Facebook, Twitter and other social networks represent more than just online platforms that individuals can use to share comments, photos and videos. In fact, these social networks are transforming the way the business world runs. Today, business managers need social data to succeed. Without social data, managers may struggle to identify new ways to help a company extend its reach in a highly competitive global marketplace. Perhaps worst of all, managers may miss out on opportunities to help a company gain a competitive advantage. How Can Business Managers Retrieve Social Data? In many instances, business managers use text analytics to collect social data that is contained within social networks. Text analytics helps managers retrieve social data quickly. It enables managers to track keywords and phrases across Facebook, Twitter and other social networks and collect social data over an extended period of time. Then, managers can analyze this information to obtain social insights. Clearly, text analytics offers value to managers. The service allows managers to collect social data without delay. On the other hand, text analytics rarely, if ever, provides managers with a fast, easy way to generate social insights. Managers often will need to mine social data sets to transform social data into relevant insights. Data mining, however, frequently proves to be time-consuming and costly. To mine a social data set, a manager will need to examine a large assortment of both structured and unstructured social data. He or she also will need to search for patterns and trends hidden within the data itself ñ something that can be complex and time-intensive. Previously, for managers who want to get the most out of social data, few options were available. But now, Self-Service Text Analytics provides managers with social media analytics capabilities to help them gain unparalleled social insights any time they choose. Why Do Business Managers Need Social Media Analytics? Social media analytics empower business managers to track and assess social insights consistently. As a result, the analytics enable managers to obtain deep insights into customer behaviors and trends that they may struggle to obtain elsewhere. Meanwhile, Self-Service Text Analytics provides managers with social media analytics capabilities free of charge. Self-Service Text Analytics is a data analysis that works in combination with text analytics. Unlike a traditional data analysis service, Self-Service Text Analytics allows managers to visualize social data using charts, graphs and other illustrations. This means managers can visually investigate social insights and use these insights to make informed business decisions. Perhaps best of all, Self-Service Text Analytics eliminates the need for social data mining. Instead, the service analyzes social data for managers, ensuring managers can focus on reviewing customer behaviors and trends in a reader-friendly format. For managers who want to reap the benefits of social media analytics, they only need to upload an Excel spreadsheet that contains user-generated content via Self-Service Text Analytics. Following the upload's completion, managers can receive interactive PDF (iPDF) reports that contain in-depth visualizations just minutes later. Each interactive PDF (iPDF) report highlights social insights digitally. It is available on any smartphone, tablet, desktop computer or laptop and features a click-to-navigate interface that makes it simple to review social insights. Plus, an interactive PDF (iPDF) report can be shared across a business instantly, allowing managers in multiple departments to work together to drive meaningful business improvements. Understanding social insights can be challenging, particularly for managers who are forced to deal with the headaches of data mining. Today, Self-Service Text Analytics helps managers simplify their social data analysis efforts. Thanks to Self-Service Text Analytics, managers can visualize social data and monitor social insights over the course of days, weeks, months and years. This enables managers to gain the social insights they need to help a company thrive in any marketplace, at any time. Summary Social media analytics can make a world of difference for business managers at companies of all sizes and across all industries. The analytics empower managers to assess social insights quickly and effortlessly. They even allow managers to track social patterns and trends over time, ensuring managers can monitor the pulse of a customer base consistently. Therefore, social media analytics deliver immense value and may help managers identify business and revenue growth opportunities.