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8 free social media listening tools everyone should use

Anyone who knows me or have seen my blogs, my tweets, Linkedin discussions, knows that I love advice and particularly free stuff!  When someone takes the time to provide new tools to keep in your marketing tool kit, that is a great thing for all of us.  Way to pay it forward, Gini.

8 free social media listening tools everyone should use

There are five steps in social media we always recommend to clients who are just beginning to branch out online.

They are: listen, assess, engage, measure, and refine/improve.

Though each step is important, the foundation to any online effort is listening; it’s the one step you can do without any of the others.

Before you begin, think about the historically great communicators. They ask a lot of questions. They really listen to what you have to say. They get you talking about yourself. They inquire deeply into the answers you provide. And then they provide advice, counsel, and coaching — but only after they fully understand your needs.

These master communicators are better at listening than they are at talking.

Social media is no different. It’s another way to communicate through listening and engaging in conversation — online. To be a master at social media communication, you must have a strong foundation of listening.

First things first. If you don’t have Google alerts set up, do that now.

If you don’t know how to do that, this blog post will teach you how to set them up and which terms to use.

Now let’s discuss eight free tools to enhance what Google is sending you.

1. Reputation management. Twendz is a reputation management tool that looks at how people feel about a brand or a topic. It measures Twitter, specifically, on positive, neutral, or negative tweets. Use this tool to measure people’s sentiments in order to set benchmark goals. Pay attention to how people are talking about the company, your leadership, key employees, your products or services, your customers, and even your competition.

2. Blog tracking. The media landscape has changed, and print journalists are no longer the only ones with influence. Some bloggers have immense influence, and you cannot afford to ignore them. Learn which bloggers care about you, your products or services, and your customers. Use tools such as Technorati or Google Blog Search to determine which bloggers already are aware of you, and develop a plan to target them.

3. Social bookmarking. Collect case studies of social media success in your industry, in your category, and from companies and people you admire. Use Delicious or Diigo to bookmark the case studies in one location so you can refer to them while you develop goals and plan your next steps.

4. Twitter search. There is nothing better for real-time search than Twitter. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still use its search application to find conversations. Although we believe everyone should have a Twitter account in order to fully understand and take advantage of its wide range of services, you can subscribe to the RSS feed without an account.

5. Website optimization. Right now, go to Website grader and bookmark the page. Now type in your URL. What’s your grade? Is it 100 percent? No? It tells you exactly what you need to do to fix the site so the search engines are crawling it and you are competing on the Web.

6. Blog optimization. Do the same thing for your blog, if you have one, but visit Blog Grader instead.

7. Competitive analysis. Now go to Compete. Enter your URL and the URLs of two of your competitors. This site then creates a graph, comparing you against your competition. Though not flawless (it only tracks U.S. traffic, for instance), it gives you a good baseline of understanding where your competition is beating you (or vice versa).

8. Web analytics. Do you look at your Web analytics at least weekly? If not, this is a must. It will help you track where people are visiting from and which accounts are home, corporate websites, or blogs. If you find visitors coming from blogs, add those sites to your RSS feeds, comment on the blog posts, and develop relationships with the bloggers.

Having an insider understanding of your visitor demographics will enable you to easily identify your demographic.

As you listen, monitor, and get smart about your Web properties, as compared with those of competitors, you’ll begin to understand how to create your goals.

Gini Dietrich is founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich. A version of this post originally ran on Spin Sucks.

A Framework for Social Media Analytics

Brian Solis has got his finger on the pulse of how to measure the effect of social media and how it can impact the bottom line. More importantly how marketers can get social media in their budgets by being able to demonstrate to the CEO why investment will result in bottom line results.  A good read.

What’s the R.O.I.? A Framework for Social Analytics

briansolis.com

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
- Albert Einstein

Say hello to my little friends, R.O. & I.

Yes. Return on investment have become the bane of an entire new media industry. However, avoidance is not the answer.

While the question of “what’s the R.O.I. of social media” is difficult to answer, it is necessary as it forces us to dig deeper. The result is maturity.

