Be a Social Media Superstar

Resource Rolodex If you are going to be a social media superstar, you’ll need to keep up with the hottest topics. One of the best ways to do that is to subscribe to authority blogs, magazines and news tabloids providing up to the minute social media specific news and information.

1. Social Media Examiner

This online magazine should be your bible. Sign up for updates, and get into the habit of reading at least one article every day.

Social Media Examiner is well-known for its up-to-date facts, top expert input, meticulous research, common-sense tutorials and rich tips.

Many of the top social media superstars gained their audiences writing for this top-notch magazine. Put that on the list of your goals too, since developing relationships with authority sources is essential to becoming a social media superstar.

2. AllFacebook

Even if you don’t plan to be a Facebook expert, it’s a good idea to read the official blogs for all the top platforms like Facebook anyway.

Be a Social Media Superstar

For one thing, you’ll find out if what happens on one social network is going to seriously affect the network you currently specialize in dominating – and how it compares, since official social network blogs often contain the latest facts and figures.

You’ll also be tipped off to upcoming events likely to affect your area of interest – meaning you can pre-research and have the latest breaking news ready for your fans on their social network of choice.

3. Socialmedia Today

Socialmedia Today is more news tabloid in style and presentation – but it still presents solid research. It works hard to come up with trendy premises such as “What Shark Week and Sharknado Can Teach Marketers and Retailers”, hypothetical and real case studies, statistics, infographics, a searchable database and a social media advice column called “Socially Stephanie” that provides focused advice for specific scenarios.

TIP: Go to the Settings or Help section of every social media platform you use. There will usually be some mention and a link to the “official blog” for each one. Subscribe to each platform’s official blog and check out the latest news – and any latest changes – daily.

Be a Social Media Superstar

4. RazorSocial

RazorSocial is the place to go if you want to hear about the latest apps, automation, analytics, tools and social media technology. Endorsed by the likes of Michael Stelzner (Of Social Media Examiner) and Amy Porterfield, this brand new blog nevertheless managed to win a spot among Social Media Examiner’s “Top Ten Social Media Blogs: The 2013 Winners”.

(In fact, check out the link above to discover even more resources).

5. TechCrunch

TechCrunch is a long-established newsmagazine with a hefty reputation. It is a rich source of news, though its “new” format is less easy to follow and more visually confusing than its old format. Get into the habit of checking out the horizontal menu tabs – this is where you’ll find an archive of articles specific to Facebook, Twitter and Google. It also provides a comprehensive overview of all the latest meet-ups

Tracking and Analytics

Tracking your progress on individual social media will constitute an important part of your process, so let’s look at the best free and paid tools to help you do this.

Always start your tracking by using native apps available through each social network dashboard (e.g. Facebook Insights) – but feel free to explore the following…

6. Buffer

This free service allows you to view detailed analytics on every social network post you make. You’ll be able to measure “Likes”, shares and retweets, as well as invite team members to access and use your account. You can use it from any news reader app, or access it on your Android or iPhone.

Be a Social Media Superstar

You can also “grab” the Google Chrome extension and button for your browser, if you are using Chrome. It also integrates with many other apps such as IFTTT (If This, then That) so you can truly customize it to your social networking preferences.

7. HootSuite

HootSuite is an old favorite – for good reason. Always updated and on top of the latest Twitter API changes, HootSuite allows you to monitor and track your performance on several social networks… including Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus Pages, Foursquare and Twitter.

And you can add even more social media platforms to your mix, using HootSuite’s App Directory.

Check your Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, Twitter Profile and Ow.ly stats. You can also create custom reports.

8. Google Alerts

This free service from Google is great for monitoring your brand. You can set it to alert you at intervals of your choosing at any mention of you, your keywords or your website online.

9. MarketMeSuite

Be a Social Media Superstar

Modeled along the lines of HootSuite, this newer entry to the social media management market is strong on easy analytics – among many other features. It’s not pricey, either (unlike suites like MediaMiser, which starts at $495.00 per month). You can sign up for a free account, but a paid account with more options runs at only $15.00 per month at time of writing.

MarketMeSuite has all the power search capability of IceRocket, allows for geotargeting and allows you to schedule and manage your profile across multiple social networks. Follow and Unfollow “highly-targeted” influencers, log in from anywhere (it’s cloud-based) – and monitor your brand while engaging with your target audience – all from within MarketMeSuite’s easy interface.

10. Blitzmetrics

Another relatively new tracking suite whose price ranges from free to $30.00 per month for “Hobbyist” or “Small Business”. The latter allows you to monitor your Facebook Page and three competitors, while setting goals and alerts.

Allows you to see your top followers and track across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr. You can track your feedback rate and ensure your content is

Be a Social Media Superstar

being viewed by your chosen audience, as well as finding out exactly when your content is making the most impact.

11. Socialmention

Socialmention provides a “real-time” social media search and analysis for your name or any other keyword or hashtag you’d like to explore. (Monitor your competition, as well as your own profiles!)

You will see Top Hashtags in your search, sources of these mentions, posts, Top Users, Top Keywords; whether or not mentions are positive, negative or neutral; the number of mentions – and you can sort your and filter your results.

