The term sentiment analysis is one that has been popping up on browsers over the past few years, but more recently of late as firms and brands grapple with staying afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But what does it mean and why is it so important, especially of late?
Sentiment analysis is effectively the process of understanding the meaning behind the words spoken and terms shared. To put it simply, it is media monitoring.
It allows for live agents and their AI counterparts to grade whether articles and posts or even broadcasts have been a success.
For example, a post is shared on Instagram by a retail brand. It racks up 7,000 likes which is a clear indicator it’s been viewed. But replies from followers hailing the content is what tells the agent people are engaging with the post. And engagement is the crux of sentiment analysis.
The act can be done manually, but more often than not, sentiment analysis in AI is becoming all the more popular. This is because output has become all the more time consuming to a point that it can mean that urgent responsive action is delayed or becomes too late to implement.
A CX Driving Factor
AI has automated sentiment analysis tools to allow it to be achieved across many communication topics extremely quickly and effectively. It has now come to a point also whereby this is being done by a tag team of live agent and automation bot that are both capable of strategic planning for brands and businesses using sentiment analysis.
The positivity assessment of news, coverage and reaction therefore provides a gauge of feelings held and responses provoked to help demonstrate success of the post. This, in turn, will shape the future plans of the organisation.
Sentiment analysis helps to demonstrate genuine value in PR campaigns, to shape future campaigns, manage reputation, gain insight into competitors and keep your finger on the pulse during crisis management situations.
There are many benefits to sentiment analysis, from offering an insight into CX performance of a brand to assessing the outcome of strategic activities.
Other benefits include:
- Shaping the tone of input into posts
- Ensuring campaigns offer up real and insightful impacts
- Offering insights into competitor performance
- Offering the opportunity PR teams to support the development of their business
- Delivering opportunities to enhance public perception of a brand
- Allowing real time assessment of how customers are responding to a specific circumstance – whether a positive attribution or a negative one
Sentiment analysis has increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as brands are able to see in real-time how their customers react to their own handling of the crisis. The tool continues to be valuable throughout the pandemic and will be a key indicator or what organisations return to a version of normality after it.
