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?

Social vs. Search

As someone who works in social media day in and day out, it tends to be all I think about.  So, a distraction in SEO this week has been interesting and got me thinking. . . is social killing search and SEO? 

We all know that video killed the radio star.

Here are three common scenarios for finding something great on the Internet. How does user-generated social content stack up to search engine results?

The case of the SUV, car seat and really tall husband.

Social media allows you to receive personalized search results from people who actually know you, your preferences and specific taste. When researching a car, you know you can find specs online about the make and model, but what about a specific question like, “hey, who has a Traverse? Will my rear facing Britax carseat fit behind the driver’s seat?  I need to know if my 6’1” husband will have any leg room left after the seat is installed!”

The question is specific, combines two brands, and the personal characteristics of the buyer. Your social network might know that you have a really picky husband who just won’t be happy with the remaining legroom. They might also know that they shouldn’t suggest you get a minivan instead (remember what happened last time some suggested it?!). Google doesn’t know that. 

[Image: weknowmemes.com]

Point? Social media.

Best Greek restaurant in Chicago?

Throwing this search term into a Google search yields a lot of results. Most of them link to sites like Yelp or Urbanspoon, sites that rely on user-generated content to populate the site. These sites offer the good (“Saganaki? The best!”), the bad (“Bathrooms were the worst I’ve seen.”), and the ugly (“The waiter didn’t wash his hands before he left the bathroom.”).

All powered by social media. But assembled by search.

Point? I’ll call it a draw.

Back to basics.

Need a phone number? Or perhaps the address of the drycleaner? In most situations, a quick Google search beats asking your Twitter network that is likely strewn across the globe.

Point: Search

More to the story?

But, I think there is a lot of grey area, as well. Think about the popular site, Pinterest. It is a collection of images assembled by users. But, there is very little social interaction (other than the simple act of following those who you know), but the social media platform has just about perfected the visual search world.

Consumers are increasingly looking for authentic results- real reviews from friends, expert third party reviews of vehicles, and the review section of Amazon. A Forrester Research study found just that. Real content and real reviews rank highest.

[CHART: Marketingcharts.com]

So, it begs the question, should we just be putting more resources towards networking with our influencers? More partnerships with mommy bloggers who will sing the praises of our products? 

I’d say the jury is still out, but the world of search looks very different with the advent of user-generated content on Facebook, Yelp and countless other social media platforms.

Week 1 Musings

I feel like I learned a ton of new information this week via the videos and reading presented for Marketing 595: Internet and Interactive Marketing. I've heard essentially every term presented, but never analyzed and dissected in such great detail. It was definitely interesting and set the tone for the quarter!

I think a few things really resonated with me:

There is nothing new under the sun. In some shape or form it has been done before. Including social media. From the telegraph to cassette tapes, these mediums have, at some point in history, acted as social media. I think viewing social media through this lens is important. Popular media has a tendency to villanize social media, but it truly is just a medium for the same human interaction that has been occurring since the cave man. 

I loved the FUN REACT assessment of social media. So much of the content rang true. In my experience, social media really is a great tool for facilitation. In my work, we use this approach on a daily basis. I am regularly sharing and presenting research our audience is interested in, but might not have an opportunity to seek out due to time constraints. So, much of the content is presented and our audience comments and interacts. We may follow up with additional resources or links, but in the end, we have provided a space for like-minded individuals to gather and discuss. 

Al Gore didn't invent the Internet. No, really, he didn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed the high level overview of the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web. I found the lack of profit gained by Tim Berners-Lee as the inventor of the World Wide Web to be really fascinating. A tool so many of us use on a daily basis brought the inventor very little fame or wealth- a stark contrast to the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world.

Just for fun, Al Gore and his internet "proclamation."