8 Steps to Choosing and Using the Best Social Media Monitoring Tool for Small Business

Hugh Macken • April 29, 2010

Eight steps small businesses can take to beginning engaging online. The post 8 Steps to Choosing and Using the Best Social Media Monitoring Tool for Small Business appeared first on VMR. 8 Steps to Choosing and Using the Best Social Media Monitoring Tool for Small Business was first posted on April 29, 2010 at 4:03 pm.©2015 "VMR". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at hugh@vmrcommunications.com

Earlier today, I received a comment on social media monitoring that I was not expecting, from “Barry”:

Here’s my question. Take a small business which is trying to break in to social media. They want to find the key influencers, locate them and engage with them. They will then want to monitor the effects of this reaching out to the key influencers. Which [social media monitoring platform] would you recommend in this case?

Thanks for a great post,

Barry

Rather than reply within that post, I think Barry’s question is a good one and merits a response more lengthy than a simple comment. Here, then, is my response:

First, thanks for your question, Barry. I really appreciate your comment.

My short answer to your question is: It depends.

The medium long answer:Start with  Socialmention.com

The long answer: Think through your decision using a holistic, incremental approach.

  1. Start with some free tools like socialmention.com BUT remember that although the tools are free, your time is not. Spend an hour a day monitoring the web.
  2. Get your feet wet with where the conversations are happening. Listen. A lot. Then just make your presence known by simply being helpful That is the golden rule of social media engagement. Online media channels are for meeting people not selling at people you don’t really know. People buy from people they like, know and trust.  If you want to sell me on your product, do it after I know you a bit and then once I do let’s sit down belly to belly, over the phone or in person, not on twitter or facebook. Think of social media channels as providing the kindling wood of a fire. So many people make the mistake of selling first, which is the equivalent of throwing heavy logs on a fire that hasn’t had a chance to grow.
  3. Get your hands on as many small business case studies as you can.  The best one I can think of off the top of my head is small business owner Gary Vaynerchuk’s story: http://www.successmagazine.com/to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet/PARAMS/article/986
  4. Once you’ve (1) started, (2)  gotten your feet wet over a period of a few months and (3) read some case studies, it’s time to (a) map out a monitoring and engagement strategy with S.M.A.R.T. goals and (b) a sensible action plan that includes the human and technology resources you will need.
  5. Implement the Plan and track the goals you established in Step 4.
  6. Assess your results versus your planned results. Are you accomplishing the goals you initially defined?
  7. If not, revise your plan to do more of what’s working and less of what’s not.
  8. Rinse and repeat.🙂And do not give up! Relationships take time to build.

The apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree.

Thanks for the comment, Barry! I hope this has been helpful.

VMR

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