You’ve Got Tools
For those that use social media as a purely personal and entertainment avenue, it might come as a shock that social media has an intricate set of tools one can use to enhance their social media reach. If anything, it is more probable that mass audiences are aware of social media tools like the Instagram and Facebook business account, or even Google’s business account. For those working in the industry, social media tools are an absolute must-have technology. Today I will be discussing a few social media tools, how each of them differs, and how they can offer support to social media management teams.
Prior to understanding why social media tools exist, understanding what social monitoring and social listening is key. These are two interrelated and connected practices and implementing them within your team at the same time, will yield knowledgeable information about your brand and its competitors. This knowledge will lead to many avenues to receive insight that must be monitored by your team, and that is why social media tools are helpful.
Social listening can be described as monitoring keywords, mentions, and tags to understand more about your target audience and your industry. It is important in discovering leads on new trends, engaging with your audience, and staying informed on competitor techniques. On the other hand, social monitoring pertains specifically to your brand’s identity. It is about identifying and responding to direct messages on your social media. One is about data collection, and the other is about response.
As one might imagine, running a business and maintaining a social image is quite a task, that requires many eyes and hands focusing on all aspects of your social media. That is why many use social media tools. They can help with planning, organizing, and monitoring multiple platforms. This results in being a time-saver and somewhat of a managing tool as you can use them to set permissions and proof your work.
Each tool provides for a different necessity, as each business will have its own unique set of priorities. Ultimately, you will need to research each tool and apply it with the knowledge of your company to determine which tools will lend the most benefits for your company. One tool readily available for users is the Instagram business account. With it, it is possible to assess who is interacting with your brand, the time your feed is most active, and receive and donations.
The most popular of social media tools, according to several video and online blogs, are Hootesuite and Buffer. Most of the information that I looked into about social media tools that are still being used, mention either one or the other. Hootsuite is prominent because it provides a service that is more comprehensive, and allows companies to monitor multiple social platforms at one time. It is “used by over 15 million people and more than 800 of the Fortune 1000 companies”.
Though Buffer cites itself as one of the top social media tools for managers, it is also noted on Forbes that Buffer is an excellent alternative to Hootsuite. Claiming that Buffer “offers a swift solution for businesses swamped by the multiple social media accounts they must manage”. Online reviews also note that Buffer is very insightful, when it comes to marketing analytics. I even saw that it has photo editing.
Both Hootesuite and Buffer, are excellent sources for organizing your social media posts in a variety of ways. As I’ve discovered, there are many other websites and tools that can be used. I tried using the business Instagram account for my personal Instagram blog, and saw growth in my following within weeks. I, now, imagine what opportunity I would have opened myself up to had I known all the resources that are available.
In my personal journey, I struggle with strategically organizing my content based on type, time of posting, and overall monitoring. I suspect I am not the only one who struggles with these things, as social media tools were created for a reason. As I continue to learn what all that the virtual world of social media has to offer, I realize that social media is an ever-changing world of things yet to be discovered.
