From initial alerts and warnings to disaster assistance and community responses, Twitter played an invaluable role in keeping the public connected during this time of uncertainty. People from Texas and beyond turned to the platform to share resources, raise funds and rally around the community as they endured the worst of the storm. These Tweets do more than just show support. They create a wealth of social data that can be used to inform how we respond to future natural disasters. Twitter’s newly launched #ExtremeWeather project breaks down these findings, with data informed by Sprout Social. “Sprout Social’s Listening tool enables users to turn the rich, always-on conversation on Twitter into powerful data and insights,” said Lauren Jenkins, Senior Program Manager at Twitter. “Making sophisticated data analysis this user-friendly is a hallmark of Sprout’s product and one of the reasons we’re so excited to keep innovating together.” Check Out the #ExtremeWeather Project
Understanding the #TexasFreeze with social listening
Twitter’s #ExtremeWeather project explores the role of the platform when responding to natural disasters and extreme weather events. To better understand how the 2021 Texas winter storm unfolded, we worked with Twitter’s team to analyze Tweets sent before, during and after the crisis reached its peak. With Sprout’s Social Listening tool, Twitter Developer Design I/O was able to explore conversation trends surrounding three primary hashtags: #TexasFreeze, #TexasPowerOutages and #TexasSnow. The Listening Topic pulled insights from over 186,000 Tweets—which received over 625,000 engagements and 825 million impressions—including sentiment information, location-based Tweet volumes, and more. After reviewing top keywords and hashtags associated with the Topic, the Design I/O team identified common threads across conversations. Tweets on infrastructure and climate increased as Texans shared experiences, emotions and fears. Soon after pictures of frozen pipes and cold-stunned sea turtles went viral on the platform, messages on community relief spiked with many looking for ways to support the hungry and displaced.
To find your brand’s role in current events, let data lead the way
When a crisis strikes, Twitter empowers the world to lend a hand. It’s a means for creating connection, raising awareness and giving a voice to the voiceless. While acting as a virtual town hall, the platform also gathers meaningful social data that can be used to inform retrospective analysis and future decisions. Social listening is the key to understanding the expansive conversations happening on Twitter every day. Whether you’re searching for industry insights or trying to figure out how your organization can provide assistance during an emergency, social listening can distill broader conversations into actionable insights. In times of crisis, those insights can make a substantial real-world impact. As a member of Twitter’s Official Partnership Program, Sprout is proud to help showcase this crucial social data use case. When our customers connect their Twitter accounts to Sprout Social, they’re connecting to a relationship between Sprout and Twitter that ensures we can deliver maximum value to their business. Together, we’re expanding the understanding of social’s critical value to community organizations and brands alike. “Sprout Social’s Listening tool enables users to turn the rich, always-on conversation on Twitter into powerful data and insights,” said Lauren Jenkins, Senior Program Manager at Twitter. “Making sophisticated data analysis this user-friendly is a hallmark of Sprout’s product and one of the reasons we’re so excited to keep innovating together.” It’s impossible to ignore the power of social media. Twitter is a rich source of business intelligence that can go beyond everyday social metrics, informing crisis communication strategies, community management and more. To check out the full #TexasFreeze breakdown, as well as findings from other natural disasters, check out Twitter’s #ExtremeWeather report.
