Even with a social media agency, managing multiple social media accounts can get confusing. A simple management error can ruin an entire campaign so you need all the help you can get to stay on top of the dynamic social media game.
Today, we are sharing with you three new apps (courtesy of the Social Media Examiner) which can help you and your social media agency manage several social networking accounts in just one neat dashboard.
1. Alternion. This new app is fresh out of private beta testing and it certainly came out impressively. It covers more accounts than any other dashboard—whether it’s blogging, bookmarking, image-sharing and shopping. Privacy is a key aspect of Alternion. It has a feature where only you (or your social media agency) can decide whether to show a link to each account on your Alternion profile or who can see your updates from a particular social account. The layout is clean thus making it easier for users to focus on what has to be done. This app has many remarkable features, among which is the ability to create brand new lists from within the Contacts tab. With Alternion, you can also see updates you made on all linked accounts and even photos and videos you have shared. Plus, this app also offers full e-mail integration so you can attend to e-mail messages without having to leave the dashboard.
2. LiveGO. Whereas Alternion scores points for covering a lot of accounts, LiveGO focuses on a smaller number of popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It also allows you to access data on instant messengers such as GTalk (Gmail) and AOL Instant Messenger. In terms of layout, LiveGO has a smooth design which allows you or your social media agency representative several viewing options. You can choose to have an overview of everything at once or zoom in on a particular area. Each of your linked accounts has its own button on the left and your instant messaging accounts are on a sidebar to the right which you can opt to hide if not in use. There is also a constant update box which is on top of the screen so you can update any of your linked social networks easily. A feature unique to LiveGO is the automatic collection of updates from the same person. Another rather quirky but nonetheless fun feature is the ability to add special characters (as in hearts, arrows, music notes) to updates. If you are big on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail accounts, this app is great for you and your business.
3. Netvibes. This one is described as more of a monitoring dashboard than an integrated updating tool. Its key value is in brand monitoring rather than communication. Using Netvibes, you can include multiple dashboards to your account which makes it easier for you or your social media agency to monitor different brands. You can also add widgets (like calculator, weather or to-do lists). A downside is that the e-mail widget is limited in its features but the social networking widgets have the standard functionalities. Netvibes integrates RSS feeds so you can also get a lowdown of recent headlines. This app is great for you if you and your social media agency are set on monitoring rather than social engagement.
Have you tried any of these apps? Let us know what you think!
