More and more businesses are getting into social media – an umbrella term that covers various activities that help bring about social interaction on the internet. Facebook and Twitter are some of the main outlets for social media, but there are numerous types of social media like blogs, wikis, forums, chat rooms, etc. Since so many people are gathering to share ideas, and concepts through social media, it is important for businesses to monitor how their brand is being handled through the various social media channels. MORE >>

What are the best third-party tools for advanced Facebook analytics? It’s a question I’m asked fairly often so I thought I’d do a round-up of options that are worth checking out. With that in mind here are some Facebook analytics tools to experiment with: PageLever. PageLever may be the most frequently suggested third-party tool, having positioned itself as Facebook Insights on steroids. Buddy Media. Buddy Media doesn’t technically belong on this list because they’re now positioning themselves as a comprehensive suite. Social Media MORE >>

From fans to followers, brands are actively working to engage their current and future customers via social media — and online reputation management is quickly becoming a vital part of doing business. Social media monitoring helps brands discover, in real time, who is saying what online and where the conversations are happening so they can respond in a timely fashion. Businesses also need to measure, analyze, and report on their social media efforts. These are a few of the questions that Cogito Monitor can answer. $. Social Mention. MORE >>

Because of the fast pace of social media, we are constantly bombarded with distractions from one social network or another. You have to participate and engage consistently, Facebook seems to change something on a weekly basis, Google has all of these animal-named announcements, new social networks pop up all the time…it’s exhausting to keep up with everything! recently asked on our Facebook page, “If you had only 20 minutes a day to spend on social media, what would you focus on?” OK, so not everyone took the question seriously. MORE >>

One might think that since I work at an agency that I’d have a predisposition to recommend outsourcing your social media needs. Not every company or organization needs to outsource their social media efforts. So without further ado, here are the 5 questions to ask yourself that will help you determine whether hiring a consultant or firm is the right move. Do I have a strong sense of what social media success means for my business? Facebook likes and Twitter followers are not a measure of social media success. Social Media MORE >>