Analysing social media activity
Layer timelines, influencers, and geography for a 360° view of narratives.
Social media analysis is essential for understanding online narratives, tracking disinformation campaigns, and investigating digital footprints. Modern OSINT requires the ability to collect, analyze, and visualize social media data across multiple platforms.
This tutorial covers techniques for timeline analysis, identifying influence networks, geographic tracking, and understanding how information spreads across social networks.
You'll learn to use various tools to monitor social media activity, archive content before it's deleted, and build comprehensive profiles of online actors.
Social Bearing
Analyze Twitter profiles, timelines, and connections
Find in directory →IntelTechniques Search Tools
Comprehensive social media search and analysis toolkit
Find in directory →Maltego
Visualize relationships and connections between entities
Find in directory →TweetDeck
Monitor multiple Twitter feeds and searches simultaneously
Find in directory →- 1
Define your investigation scope and target accounts or hashtags
- 2
Set up monitoring tools (TweetDeck, RSS feeds) for real-time tracking
- 3
Archive relevant posts and profiles before they can be deleted
- 4
Extract metadata from posts (timestamps, locations, device information)
- 5
Build a timeline of activity patterns and posting behavior
- 6
Map connections between accounts and identify influence networks
- 7
Analyze content spread and engagement patterns
- 8
Visualize findings using network graphs and timeline tools
Always archive content immediately - social media posts can be deleted quickly
Use advanced search operators specific to each platform
Check multiple platforms - users often reuse usernames across services
Look for patterns in posting times to identify time zones
Analyze engagement metrics to understand influence and reach
Use reverse image search on profile pictures to find other accounts
Monitor for deleted or edited content using archive services
Build a systematic workflow to avoid missing critical information
Share your own tips or learn from the community's experience
Share Your Tip
I've found that combining multiple reverse image search engines in parallel significantly improves results. Don't rely on just one!
Always document your methodology step-by-step. This helps with reproducibility and explaining your findings to others.