They are a set of tools that study and quantify the interactions of individuals in social settings. SNA techniques provide new metrics from which more detailed information can be obtained from the user, such as which network actor (node in SNA terminology) is most influential in adapting the marketing strategy, discovering communication patterns or understanding the behavior of a client. Networks and their interactions are often shown through visual representations.
They are based on the idea that human beings, by interacting with each other, develop various types of relationships, from friendship to commercial exchanges, and these social ties resemble a network, because they connect individuals. With the systematic collection of data on these relationships between actors, it is possible to delve into the behavior of the subjects based on their position in the network and understand, for example, why some content is spread virally and others are not.
Theoretically, this discipline draws on sociometry, which comes from sociology, and the mathematical theory of graphs. It should not be confused with social media analytics , which may be a part of SNA, but not the only one.
Acrónimo o abreviatura:
Social Network Analytics: SNA