You can download your results in a .CSV file or get email alerts.

Best of all, Socialmention is fast and free.

12. TweetBeep

“Like Google Alerts for Twitter”.

The basic account is free, but you can upgrade for even more features to a $20.00 per month plan.

13. Twitalyzer

Be a Social Media Superstar

One of the best stats and analysis tools out there, this is the one to choose if Twitter is your main platform.

And if your business is into Klout scores, Twitalyzer is a must, since it integrates and provides these with its own metrics.

Reasonably priced, too, starting at $19.00 per month (with a free, seven-day trial).

14. Buzz Equity

This aptly-named service allows you to be a fly on the wall, listening to real-time conversations about you and your brand. Prices start at $19.00 per month, making it competitive with other services or Apps such as Twitalyzer – but you can also get results from video websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, as well as Facebook, blogs, reviews, news and even forum mentions.

15. TweetDeck

This report wouldn’t be complete without mention of TweetDeck, another social media manager and HootSuite’s biggest rival.

You can download it and have it running from your desktop, monitoring feeds in real time and popping up new tweets into your Twitter stream. You can schedule with TweetDeck, as well as customize the types of feeds to monitor. You can install it as a Google Chrome app or sign in on the web.

Its biggest advantage is allowing you to access a varied array of data instantly, from one vantage point.

And you can monitor and manage unlimited accounts. (It’s optimized for mobile, too.)

There are better and/or more powerful alternatives out there, but we haven’t included them here, since they are priced off the map for the average small business owner. (Moral: If an analytics or social media management company doesn’t display its prices – even under their “Pricing” section – you can bet these prices start at $5,000 per month.)

(If your budget does allow, and the $5,000 starting point doesn’t daunt you, check out:

Wildfire App

Salesforce Marketing Cloud)

Directories

Want to find something for your social media networking in a hurry? Checking a good, regularly updated directory is your quickest bet – and in fact, you’ll probably only need this one…

16. CrunchBase

Be a Social Media Superstar

In its own words, “CrunchBase is the free database of technology companies, people, and investors that anyone can edit”.

You’ll see two columns:

Trending Now

In the News

Simply click on the link you want to check out (e.g. “Facebook”) to see new and core facts and data you can immediately use.

Be a Social Media Superstar

Social Media Maintenance

Sometimes you simply need to clean up your social media accounts. Here is one tool that can help you spring clean your Twitter account, quickly and simply…

17. Tweepi

This simple Twitter management tool allows you to judge the value of your Twitter followers, quickly spotting spammers and those after big numbers – as well as weeding out inactive followers.

Sure, your numbers may go down – but what’s left will be a higher-value follower base.

Tweepi also allows you to instantly see who is talking to you – and reciprocate.

You can also look at any other user’s followers, and manage your Twitter lists.

Simply log in through Twitter.

Apps and Promotional Tools

You can also use professional-caliber apps and tools to manage anything from auto-follows to Facebook Pages to promotions. Of course, the best sort when you are starting out are free: Like this highly-recommended tool…

18. ShortStack

Be a Social Media Superstar

ShortStack allows you to easily design Facebook Pages and Apps – including setting up contests, coupons and give-aways.

You can also present quizzes and polls. And you don’t have to be a programmer to do so.

Prices range from free (limited promotions, up to 2,000 “Likes”) to “Short Stack” ($25.00 per month, billed annually) to a “Full Stack” at $62.00 per month, which includes:

Advanced App Analytics

Priority Support

Unlimited Promotions

And much more.

19. More Apps

For a list of even more Apps useful to social media superstars, take a page from superstar Mari Smith’s website – literally.

Be a Social Media Superstar

On the page you’ll reach through this link, Smith offers a comprehensive list of useful apps, templates and tools for social media marketers that simply cannot be topped.

(You’ll also find recommendations for specific service providers.)

Lesser Known Platforms

Just because a social platform doesn’t have the reach of the Big Three (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – though Google Plus is strong-arming its way to the top these days), it doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Here are some essential platforms you can integrate with your current marketing efforts.

Be a Social Media Superstar

20. Vimeo

YouTube isn’t the only game in town, when it comes to presenting videos to your fans and followers. This polished and professional social TV sharing platform is ideal for those who use video marketing extensively.

The emphasis is on quality, and series are particularly popular. Well-organized, with a great database of categories, this provides you with a powerful video platform for the right sort of follower.

21. SoundCloud

Be a Social Media Superstar

If you and your followers prefer things audio rather than visual, add SoundCloud to your social media mix. (In fact, specializing in a social network that isn’t mainstream might be your ticket to the Big Time!)

22. Behance

If you are a web designer, illustrator, photographer or graphic artist, Behance might be a social media platform you want to explore and specialize in. It was created especially to display online portfolios – and that’s where you’ll find and reach the graphics and visuals audience.

Summary:

The truth is there are many tools, Apps, templates and services out there for social media users. The key is to find ones that:

Save you time

Make life easier

Enhance your participation

Take advantage of the wonderful array of resources out there – so you can spend more time and energy on becoming a superstar to your fans.