users who rarely express themselves. Studies show that only 10% of community members are actively engaged. Therefore, how do we account for the silent 90% where valuable consumer insights may be hidden?
Profiling and Audience Analysis: A New Vector for Consumer Insights
This is where the third aspect, Profiling or audience analysis, comes into play. In recent months, businesses have increasingly adopted Profiling tools in their digital strategies. These tools create detailed socio-affinity profiles of audiences across various networks. In digital marketing, this means analyzing a brand’s audiences on social media by looking at:
- Personal characteristics of each fan or follower in a community (age, gender, location, etc.)
- Behaviors (what they say, what they like, etc.)
- Interactions (do they follow each other, do they communicate?)
Based on these three major criteria, Profiling tools identify “communities” or audience “segments” with their own similarities, connections, and socio-affinity characteristics. For example, we discussed Profiling in the context of a brand analyzing its acquired communities (those already following the brand’s official accounts). This exercise can also be applied to:
- Competitor communities
- Adjacent communities
- Media accounts
- Celebrity accounts
Moreover, these communities can be compared, or a reference community can be established as a baseline, which enhances analysis possibilities and eases the search for insights.
What Profiling and Audience Analysis Reveal
Profiling and audience analysis tools can reveal various insights. For instance, in the example below, we analyze the audience of a French Twitter account for an automobile brand. Profiling tools, using AI algorithms, can identify these communities or audience segments. Besides the usual car enthusiasts, we find connections with football and video games. This means that many followers of this Twitter account are more interested in football than cars. There are also followers interested in news and ecology. For each community, the tool determines ages, genders, languages, locations, interests (hashtags, bios, media followed or shared), and dominant influencers. Below is a general view of two identified segments (detailed analysis is possible for each):
Profiling Tools: A Growing Market Segment
The Profiling sector already includes several rapidly growing pure players like Affinio, Soprism, and Audiense. The screenshots above are from Audiense (see our interview with the Corporate Development Director of Audiense for more information). Recognizing the synergies with Social Listening, players like Synthesio have started consolidating this market with acquisitions like Social Karma (now Synthesio Profiler). Other Listening, Publishing, and Social Suite providers are also exploring this topic, gradually integrating Profiling functionalities. The pure players mentioned aim to be “open” and their data “integrable” with other solutions.
The market is undoubtedly adopting these tools, convinced that:
- The power of sourcing
- Artificial intelligence
- The methodology of each tool
will enhance precision in deploying and managing digital strategies.
Profiling Tools and Use Cases
In agencies and businesses, audience analysis tools significantly simplify the analysis of online communities. These tools replace tedious manual work (impossible on large communities) or the intervention of data engineers capable of extracting such data.
- For agencies, Profiling solutions are a fantastic pitch tool to propose highly precise strategies with previously inaccessible granularity.
- For businesses, these user-friendly tools enable strategic insights or community evolution measurements in minutes.
Profiling tools are crucial for brands in many areas, including:
- Influencer identification
- Sponsorship & Partnership (which events align perfectly with the target audience?)
- Media or Advertising Strategy (which platforms should the brand communicate or be present on?)
- Content Curation (how to tailor messages to be relevant to target audiences?)
- Campaign Measurement (e.g., comparing community size before and after a campaign)
Challenges and Integration
Although Profiling technologies and tools have recently emerged, they still face a major challenge: finding their place in organizational methodologies. However, their complementarity with existing tools and methods will likely help Profiling integrate into businesses’ tech stacks.
Want to Learn More?
Check out our interview with Audiense, a leading profiling and audience analysis tool on the market!
Do you have thoughts on these tools? Want to know more?
Discover More
Read another of our articles on the consolidation of the Social Listening market.
