How to Win the Heart of Digital Media – Top 10 Tools to get you Started

Networking used to be limited to long lunches, copious amounts of coffee dates and attending industry events to talk constantly about your business and fill your purse will new, shiny business cards.

The digital world has opened up a whole new realm for networking and new business prospects – platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube have provided us with limitless opportunities for success and growth.

The social media sphere is somewhat deceiving. When it comes down to crunch time, the time spent on social media vs. leads generated, you will find that you spend more time procrastinating and getting distracted with the overload of information, fun facts and colourful pictures.

Don’t you wish that the information could be compiled in one spot so you can make your online time more effectively?

Mastering social media isn’t just about being ‘social’- it’s about scheduling your posts, being on top of your comments/responses, knowing what’s trending in the digital world and learning the differences between each social media platform.

Need clarity of these differences? This analogy of bacon might help:

Image via Corey Smith

To steer you in the right direction of becoming the next online ‘Yoda’ here are IOPR’s top ten tools:

1. Hootsuite

Imagine managing all your social media accounts in the one place! Hootsuite does exactly that – you can schedule messages, identify and grow audiences and launch marketing campaigns.

This tool is free for the first five accounts added, any more than that and there is a joining fee.

2. Mention

The ultimate monitoring tool that downloads straight to your desktop. Mention allows you to create alerts for your brand, your industry, your company, your name or your competitors and be informed in real-time about any mentions on the web and social web.

Mention is free to use if you are receiving less than 1000 mentions/month.

3. Wavii

This is set as the homepage on my browser, keeping me up to date with a number of categories and interests – all in the one feed! You can follow the topics that appeal to you and they will appear in your news feed.

Wavii is also available as an app and is completely free to use.

4. Evernote

The ultimate organiser app, Evernote lets you store anything, anywhere. Bored travelling? Just read a great article online? Taken notes during a meeting? You can store everything in Evernote. Its capability of storing notes on the move is its most attractive feature.

This useful app is free to use.

5. Trendsmap

Want to get more views on your profile? Trendsmap gives you all the trending topics from around the world free of charge!

6. Twenty Feet

TwentyFeet helps you keep track of your own social media activities and monitor your results by aggregating metrics from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Analytics, Bit.ly and Myspace.

This app is free to use for the first 30 days then comes at a small price.

7. Skitch

Skitch is a tool that enables you to edit, share and annotate screen shots and images, giving you the tools to communicate an important message or issue to your peers/clients.

Skitch is free to use.

8. Klout

This tool measures your online influence based on your ability to drive action on social networks.

Your Klout score is measured on a scale from 1 to 100 and looks at those who are viewing your content and who they are sharing it with.

Klout is free to use.

9. Onlywire

Onlywire is a social media engine that submits your article/message to over 46 social networks with the single click of a button. This app gives you the ability to share your message with the whole online community.

Price ranges from $10 – $99.

10. Google Analytics Social Report

Google Analytics have released this new social reporting tool where you are able to measure the success and impact social media has on your business/clients with the conversion reports, learn which social platforms refer visitors, discover what your users are sharing and where they are sharing it.

Google Analytics is free to use.

The most important part of digital media is to have an understanding of the differences between the various online platforms. This is so you can alter your news for that audience, implement these tools to increase productivity and decrease procrastination – leaving you to watch your online community grow!

Got any more useful tools and tips to share? We would love to hear about them – tweet to @InsideOutPR

– InsideOut PR x

Cover image via – Tom Hambarger