What new features, updates, and datasets did 2021 bring us? In case you forgot, we look back at all the new goodies that we’ve added to Social Explorer in the past year. 

Throughout the year, Social Explorer unveiled exciting new features and updates, all with the main goal of enriching your demographic data, mapping, and visualization user experience. Even more updates await us in 2022. Until then, here’s a review of some of the major releases of 2021. 

New Features

New Radius and Drive Time Feature: This feature allows you to compare demographic and economic data for multiple areas, drive times, radiuses, and years in just a few simple steps.

Save List of Tables as Custom Templates: With this new feature, you no longer have to reselect tables every time you create a report. You can now save your desired list of tables as a template and return to it whenever needed. 

Save Places on Social Explorer: Discovering trends in any area of interest has never been easier! With Social Explorer’s new My Places feature, you can now search for any location across the United States and save it for easy access and future use.

New Drop a Pin Feature on Maps: You can now run a drive time or radius analysis on any given piece of land in the United States with Social Explorer using this new feature. 

New Additions to the Social Explorer Storytelling Feature: The storytelling feature serves as a way to use Social Explorer maps to present ideas, insights, and trends. It enables you to tell a story enhanced with multimedia elements that help bring your data visualizations to life. 

New Search Variables Feature Went Live!: With hundreds of thousands of data variables to search through on Social Explorer, sometimes finding the exact variable you need can be time-consuming. With the new Search variables feature, things got a lot easier.

Change Over Time Available on New Reports Tool: This new feature allows users to view data of interest for multiple years or easily switch between years on one convenient report, eliminating the need to download reports for each individual year. 

Citation Tool Added to Maps and Reports: We eased your citation woes with our new citation tool available for both our maps and reports.

Highlighted Data

Census 2020 Data Went LIVE: Conducted every ten years since 1790, the decennial census gives an overview of American demographics in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. The preliminary data is now LIVE on Social Explorer!

New Market Profile Data: Our newly added Market Profile Data allows you to gain competitive insights into a wide array of business opportunities and provides meaningful context through up-to-date business data. 

Signal Brands Point Data Added to Our Layer Library: With Social Explorer's new Signal Brands map layer, you can now see where popular brands are located down to the census block. 

Traffic Layers Added: We improved and redesigned our old map layers, such as flood maps, wildfires, etc. Check out our layer library on the map dashboard to see all the new layers!

Training Modules

New Training Modules Went Live: To further simplify all of your data needs, we created our new training modules to clearly and concisely explain how to use our platform and its capabilities. 

New Plan

Social Explorer Offers New Monthly Plan: Previously only offering quarterly and annual plans, Social Explorer introduced a new monthly plan with a free 7-day trial.

That's a Wrap!

Now we want to hear from you! What was your favorite Social Explorer feature or update in 2021? What do you want to see from us in the new year? 

We look forward to more updates and releases in 2022 and continue to offer you the best in data mapping and visualization solutions. For now, it’s time to say goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022!

Author: Hana Trokic