Imagine when you were a kid and went to the circus or other magical adventures that opened your eyes to what’s possible in the world while also instilling supernatural capabilities in the earliest stages of life that gave you the power to think independently and do what’s right while achieving your dreams/goals.

For example, going on your first flight and meeting the pilot could’ve changed the entire trajectory of your life where you started to gravitate towards the aviation industry whether it’s flying planes or becoming a flight attendant – something internal triggered your path – then 20 years later you’re in a position and can reflect on exactly how/why you got here.

Looking back, it’s no different than some of the most epic chefs being apprentices, dishwashers or working in any other position in the restaurant industry then realizing this is what they want to spend their life doing before creating global empires. It’s the small things that we don’t recognize on the surface but ultimately guide us – either consciously or subconsciously – and make us who we are today.

When it comes to the question as to whether social media can help predict the future, the simple answer is yes, though everything mentioned above is critical to note before reading further.

And to put things in perspective, we thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the most common questions we’re getting (and our data is showing) around the use of social media analytics/tools to see what’s on the horizon:

What is a social media prediction?
When searching for information on the broadest topics related to social media predictions this question makes sense, and also brings up a subject we’re asked about daily. In a nutshell, a prediction based on social media is essentially you understanding someone’s behaviors then anticipating what’s to come which is rooted in established baselines, personal/life experiences and so much more.

What are predictive social media analytics?
There’s no simple way to describe predictive analytics aside from putting on your tinfoil hat, opening your eyes and ears then turning up the volume on your emotional intelligence to listen, learn and adapt to everything going on around you. You gotta first understand what we’re seeing before predicting. Is your best friend dating someone and happy then their posts on social media posts shift and elude to issues or even a breakup? That’s the world today.

How will social media be used in the future?
Social media is a beast that’s evolving by the day and at first it was used to communicate with friends/family then transformed into a platform for business/marketing then unfortunately a medium to express discontent, hate and more. In the future, we hope social media will go back to its roots with the intention of bringing people together, though we’re suffering from growing pains now.

This is just a snapshot of what we’re researching/covering now and will be sharing more insights in the near future.