Uses of Social Media Management (SMM) Tools

Social media and modern day commerce

The social media epoch has formed a whole new way of networking, connecting dots between commerce and lifestyle, speeding up globalization and taming space for businesses to penetrate the market.

From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Snapchat, people are spoiled for choices when it comes to getting in touch with the world. A single WhatsApp group could contain the real estate contacts and data of an entire area code. A YouTube channel can be a knowledgeable source of information related to fixing up your car. One Facebook post could go viral and demand support for controversial matters that require change. Thus, social media serves as the perfect pitch for commercial enterprises, whether starting out or already in the game, to exponentially expand their reach and simultaneously understand the market better.

Social media has grown to strengthen client relations with businesses and amplify brand loyalty. With numerous modes of social media, a brand can take several formulas to reach a wide range of audiences, thereby dominating markets with its presence. Social media relies on the ability to relate. The market works on the same principle for any business to take off. Arguably one of the best qualities of social media is that its persuasive publicity urges industries to bring quality products and services to a competitive market. As the forefront of many innovative steps in the entrepreneurial world today, social media is the digital compass that any business must crack to manoeuvre through changing trends and growing markets. This is where social media management (SMM) plays a key role and sets itself apart as a governing force in the field of brand promotion, advertising and gaining market approval. Excellent social media management techniques dictate the success of a business in the digital world. This is confidently translated to durable results in the market.

Social Media Management (SMM)

With the rise of technological prominence in every industry, social media management (SMM) is backed by a set of digital tools that lay off the burdens that come with the hefty task of reaching out to millions in an instant. Managing content and delivering the right material takes time, effort and loads of creativity. The goal is to appeal to prospects in the most innovative manner possible. As the web is already saturated with creativity, getting your point across becomes that much tougher. This is why certain tools and techniques are required in efficient social media marketing for businesses across the world. These carefully structured, user-friendly SMM tools help manage content on multiple social media platforms in a timely manner while bringing the best out of communication with viewers.

Social media marketing tools available online have redefined the way we can use social media to develop a brand. Immediate results and constant monitoring can be done while the right measures can be taken to approach varying types of markets worldwide. SMM tools make it easier for business to see their progress in real-time and captivate a potential marketplace. Although there are several tools used in order of preference, some tools stand out for their exceptional design and functions. The techniques and managing style differs from person to person and the internet is home to various kinds of SMM tools that suit diverse managerial standards. Based on use reviews and popularity, there are few SMM tools that appeal to a wider range of users across industries.

Popular Social Media Marketing (SMM) tools

As of 2018, here is a list of the top trending Social Media Management (SMM) tools that have revolutionized marketing online:

  • HootSuite

HootSuite allows you to manage all your social accounts on one platform at affordable rates, engage viewers on multiple networks and share insights across teams. Facebook business features can be optimized with the help of tools like HootSuite. This tool allows you to quickly resolve customer inquiries, collaborate with a team and expand reach with employee activism. By keeping tabs on the social return on investment, the SMM tool allows users to make informed marketing decisions at crucial times.

  • Buffer

Buffer is SMM software that eanbles users to schedule and send posts at various intervals called as timeslots. The tool also provides real time post statistics to keep updated with interactions on social media. Buffer is equipped with many productive marketing techniques and gives you the provision to unlock additional paid features. To make the most out of Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, Buffer is a pervasive SMM tool available today.

  • Sprout Social

When it comes to viewer association Sprout Social is a good choice for marketers. Primarily focusing on social care creates strong relations between businesses and audience. With many updated features, the most recent Sprout Social features also include enhancements in social care efforts. Although some social media websites such as Instagram don’t allow third parties to post visual media, Sprout Social’s ‘Smart Box’ records activity on Instagram posts as well. Facebook and Twitter feeds can be managed easily with this SMM tool.

  • Hubspot

Also a paid SMM tool, Hubspot has proven to be a favourite among marketers online as a social publishing. With countless features, HubSpot specializes in SEO techniques, advertisements and audience involvement to bring the best out of marketing stratagems. With several integrated techniques like email listings and automated marketing, users can attract, convert, close and amuse audiences with HubSpot.

  • MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is probably most known for its unique re-sharing option that allows automated content circulation. By recording social statistics the sky is the limit to growing your business online with MeetEdgar. Affordable, easy to use and effective SMM techniques make it one among the many stand out software used for social marketing purposes.

  • Agora Pulse

Agora Pulse has grown on SMM enthusiasts over the past few years as a dynamic social media marketer’s tool. With many useful features, Agora Pulse records viewer data and aids in crisp marketing policies, a prodigious social media publishing tool as well. Agora Pulse also utilizes a spam filter technique that resolves data traffic issues and regulates content on your social media posts.

