The Trick To Understanding Sentiment

At a glance Uncover the true value of sentiment analysis in marketing. Learn how to interpret and apply this key metric effectively and ethically. Dive in now!
If you’re in marketing, you’ve no doubt heard about sentiment. And you probably have your own views on it. It gets a bad rep, and in a lot of ways for the right reasons. But considering its widespread use, it’s worth digging a little deeper into the metric and seeing how to use it effectively and ethically. Take this tweet. It actually ranks as negative sentiment yet, it more truly should be neutral to slightly positive. The main beef with sentiment is that most algorithms can’t fully master the nuances of speech. Sarcasm, in particular, is rather hard to get without full context. Fortunately, technology is rapidly evolving, and sentiment is already bounds better than it was years ago. Sentiment is more than just a word for word analysis. Any sentiment analysis should include:
  • Sentiment shifters (e.g. “I find this tool less useful than yours”)
  • Connectives (e.g. “This tool is everything but useful”)
  • Modals (e.g. “In theory, this tool should be useful”)
Most tools now factor this in and allow for semantic interpretation and analysis. This gives you a great base. Sentiment really shines in showing you how to adapt, what your strengths and weaknesses really are, and where you stand. As much as sentiment tools are evolving, these are things that can really only be gleaned by human review. This review should look at
  • Topics: what are the main areas of discussion?
  • Aspects (subtopics and attributes): what about those topics is being talked about?
  • Sentiment: what is the sentiment of the content and the opinions contained?
  • Holder: whose opinion is being discussed? Are there multiple in the same content? If so, how do they differ, if at all?
  • Time: when was this content posted?
These factors help you know what to do with sentiment. Knowing your brand has a 60% positive sentiment ranking provides little insight. Knowing that the reason your brand has that sentiment score is because of excellent customer service helps you decide to put more resources into customer service. So, don’t throw sentiment out with the bathwater. It can be a very valuable starting point for insight. Just know you have to dig a little deeper into it. We recognise that here at Buzz Radar, so we actually separate out our sentiment by platform and emotion to help you really understand the why. Coupled with Word Clouds and information on most influential posts, you can start to get a better sense of what’s really driving your sentiment score.

Nicky Yates Published on May 2, 2016 8:00 am

Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQs

Why is sentiment analysis often inaccurate?

Most sentiment analysis algorithms struggle with nuances of human speech like sarcasm, irony, and context. They often perform word-by-word analysis without fully understanding the true meaning behind phrases, leading to misclassification of neutral or positive content as negative.

What makes modern sentiment analysis tools better than older ones?

Modern tools now include sentiment shifters, connectives, and modals in their analysis rather than just looking at individual words. They also allow for semantic interpretation, which helps them better understand the actual meaning and context of text.

How do you get actionable insights from sentiment analysis?

You need to combine sentiment scores with human review that examines topics, aspects, sentiment holders, and timing. Simply knowing your brand has 60% positive sentiment isn't useful, but understanding that it's driven by excellent customer service helps you make strategic decisions.

What should you analyze beyond just sentiment scores?

Look at the main topics being discussed, specific aspects or attributes mentioned, whose opinions are being shared, and when content was posted. This deeper analysis helps you understand what's actually driving your sentiment scores and how to respond appropriately.

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