How to use this map

This map is for anyone interested in collecting and analysing social data at scale, to show you what technology is available and how each can help with specific use cases.

It’s particularly useful if you’re looking for a new social listening tool or want to benchmark your current tools. It’s also helpful to simply stay on top of the latest trends in SITech.

Reading the map

The map is organised into three sections:

Primary categories

There are 9 primary categories representing a key focus area or use case for social intelligence. This offers a high-level overview of the different types of tech available, and is the first place to start when researching what technology you need. These are shown in the inner ring of the diagram.

Within each primary category there will be at least one subcategory which digs further into the focus areas of the primary category. These highlight the specific features and functionalities that tools in this category might offer. Across the whole map there are 38 subcategories. These are shown in the outer ring of the diagram.

Subcategories

Vendor listings

Once you’ve identified the most relevant subcategories, you’ll find a list of tools and platforms that have some or all of the related features and functionalities. These are the vendors you should be going out to for demos and free trials to test which work best for your specific needs. These are the logos you see spanning out from the ring.

How to build your SITech stack

We won’t go into much detail here, because we’ve already written a complete guide on selecting the right tools for the work you’re doing. But here are a few handy tips to get you started:

Be clear about your objectives

Consider your existing tech stack

Involve your colleagues

Look beyond features

Spend time defining your key business metrics, use cases and success criteria to help you focus your search.

Look for tools that offer seamless integrations, flexible APIs, and complementary capabilities with your current tech stack.

Understand how others in your organisation plan to use the insights you generate to identify the features that are most important in the tool.

Spend time defining your key business metrics, use cases and success criteria to help you focus your search.