Online social networks give vital information. If someone posts something on Twitter, Facebook, they generate a digital footprint. If someone reads it, or watches a YouTube video, they add to the data trail. We can analyze it to take business decisions. The information that we look for depends on business goals. Some companies use social media to increase sales, some concentrate on brand consciousness, others are focused on brand trust, or increasing customer satisfaction. An analyst records keywords which customers are discussing, use them into status updates or tweets to be more relevant to customers. They check which messages attract readers most so that they can reach new customers. There are different social media analytics tools. Some are Hoot Suite; span multiple channels, Twitter etc. Some tools include workflow; they allow social media managers to connect information to others. Customer feedback raises sentiment analysis. Read more at: 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jun/10/effective-social-media-analytics