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Two weeks ago I put up one of my most popular posts Paid Social Media Monitoring and Measurement Tools: The (almost) Complete Guide .. of 2009. I did the post for a lot of different reasons but mostly because I couldn’t find a really good list out there. I found a couple during my search; however, they are ones you’ve to pay for and that’s not something everyone can afford to do. Along the way I’ve gotten 18+ comments on the post, (which are still coming in as of yesterday) and connected with a number of new social media monitoring firms as far away as Australia.
However, a key piece was missing from this post over the last two weeks. Not all the firms I mentioned connected with me. Between the comments in the post and Twitter I’ve heard from 12 of 37 firms on my list. Many of them are ones that weren’t on my original list to begin with. I don’t think all the firms have to comment but a note on Twitter would be a smart move.
Are social media monitoring and measurement firms monitoring their own brand?
I know Radian6 is because they were the first ones on the list to connect with me on Twitter and leave a comment. DNA13 was because they weren’t on my original list and they reached out to me. I also have to setup a demo to check out their software next week. Any many more over the last two weeks have reached out and connected with me by commenting, tweeting and even e-mailing me.
What does it say about your firm when you don’t connect with someone who is a potential customer?
It makes me think you don’t care. Isn’t this what social media is all about. Connecting with customers and potential customes alike. I love Radian6 and they are my go to package when talking with most potential clients. However, I know pitching start-ups and small businesses means they might need something more slimmed down. That may mean using Dialogix or Sysomos. My ideal goal is to have three tools that I can recommend to clients based on their needs, goals and size. To the other firms out there who have yet to connect with me. Please feel free to contact (e-mail or @DuaneBrown) me because I could be your next potential customer.
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6 Comments
Hi Duane,
Thanks for the kind words. We’re listening, and we care an awful lot about connecting with people who are our advocates as well as potential customers. It’s a new world now, and connections and community are the gold.
Cheers,
Amber Naslund
Director of Community, Radian6
@ambercadabra
Duane,
There are also a lot of other differences among social media providers than just whether or not they respond to a post. For instance, most people still don’t have a firm understanding of the differences between a monitoring service, a listening platform and a social media business intelligence platform. This industry has evolved tremendously over the past 12 months to the point that it makes no sense anymore to lump everyone into the same bucket. It might also be one of the reasons some companies chose not to respond. Good luck with the remainder of your evaluation.
Mike Spataro
SVP, Client Strategy
Visible Technologies
Hey Mike
Thanks for connecting with me and leaving the feedback. There are differences between monitoring service, a listening platform and a social media business intelligence platform.
However, I don’t agree with not responding just because they are different. I’m a small shop today but could be a big shop tomorrow and building a relationship with me today is part of the future of this business. I’m more likely to hire a company that was with me from day one then those who chose not to connect with me. Plus I could be referring business to you if I know more about your system and what makes it different. Deciding not to respond when a potential client is interested in learning more about the different tools out there could mean you lost out on that sale.
Twitter Comment
Learn why not all social media monitoring firms are created equal – @duanebrown – [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Since I don’t consider KDPaine & Partners a “tool” I guess we don’t belong on the list. But given that I started measuring “social media” — it was called consumer generated media or newsgroups back then — in 1996 — I did feel necessary to at least object to our absence from your list.
I also want to point out that having a tool is not “measurement.” Measurement means understanding, interpreting and making decisions on data. Yes, we provide our clients with a tool, and a methodology to measure their results based on their own personal goals and objectives. And we help them make better decisions based on their outcomes, not just on their activities. That kind of measurement leads to continuous improvement, and over all success.
Hi Katie
Thank you for the comment. I made a conscious choice to leave out firms that are similar to yours and solely focus on the paid tools. I did this because I couldn’t find a list that mentioned more then a handful of tools and wanted to get a better picture of the marketplace. Knowing what some of the paid tools are out there is one step ever client needs to take to help achieve that long-term success you’re talking about.
I’m not sure if you’ve but maybe you want to make a list on your blog of firms in your space and point out some of the great work they are doing. Thanks again for connecting and look forward to chatting with you soon.