It’s one thing to market via social channels, however monitoring social media mentions is a different ballgame that requires a special blend of experience and secret weapons to get the job done.

Any company that’s using social media for marketing purposes must track their progress and monitor conversations. To do so, I suggest the following tools:

1. HootSuite — I use HootSuite, which is a social media dashboard, to communicate on a variety of social networks at one time, including: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. HootSuite improves efficiency and provides social analytics that are very helpful.
2. PostRank — “PostRank gathers where and when stories generate comments, bookmarks, tweets, and other forms of interaction from a host of social hubs. Publishers and people interested in their content use PostRank Data Services and Analytics to gauge influence and reach with audiences.”
3. Klout — I mainly use Klout to determine authority/reach on Twitter and Facebook, and to identify key influencers.

I hope this information is helpful and good luck! If you happen to have questions, please feel free to contact me.
Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group