Dataflow

In the context of social media, dataflow refers to the movement, transmission, and processing of data across platforms, systems, and tools to enable the (almost) seamless operation, enabling the analysis of content, user engagement, and interactions. It enables us to understand how data is collected and shared—and how it is used when it moves between social media channels, analytics software, third-party integrations, advertising platforms, and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools. But what exactly do we mean when we say 'dataflow'?

It isn't just one thing over here and another over there; it encompasses a wide range of activities. For instance, it allows for the (almost) seamless operation of—you guessed it—social media. It also allows for the (almost) seamless operation of the applications we use to engage with social media (think The Analytics of a Whole New Kind of Media).

Integrating social listening tools enables tracking mentions and hashtags across (almost) all platforms. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) handle the business of making (almost) everything operate smoothly and in (almost) real-time. And if you think of (almost) everything described so far as being conduits funneling data from one point to another, then you are visualizing dataflow in the context of social media.