What is social media intelligence?
Social media intelligence is the collection, curation, and analysis of online media data to answer specific questions or provide insights into the actions, habits, and motivations of an individual or group.
In today’s digital world, social media intelligence offers a powerful way to learn not just about individuals—but about the world around us. With the majority of U.S. adults using social media, analyzing online activity can reveal valuable information about behavior, trends, and connections.
How Social Media Shapes Our Lives
We all know social media is everywhere. But just how deeply is it woven into daily life? Consider these statistics from the Pew Research Center:
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Top platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube
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Multi-platform use: Roughly 75% of users are active on more than one platform; the average person uses three or more
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Daily engagement: Over half of users visit social media daily—many check multiple times a day
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Most popular platforms: YouTube (used by 73% of U.S. adults, 94% of 18–24-year-olds); Facebook (68% of U.S. adults)
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Usage by age: 88% of 18–29-year-olds; 78% of 30–49-year-olds; 64% of 50–64-year-olds; 35% of adults 65+
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Demographic differences: Pinterest is more popular with women; WhatsApp sees higher use in Latin America and among U.S. Latinos; LinkedIn is favored by higher-income households
With so many people posting, liking, and sharing content every day, a vast amount of social media data is created. And that’s just the beginning.
Why Social Media Intelligence Is Essential
The sheer volume of online data has led to the rise of social media intelligence as a discipline. But it’s more than just collecting information—it’s about analyzing and interpreting that data to create a meaningful, accurate picture.
In fact, social media intelligence allows analysts to:
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Gather and preserve online evidence
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Profile subjects based on public data
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Understand behaviors and patterns in context
But here’s the critical difference: algorithms alone can’t do this work. It takes skilled, certified social media analysts to interpret online evidence with nuance, creativity, and cultural awareness.
This expertise matters because:
- Social media evidence can be altered, deleted, or hidden with privacy settings
- Proper evidence collection and preservation are key to ensuring court admissibility
- Interpretation requires knowledge of local language, culture, and legal standards
In the U.S., social media intelligence should be conducted by analysts based in the country, who understand its digital landscape and legal environment. In essence, a lack of expertise equals missed or misinterpreted data.
The Growing Importance of Social Media Evidence
Social media evidence is playing an increasingly important role in:
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Litigation and eDiscovery
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Investigations and due diligence
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Compliance monitoring
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Risk management
As more cases and inquiries rely on social media data, it’s crucial to have defensible, well-preserved, and expertly analyzed evidence.
At SMI Aware, our U.S.-based, certified analysts provide comprehensive social media intelligence to help legal, investigative, and compliance teams uncover actionable insights—while ensuring defensibility in court.
Contact us today to learn how social media intelligence can support your next case or project.
