[Advice] How can I use social media to do research?

Hey guys, just answered a question over on Quora

This question was asked:

"I'm starting a business that requires me to find, filter, absorb and process a TON of information. My sense is that social media tools like Quora and perhaps Twitter have the potential to be very helpful in doing research. Right now I am active in social media only in the most casual and superficial way, eg I'm on Twitter but hardly ever post, or even look at it.

Specifically, I want to spend:
- The LEAST amount of time and resources, to find:
- The LATEST, HIGHEST-QUALITY, EVIDENCE-BASED information on a range of business-, science- and tech-related topics (for me this includes psychology, education, economics, game mechanics, social media, business, technology and demographics).
- I am also thinking of using social media to actually conduct informal market research.

I presently read a lot of _books,_ but this seems like not the most efficient way to get the latest and best information. I want to use social media to improve my personal information processing.

Is this a correct way to think about social media? Are there any Quora users who consider their Kung Fu to be exceptional in this area, who can give me advice on the shortest route from Point A to B? Any tips for things I should be reading or thinking about?

FWIW: I was influenced in part to think this way about social media by listening to a lecture on the TVO Big Ideas podcast (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podc...) by Don Tapscott, author of "Grown Up Digital." Here is an interview with him that covers some of the same ground:"

When it comes to using social media for research the fastest ways are:

Use Twitter search and see what people are talking about in the industry and follow those who are active in it.

Use Facebook groups to again find people actively talking about it.

Google + Communities can do the same.

LinkedIn Groups is also another good place for active communication.

The longer term stuff would be to slowly build a following in the industry. But using search and groups should yield a lot of info.

You can also use Google Alerts and other services like it to see when people are talking about the topic.

Hope that helps,

- JR

JRGriggs.com || RedWallMarketing.com