Social Media Management Tools

A man (or woman) is only as good as the tools they have – as the old adage says. For example, you can try to build a house with a hammer and a few nails but it will take you a LONG time and realistically be near impossible. Even if you do manage to build something, it will lack the potential it could have had with the proper tools. The builder (you) would also be understandably exhausted and surely not want to continue building more houses.


Likewise, when it comes to social media this principle rings true. Managing social media is something that can be rather time consuming, especially if you do not know the correct tools to use. There are dozens of tools which this task could be utilized. This article, however, will focus on discussing some of the top rated tools that social media managers use to make sure that they are always in the loop about what is going on with the accounts they are managing.
 
Cyfe

Cyfe is a tool that is referred to by many social media managers as the “All-In-One-Tool.” It allows them to keep tabs on social media, marketing, analytics, sales, support, infrastructure, and so much more. Not to mention that to get started with Cyfe it is 100% free. With this tool you are going to be able to save numerous hours each and every day.
 
Cloze

Cloze is another free tool that simplifies a social media manager’s job. This tool is an aggregation and curation tool combined into one. You can follow new people from the dashboard, respond to the mentions, and even re-tweet your followers. It has more targeted settings so you can see who is influential in your niche as well as filter out what took place on which day if you have to take a day off from social media.
 
SproutSocial

SproutSocial is one of the paid social media tools that is definitely worth the investment. This tool is ideal for social media managers who have to manage multiple accounts. You are able to manage your brand from the dashboard including conversations, publish and schedule content across numerous social networks, and measure your process with their detailed report and analysis system. Not to mention the fact that the reports are professional and contain all of the information that your client is going to want to see. So, you save hours each week by eliminating having to put your weekly reports together.
 
Some other social media management tools which could be used, include: HootSuite, Sendible, Viralheat, Jugnoo, AngoraPulse, and many others.
 
I would love to hear what tools you are using, or know about, and how they differ. What do you recommend as the best tool(s) overall in managing your social media, especially in the context of a business, and why?
 
 
Sources
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/24-must-have-social-media-marketing-tools/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225587