Three tools for a social media arsenal

For our assignment this week, we were asked to identify three social media dashboards for our client. The three tools topping our list were Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Bit.ly. All offer great features for managing a successful, smart and informed social media presence. However, there are many other tools in a social media professional’s arsenal.

Here are a few honorable mentions; the tools that make our lives easier!

Afterlight (Free): All social media people worth their weight in gold understand how valuable great photographs are to a social media strategy. A tool for making even the must mundane photos something special is Afterlight, free cousin of Afterglow. This photo editing app is packed with features and is available free of charge in the app store. Beyond filters, the app allows for adjustment of saturation, brightness, color levels, and clarity. It also features advanced cropping tools.

(Image: Socialexaminer.com)

Hashtracking (Prices vary, but you can track you first hashtag for free): Tweeting around a hashtag campaign or meeting? Have no budget but want to see the results of your hashtag including sentiment, timestamps, and impressions? Hashtracking might be the thing you’ve been looking for. The tool offers some of the same smart analytics offered by the big guys, but for a much smaller price tag.

(Image: Firstsiteguide.com)

iRig Mic for iPhoneand iPad ($46.99 on Amazon): Sadly, it appears that this little gem is being discontinued by the manufacturer, so swoop your mic up while you still can. This microphone, in addition to a low-cost tripod and iPad adapter can make you a one-man video show. Pair it with iMovie on your mac and you have a nice quality set up for under $100! With the increasingly important role video is playing in social right now, this is an essential item for your toolkit.

(Image: Amazon.com)

Any “must have” tools in your social media toolkit?