This conversation is important as you are expected to answer it not just today, but and also over time.  The source of the question though, may also impede innovation and experimentation. Why?  The answer in of itself is as elusive as the question asked. As much as the previous sentence sounds like a riddle, it is a very real observation. Often it is asked without a clear understanding as to whether or not the answer will actually change the company vision or the current course of business. Sometimes it is genuinely asked to do just that, change the vision and the course of business toward relevance. Either way, this is an opportunity to show how new media enables desired business outcomes.

Before we tackle the question, let me share a quote with you. After hundreds of executive discussions, I’ve stitched together a recurring theme that I believe will help you…

“If you come to me with a request for budget and resources for social media, to make it a priority for our business, you will lose every time…If you tie social media to our business priorities and objectives and demonstrate how engagement will enable progress, you will win every time. Social media must be an enabler to our business, just show me how.”

- Your CEO

Your job is to connect the dots between the value of new media, the expectations of your customers, and the business roadmap the company is operating against.

So, when it comes to R.O.I. in social media, perhaps we’re asking the wrong question.

Again, the answer is difficult, but not impossible to answer. If I ask you, “how are you?” you will probably respond with “fine,” “ok,” “good,” or “great.” But if you take a moment to think about it, each of those answers begs a follow-up question to deepen the conversation, “why?” Or, “why do you say that?” Otherwise the question serves no real purpose other than to casually acknowledge another person or to run through the traditional ritual of easing into a conversation. The same is true for R.O.I.

If we are indeed to discover the “Return,” we need to tie it to more than the “Investment,” we need to understand the circumstances, intentions, and potential impact and outcomes business leaders need to see in order to understand new or foreign opportunities. Said another way, we need to define the “R” that defines tangible success and work out a formula that allows us to find the answers. Therefore, R.O.I is specific to an outcome or a goal, which means that there is no one answer.

To help, Susan Etlinger (@setlinger), my colleague at Altimeter Group, recently published an open research report, “A Framework for Social Analytics.”

The report opens puts ROI in context to help you focus on business value in your social media efforts:

“What is the ROI of social media?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions related to social strategy. While 48% of social strategists reported earlier this year that their primary internal focus is to develop ROI measurements,2 ROI is just one metric in the social business toolkit. Rather than focusing on social media as a monolithic entity, businesses should evaluate it based on its contribution to a range of business goals. Says Richard Binhammer, Strategic Corporate Communications, Social Media. and Corporate Reputation Management, Dell Inc., ‘There is no single ROI for social media.’”

As we see in the executive quote earlier in the post, tying social media to business objectives and metrics helps them see a clearer picture. We have to remember that executives most likely do not use social networks personally. It’s impossible for them to see what you see, therefore taking the extra time to connect the dots helps you make the case and in doing so, brings the R.O.I. answer into focus.

Susan also does a wonderful job of not only showing us how businesses should view R.O.I, but she also helps businesses identify how to develop analytics frameworks that define the “R” or the return for specific business objectives.

Prep work: Assess how your business is measuring R.O.I. on other fronts today

Step 1: Align your strategy with business objectives

Step 2: Determine how you will measure success and also define critical milestones

Step 3: Evaluate your organization’s readiness to measure social media and bridge the gaps

Step 4: Choose the right tools to measure progress and outcomes

Remember, there is no one way to measure R.O.I. There are many business pillars that stand on a solid foundation for growth. Susan introduces the Social Media Measurement Compass to guide businesses as they’re planning social media programs. Remember, social media doesn’t just belong in the marketing department, a social business is customer-centric and social media enables more effective engagement, learning, and adaptation. Therefore, it is the responsibility of other critical business functions to engage.

1. Innovation: Collaborating with customers to drive future products and services

2. Brand Health: A measure of attitudes, conversation ad behavior toward your brand

3. Marketing Optimization: Improving the effectiveness of marketing programs

4. Revenue Generation: Where and how your company generates revenue

5. Operational Efficiency: Where and how your company reduces expenses

6. Customer Experience: Improving your relationship with customers, and their experience with your brand

The three tenets of social business, Connected, Engaged, Adaptive create a transparent relationship with customers that opens the door to meaningful metrics to measure success and improve everything in between. In the end, understanding the relationship between business objectives and social media tactics will create a series of relevant strategies and critical links that in of themselves serve as opportunities for measurement and the establishment of R.O.I.

