This tutorial answers the questions:
Why is it important to know the number of conversations happening online about my destination?
How do I see the volume of conversations for my destination?
To understand conversation volume over time and how to use it, watch this video tutorial or read the text explanation that follows.
The number of conversations taking place over time are a reflection of the ebbs and flows of word of mouth. The volume of conversations is a good indicator and measurement for overall awareness of your destination. Conversation volume over time is part of the Topic Analysis module inside the Tourism Sentiment Index.
The COVID-19 Crisis Index has a Topic Analysis module that reflects data about the pandemic instead of tourism. Use its graph about conversation volume over time in the same way that this article describes working with the graph.
Reading the data
The graph showing conversation volume over time is inside the Topic Analysis module. (The Topic Analysis module is also where you find the topic analysis table.) This graph illustrates how the number of conversations changes or grows across the time frame that you have defined for the dashboard.
Growth is measured in a percentage. It is expressed as a percentage of increase or decrease in conversation volume as compared to the volume at the start of the time frame you are using. In other words, the first point in time is 0%, and each point that follows is the percentage more or less than that first point. This gives you a view of both how volume changes for your destination and how it changes for comparative destinations.
When reading the chart, you see:
The vertical axis is the range for the percentage of change in volume.
The horizontal axis is time in terms of months, weeks or days (determined by the time frame selected when you generated the dashboard).
As you hover over any point in the chart, you see each destination’s volume growth for that moment in time.
To change the range of time analyzed for this module, you must return to the top of the dashboard and change the time frame for the whole dashboard. For more information about setting up your dashboard, read How to: Select an index.
Putting conversation volume to work
Extended online reach can generate increased engagement. The higher the volume of conversations, the greater the reach may be as the number of chances increase for people to read and hear about your destination.
Volume does not represent quality. It represents opportunity. It is important to ensure that your leading awareness generators remain competitive and make positive impressions, since so many people are talking about them.
Tracking the growth in conversation volume over time gives you an indicator of your destination’s ability to generate exciting and meaningful conversations.