Semantic analysis sounds like it is extremely technical, but it actually has some real world applications that can be used by most everyone. It is something that is in the sheer nature of every single human being.
Semantic analysis is simply defined as the process of relating certain phrases and sentences, in order to better understand the implied meaning. This is often through the use of contextual clues. Not only is this a useful tactic in the daily lives of humans, but also it has a variety of practical uses in the world of business. The following are some of the ways semantic analysis can be used:
Extracting Useful Information
Semantic analysis is useful because the process is able to extract relevant and useful information from large bodies of unstructured data. This is something businesses can appreciate- especially if they are big on social media (and most successful businesses are). The advent of social media has created a pretty extensive amount of data from almost every consumer on the books. This is something highly useful, but also creates an enormous amount of work. This workload is now possible with the use of semantic analysis. In order for marketers to better understand the consumer (and therefore, the product), it is important that they understand these huge quantities of data that these immense social media platforms generate- which is a sizeable task, even for a computer.
It has become important to not only recognize that your brand is being talked about, but also to recognize how it is being talked about, primarily by the consumer. This is the beauty of social media, however it also takes a lot of work to sort through this data. Semantic analysis helps this process along. Many platforms specializing in social analytics are offering “hot and cold” brand analysis of topics and brands. They learn to infer that if a negative word appears next to the brand, that the product is being viewed negatively. This is extremely useful for business owners.
Customer Service
Another use of semantic analysis in business is that it allows for consumers to ask a question without speaking to an actual human about it. This is useful in the customer service realm, because it helps the company to truly understand what people are searching for when they ask questions of your business. This makes for a very crucial understanding of the needs of their consumers, which, in this day and age, is something that no business owner should gawk at. Any information helps in this competitive age of business.
Semantic analysis also uses the analysis of search engine searches to deliver relevant content to its users. This is extremely beneficial for businesses, in that it creates more exposure and more chances for new customers to discover their brand. The multiplication of the association of words through the space of a search engine across millions and millions of users with millions and millions of interactions is something that is very obviously useful to brands. It creates more opportunity in general.
Uncover Specific Meanings in Texts
Semantic analysis allows for something that was historically not viable for computer content. It allows for a better understanding of slang and colloquial language. In the current century there are so many new words and new meanings to old words that people must consider when marketing to the important younger generation. Semantic analysis makes it possible to understand these phrases, and also apply it to your business marketing strategies.
The use of the hashtag is something that adds leverage to this. When a brand is popular, usually the hashtag is used. But what about if something is misspelled or something is mistranslated on that form? Well, with semantic analysis, context clues can be used to better understand the meanings of these words. This can add to the amount of data that is being processed by the company, thus increase the amount of consumer satisfaction the company is privy to across the board. The value of understanding the bulk of all customers is so important in a competitive market, that it might just be the most effective way of creating a profitable and successful company. This is especially true in a market that is dominated by hashtags.
Understanding Foreign Languages
Speaking of miscommunicated language, what if languages are mixed when reviewing your brand or company? How will analytics recognize the strength of that argument? Semantic analysis allow for the interpretation of language and their idiomatic structures across all platforms. This allows for a greater understanding of international audiences, something that is proven to be great for a thriving business in the modern era. Globalization is a trend that will only continue to grow. It is important for any prospective business to look out for their international market. Otherwise, the brand stands to lose out on a lot.
Semantic Analysis: is it worth it?
The goal of semantic analysis is to make life easier, not only for the business but for the consumer, which definitely makes it worth it for business to use. The consumer experience today is the most advanced it has ever been in history. With so many options out there, it is easy to get whatever you need and want, but increasingly harder to maintain a successful business without doing the work necessary to compete with the market.
Semantic analysis is something that all concerned businesses should utilize, it makes it easier to sort through mound and mounds of unstructured data that is relevant to understanding the consumer’s demands, something that any in-touch business should understand. It also allows for valuable knowledge of colloquial and idiomatic language, that otherwise would not be understood or processed by the appropriate sources. Most importantly, it adds to the consumer experience by enabling them to directly search for things online and be directed to other terms of interest, without having to go through an actual human, and at their complete convenience. In short, semantic analysis is something that all businesses should be taking advantage of, and most likely, are taking advantage of.