Today we are pleased to announce the release of enhanced Twitter data in your TRAC searches, in the form of Twitter Replies and Quotes, plus a bonus update - collection of Likes in Real-time.
This is a significant change to the way we collect Twitter data on TRAC, providing you with a richer Twitter data experience and greater access to the full conversation as it takes place on Twitter. This change also paves the way for the new Twitter API, which we plan to migrate to in 2021 - more on this in the coming months, so stay tuned!
So, what's changed?
For all new searches, going forwards, Twitter data now includes Quote tweets, Replies and Retweets by default. For existing searches, i.e. searches created before this update, you have the option to edit your searches if you want to collect quote tweets, whilst for replies and retweets, you don’t need to do anything as we’ve always collected this data. However, you will notice that replies are now accurately labelled in your existing searches as a reply, and categorised as engagements alongside retweets, as shown below:
If you do not want to collect replies, quotes or retweets in your new searches, you have the option to simply opt out during your search setup.
And how do you do this?
In a Boolean search you can choose to opt out of collecting replies, quotes or retweets by specifying NOT REPLY; NOT QUOTE, or NOT RT in your Boolean expression, as shown below.
In a Wizard search, under the Target section and in a new field called Twitter Content Type, you can choose to opt out of collecting replies, quotes or retweets by simply de-selecting them.
What are the main differences between Twitter data, before and after?
The main differences between Twitter data before and Twitter data now are as follows:
By default, we now collect replies and quotes, (in addition to retweets), in all new searches created after this update.
We only collect replies that match your search criteria at search setup - the same rule has always applied to retweets.
You can opt out of collecting replies, quotes and retweets at search setup.
Prior to this update, replies were categorised as normal posts, but they are now accurately categorised as engagements. This means for Twitter data, engagements are retweets and replies, therefore you may see an increase in the total number of engagements in your searches.
Quote tweets will be categorised as posts. This means that for Twitter data, posts are quote tweets and original tweets.
And lastly, we were previously unable to update the number of Likes on tweets in real-time, but with this new update, this is now possible. There is a special caveat to this however - you need to be collecting engagements in your search to be able to get an updated number of Likes.
What are Replies?
Replies are comments that Twitter users leave on an original tweet, forming a conversation thread on Twitter. With our latest update, we collect the replies to a tweet only if they match the keywords and other criteria you have specified at search setup. Note that the same rule has always been applied to retweets. So what is the difference between the previous replies and the replies we are now collecting, you may ask? The main difference is Replies are now categorised as engagements. The easiest way to identify a Reply in Results is they usually start with @username, and then followed by the reply. They also have a reply label attached to it in Results. There are other replies though that form part of a Twitter thread that a Twitter user has started - these do not start with an @username, so keep an eye out for those in your search results.
What are Quotes Tweets?
Replying to a tweet is a quick way to keep the conversation going on Twitter, however sometimes you want to amplify a message and voice your opinion about the original tweet. This is where quotes tweets come into play. Whilst retweets are tweets Twitter users can share publicly with other people, quote tweets give users on Twitter the option to add their own comments and media before retweeting. Quote tweets are therefore a great way for users to add onto an idea, allowing them to share both the original and their own commentary. On Pulsar we now collect quote tweets, and you will see these labelled in the Results view with a quote tweet label. Clicking into the post will allow you to see the original tweet that was quoted, as shown below:
Can I filter and isolate the different types of tweets you now collect?
Yes you can, as shown below. Under the filter Post Type, selecting Post will automatically filter for original tweets and quotes. And under the filter Post Subtype, you can be even more specific about the posts you want, for example, you can filter for original tweets only, or quotes only, or both.
With engagements, again in the filter Post Type, selecting Engagements will automatically filter for replies and retweets. And under the filter Post Subtype, you can be even more specific about the engagements you want, for example, you can filter for replies only, or retweets only, or both.
As noted previously, this update impacts new searches which will have replies and quote tweets (+ retweets) on by default with the option to opt out during sear h creation. For existing searches, you can always go into the search setup and add quote tweets to your active searches if you want to collect more content.
Want to know more? We've prepped some answers to some of the questions you might have. If you still have any questions, then hit us up via the chat or support@pulsarplatform.com.