We cannot measure, what it is we do not know to value…

You can download Susan’s report here and also follow her on Twitter for more insights into metrics and analytics.

7 Guaranteed Ways to Lose Twitter Followers

I work in the B2B world where social media is still a new medium to explore and certainly a challenge to understand how it fits with our need to connect programs to the bottom line.  The good news is that our colleagues in the B2C world have already been learning what works and what doesn't.  Data now can reveal what doesn't work, so before investing considerable time and resources, and social media does take time and resources to do properly and effectively consider the following words of advice.  There are some great companies which can help with B2B social media campaigns, including www.Base22,  now in Toronto.  You can follow at @edwardbase22.  You won't be bored!

p.s.   I also liked this article for the  accompanying illustration, which I believe most likely came from www.despair.com.  I have a number of their products.

Trevor Jonas, Access Communications

   

Recent research provides some interesting insights into why consumers fall out of love with a brand on social media. In a newly released report, ‘The Social Breakup,’ the team set out to “understand consumers’ motivations and actions as they terminate their relationships with brands through Email, Facebook, and Twitter.”

 Based on the research, here are seven reasons consumers unlike or unfollow brands on   Facebook and Twitter, along with tips for  avoiding each.

1. You struggle to keep content engaging and fresh

Check out these stats. 52% of consumers unfollowed a brand on Twitter because the content became “repetitive or boring.” On Facebook, 38% unliked a brand for the same reason. This speaks to the fact that social media, particularly for business purposes, is simply not easy. It requires investments of time, money and intellectual capital that most organizations are unwilling to put forth.

Rather than think like a media outlet that’s fighting and scrapping for subscribers, eyeballs or ratings, brands tend to get lazy and default to almost exclusively pushing out press releases or media coverage via Facebook and Twitter. Most consumers aren’t willing to put up with that over the long haul. Companies have to start building content exclusively for their social networks, or at a minimum better tailoring things for them.

2. You turn on the fire-hose and walk away

Related to pumping out “boring” information is having a solid understanding of consumer expectations related to frequency of updates. A full 44% of consumers said they unliked a brand on Facebook because the brand posted “too frequently” and 39% gave the same reason for unfollowing a brand on Twitter. Just because technology allows you to auto-publish content from one place out through several others with one click of a mouse doesn’t mean you should do it!

There may be instances that warrant a higher frequency of updates (major announcement, event, etc.). In that case let your Fans or Followers know ahead of time and give them a timetable for when normal update frequency will resume. It’s all about setting expectations.

3. You don’t know what the deal is

Speaking of expectations, like it or not, consumers have been trained to expect deals on social networks. In fact, 27% of consumers said they’ve unfollowed a brand on Twitter because “they didn’t offer enough deals” and 24% said the same for Facebook. Here, the solution is simpler.

Sure, a one-time only deal offered via a social media channel can get you an influx of Fans or Followers, but it most likely won’t lead to a long-term relationship (which should be the goal). As a brand, you have to make the choice–either offer regular ‘deals’ via social channels or don’t offer any, there is no in-between.

4. You only speak marketing

We’ve heard it over and over, marketers often struggle to break free from marketing speak and that often spells doom on social media channels. In fact, 43% of consumers have unliked a brand on Facebook due to being inundated with ‘marketing posts’ and 41% said the same goes on Twitter.

Social networks are about people and relationships, so even if you’re operating a brand presence, you’ve got to make it personable. The key is to take off your marketer hat and be a real person – just be you align with key brand attributes if at all possible.

5. You overly self-promote

Nobody likes someone who is constantly self-promoting, and the same goes for brands on social networks. 24% of consumers unfollowed a brand on Facebook because its posts were “too promotional” and 21% said the same for Twitter. As counter-intuitive as it may be, brands that promote others more-so than they promote themselves tend to fare the best. Bottom line: it’s not all about you.

6. You don’t add ‘real’ value

The numbers: 17% on Twitter, 20% on Facebook. That’s how many people cited brand posts that didn’t focus on “real value” as the reason for unfollowing or unliking. While reason #4 above is about ensuring your brand presence on social networks has a personality, the notion of adding value refers to when that personality goes too far.

