5 Tools for Social Media Management

Social media has changed the way people develop and share ideas, content, and relationships. We’re talking about media that doesn’t just attract leads, but creates exposure, builds reputation, and prevents crises. This sounds like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools, social media can manage itself.

Here are 5 tools for social media management:

1. TweetDeck. TweetDeck is a web/desktop app that helps you manage Twitter feeds. It lets you arrange your feeds, filter through users, schedule tweets, and receive alerts for new tweets. The best part is you can manager unlimited accounts.

Pros: Easy to use and provides support.

Cons: Only opens full screen and they cancelled their phone app.

2. SocialOomph. SocialOomph is a service that offers free/paid social media management. This app lets you schedule posts, track keywords, and auto-DirectMessage (auto-DM). The best part is you can set it on autopilot and leave it alone, no problem.

Pros: Easy to use and lets you automate several social networking accounts.

Cons: Only offers multiple account control with paid account.

3. Radian6. Radian6 is my favorite social media management tool. You get a newsfeed called the “River of News” where you get details about your posts like comment count, twitter followers, and who’s talking about your posts. The best part is the Conversation Cloud – a web with about 50 mentioned words surrounding your brand. **McDonalds uses Radian6**

Pros: Analyzes what you’re monitoring and offers more control.

Cons: It offers so much that it takes time to learn to use.

4. Sysomos. Sysomos is a social media analytic machine. Sysomos goes the extra mile and integrates blogs, forums, and video sites. The best part is the MAP function, where it analyzes major conversations about and tells you why they’re happening, who they’re happening with, and who’s influencing them.

Pros: Analyzes and describes your target market/social media.

Cons: Doesn’t offer live chat support.

5. Hootsuite. Hootsuite is the most popular of social media management tools. Hootsuite let’s you manage several campaigns simultaneously as well as offering unlimited social profiles and analytics for those profiles. The best part is that Hootsuite let’s you integrate Facebook insights.

Pros: Easy to use and offers free, pro, and enterprise plans.

Cons: Is web-based and has limited post-scheduling.

These 5 social media management tools have pros and cons, which one is right for you depends on the needs of your client/business. These management tools increase community membership, promote engagement, and measure ROI.

Which social media management tool is right for you?

Eduardo Lopez is a Public Relations professional, writer, author, and public speaker with more than 5 years of digital communications experience. He is the digital communications manager at LS Media Group, LLC and founder of ViralTalk PR. Add him on LinkedIn or follow him on twitter