It seems like we hear about a new social media management tool nearly every day. As a marketer, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You’re probably asking yourself how you could possibly decide which tools will help grow your business, and which are just a waste of time.
There are a few paid tools that stand above the rest in terms of functionality, but they come with a price tag that may be out of reach for smaller B2B companies or those just getting started in social media. If you fall into either of these groups, we’d like to help. We’ve compiled a list of our four favorite social media tools for small budgets and social media beginners below. Even if you tap into only these four tools, you’ll find yourself with a wealth of data and functionality that will help take your social media efforts to the next level.
What it does: TweetLevel allows you to search Twitter for a list of key influencers on just about any topic under the sun.
Why it’s useful: Social media is all about building relationships. TweetLevel helps identify other people who care about the same things you do so that you can begin to interact with them via social media.
How to use it: Identify key topics about which your business has the potential to be influential, find key influencers around these topics, follow them and begin to interact by reposting their content, replying to their posts, and answering questions they pose.
What it does: Social Mention is a social media analysis platform that searches user-generated content from across the web and provides insight on interactions about your brand or company
Why it’s useful: Social Mention quantifies how people feel about your brand with insights on sentiment, passion, strength and reach, along with information on keywords people use when they talk about your brand.
How to use it: Simply plug in your brand name or related keywords and study the data that Social Mention spits out. Then, adjust your content accordingly. For example, if your positive sentiment numbers always go up after you write a certain type of blog post, consider incorporating more of this kind of content into your social media strategy.
What it does: DivvyHQ is an editorial calendar and content marketing tool on steroids. You can organize content ideas, send and track content assignments, manage deadlines and schedule posts all within this simple cloud-based app that is 100% spreadsheet free.
Why it’s useful: Content marketing requires a great deal of coordination, especially when it involves a team. DivvyHQ allows you to plan and schedule everything ahead of time so that your content goes up without a hitch. Just imagine the relief you’ll feel when you no longer have to remember to make time for daily Twitter or Facebook updates or track down an overdue blog post from a colleague.
How to use it: Sign up for an account (the paid subscription options will give you significantly more functionality) and begin brainstorming post topics for your various social channels. Then, assign your content to dates on a calendar, assign writing assignments to members of your team, and schedule posts as you complete them. DivvyHQ will even follow up with members of your team automatically when their content nears its due date.
What it does: True Social Metrics allows you to obtain the social media metrics that really matter. While likes and followers might be valuable numbers for some, they are relatively meaningless for others. True Social Metrics allows you to measure valuable data like applause rate, amplification rate, and even economic value of your social media interactions.
Why it’s useful: True Social Metrics solves the problem that marketers have had with proving the ROI of social media. It pulls only the data that clearly shows how your social interactions are contributing to the health and growth of your brand.
How to use it: Sign up for a True Social Metrics account and connect it to your Facebook, Twitter, blog and other social channels. Then, watch the numbers come in and use them to assess the true value of your efforts.
What other standout social media tools do you love? Tell us in the comments.
Loved your Twitter tool suggestions. Oomph is great for automating tweets.