You might be willing to put up with mindless updates (“I’m about to watch Avatar on Netflix”) from close friends, but when it comes to brand channels, sharing such information too often won’t cut it. Limit the silly or mindless updates to once or twice a week at most–your fan and follower count will thank you for it.

7. It’s not you, it’s me

Just like in life, sometimes things change and your content may not be relevant to someone any more. 12% of people on Facebook and an equal percentage on Twitter cited changed circumstances as a reason for breaking up with a brand on social media.

 Trevor Jonas is Director of Social Media for Access Communications, a full service public relations agency with offices in San Francisco and New York City. He oversees social media strategy and execution for two of the agency’s largest accounts and serves in an advisory role across the client base.  An avid blogger since late 2004 and early adopter of social media tools and technologies,Trevor has coached and trained countless C-level executives, customer service agents and corporate communications professionals on the ins-and-outs of effectively engaging in social media. He has contributed to Global PR Blog Week, WebProNews, Social Media Today and has been quoted on social media topics by Read/WriteWeb, Webbiquity, Wired and other outlets. Trevor currently runs two blogs – TrevR’s Takes, which focuses on social media, and The Cork Board, which focuses on his hometown the Napa Valley.

Easy Advice to Take: Five Things to Do Every Day for Success

I came across some sage advice which is easy to digest, easy to execute and easily applies to almost everyone looking to make positive changes to their business.  Me, I am going to post it above my computer and try it out...now time to set my alarm.

5 Things To Do Every Day For Success

BY FC Expert Blogger Dayna SteeleTue Mar 1, 2011

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

"You get up at what time?"

I hear that a lot, along with "You are so lucky." So, I'm going to help out here and let you in on the secrets of my success. Well, not all of them--but enough to show you the foundation I build on every day.

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business--long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product--something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a "Hey, just checking in to see how thing are going" email.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven't talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You'll make their day.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to--or you aren't doing things correctly.

A simple yet highly effective list. Try all five every weekday for a month. Then, tell me I'm right. If I'm wrong, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. When you finally wake up ...

Easy Advice to Take: Five Things to Do Every Day for Success

I came across some sage advice which is easy to digest, easy to execute and easily applies to almost everyone looking to make positive changes to their business.  Me, I am going to post it above my computer and try it out...now time to set my alarm.

5 Things To Do Every Day For Success

BY FC Expert Blogger Dayna SteeleTue Mar 1, 2011

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

"You get up at what time?"

I hear that a lot, along with "You are so lucky." So, I'm going to help out here and let you in on the secrets of my success. Well, not all of them--but enough to show you the foundation I build on every day.

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business--long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product--something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a "Hey, just checking in to see how thing are going" email.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven't talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You'll make their day.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to--or you aren't doing things correctly.

A simple yet highly effective list. Try all five every weekday for a month. Then, tell me I'm right. If I'm wrong, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. When you finally wake up ...

Social Media Winners and Losers in 2011

In marketing you always want to know where to find your customer base.  As one senior exec explained it, if "I am a lion, I want to know which watering hole the gazelles are drinking at".

I enjoyed this article as it tracked social network sites around the globe, indicating which were most popular for a number of demographics (women, seniors, etc.)

Jolie O'Dell

The course of social media never did run smooth — not for long, anyhow. And for some Web 2.0 companies, it’s running less smoothly than ever.

It goes without saying that Facebook is the network du jour, but even though the reigning champion’s user stats keep soaring, social networking as a whole might be leveling off. Nevertheless, there are still scores of other highly competitive social sites that are waxing and waning; and different networks and apps are more popular in specific geographic areas, with certain genders or age groups, and even among various social classes.

For example, Plaxo is the network with the most users over the age of 65. Facebook is more popular with women, but Digg and Reddit tend to be more popular with men. LinkedIn is the “richest” social network, but Plurk outranks it when it comes to well-educated users who have graduate degrees.

Check out this infographic from social media agency Ignite, and let us know what you think in the comments. Do these findings line up with your own perceptions and usage habits?

Click image for full-size version.

Lead image courtesy of iStockphoto, BeholdingEye.