Without a doubt, marketing technology has developed rapidly. So rapidly in fact, small business owners are finding it difficult to keep pace with the new developments. This is especially true in the category of social networking. Do you feel overwhelmed by the torrent of social media information? You’re not alone. But, here’s a little secret that I’d like to share with you that just might make all the difference to your marketing results in 2011.
There are hundreds of tools available to help you improve your results. However, there only a few dozen the pros use to market more efficiently, leverage content, and save time while increasing his or her social networking ROI. Here are a few of my favorites as well as a few recommended by colleagues that specialize in Internet marketing:
WordPress: Hands-down the most popular blogging platform, WordPress is a favorite used by marketing pros for several reasons. It is commonly used for its content management capabilities that are built into the software as well as the SEO and social media automation (numerous benefits). The development of WordPress has gone well beyond blogging. For small business owners, WordPress is a very effective tool when it is used to build your website given you can manage and update your website easily from your office computer.
Hootsuite: This tool allows you to integrate your social media platforms. Hootsuite is a favorite because you can update multiple social media platforms at once (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) from your computer or smart phone (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry). There are two versions available; a free and paid version. The free version allows you to connect up to five social networks and two RSS feeds. The paid version is inexpensive and offers enhanced capabilities for serious users. For those new to Hoosuite, consider reading: What is Hootsuite and How to Use it for Your Small Business.
Firefox: An alternative to Internet Explorer, Firefox is an open source web browser that offers numerous add-ons for social networking.
Zemanta: A Firefox extension, Zemanta allows you to significantly improve your blog posts and social media content.
Do you have tools you would recommend? Blogging? Social networking? Drop us a comment – thanks.
Greg Magnus
Follow me on Twitter – @gregmagnus
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