With the growing demand for efficient SMM tools equipped with easy to use interfaces and exceptional functions, trending software such as these have revolutionized businesses with social marketing.

Role of SMM tools in marketing?

The applications of SMM software cannot be stressed in one go due to their manifold functions.

Time being the major concern; most users opt for SMM tools because they make use of time in the best way possible. With easy to use interface and time-effective management techniques, these tools help marketing professionals understand the market quicker and better as they delve deeper. From discovering new trends to conversation with prospects, these tools help control all your brand’s social media accounts on a single platform without having to individually log into multiple accounts. You can air information online within a set time frame and dictate the flow of customer interactions. Businesses witness drastic growth as the market presence is elaborated across diverse populaces. With SMM tools you can analyse and articulate continuous growth by building the unparalleled company profile.By segmenting a marketplace, businesses have authority over what information should reach which region and how much resource should be allocated for specific advertising endeavours. As a game changer, the commercial returns in terms of advertising and public relations is enhanced by maintaining a watchful eye over every step a business takes since inception and leap towards brand promotion.

The perks of SMM tools are infinite. You can manage conversations and set up polls or improve ratings at the click of a button. With a Birdseye view over every event you can prepare, reconstruct and refurbish new marketing strategies. By recycling posts at intervals, a technique available in many SMM tools, you can create a repetitive sense of urgency among people who come in contact with your brand. The customer should see that your brand value is above opposition. Among the many features that make SMM tools worthy, whether open source or paid, is the fact that the results are guaranteed provided that the content is appealing. Even if you have to pay extra bucks to reach out to the right people, SMM guarantees this output. The brand appeal will definitely attract more customers when the creative aspect meets with the perfect management strategy. The right social media management tool can be a substitute for an employee in regulating information and keeping tabs on business statistics

3D Game Development Tools

Gaming industry has come a long way over the years. From simple brick games about two decades ago, the world has move to 3D game development. Around the world, game developers stretch their skills to entertain enthusiast gamers with ever enthralling gaming experience. Being a $10 billion plus industry it is not fun for the game developers but serious business. Be it the personal computer, play stations, Xbox or your mobile phones, 3D games are slowly but steadily overtaking their two dimensional cousins.

This growth has been further fuelled by the emergence of many offshore centers where expert game developers create, innovate and execute new 3D games every day. There are many small and big companies, which outsource their projects to these locations. The game developers use latest tools and platforms to develop games. The games are tested extensively by experts, before letting it into the market.

Popular 3D Game Tools

Autodesk 3ds Max – One of the favorite with developers this is a modeling, animation and rendering package. Renowned games like Unreal Tournament, Need for Speed, Call of Duty, Half-Life and The Lord of the Rings have been developed using this platform. Combining integrated features like Character Studio, Scene Explorer and Key Framing 3ds Max offer the best solution to game developers around the world. It comes with flexible plugin architecture and can be used on Microsoft Windows platform.

UNITY– It is an integrated authoring tool, which is used to develop 3D projects mainly for the mobile platform and has some of the best iPhone and Android games to its credit. Games like Batman Streets of Gotham, Foreign Legion, Enercities, Robot Rampage and Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 was developed using this platform. It can produce games both for the Windows and Mac platform. Recently support for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has added to this platform. It is also used to develop browser games.

Autodesk Maya– This was the original tool from Autodesk and is popular among certain sections of developers. Renowned games such as Madden NFL 2004, NASCAR Thunder, Halo 2, and Final Fantasy XI are developed using Maya. It works equally well on Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms. Maya is equipped with its very own cross-platform scripting language, fittingly called Maya Embedded Language.

Blender Game Engine– Mostly used for developing mobile games, Blender game engine is an open-source comprehensive 3D production suite. Blender game engine is made robust with features such as Python scripting and OpenAL 3D sound. Some of the most well-known games developed on this platform include Yo Frankie!, Boro-Toro and DukDuk!

These platforms have pushed the threshold of game development, which has become one of the most competitive industries in the world. To develop your own 3D game, visit http://www.evontech.com/smartfox-flash-net-silverlight-game-development.html

Best Google Website Tools in 2018

Google Analytics

In this digital age, the importance of data to a business/website should never be underestimated. In fact, without proper tracking of website traffic, a business is literally lost, especially when it comes to how to optimize the website and make full use of it.

Whether your website is run in the form of a personal blog, news portal, business or corporate page, ecommerce store, Google Analytics is considered an essential tool for every website. The more you use this highly powerful Google tool, the bigger advantage you have.

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. You can create goals and conversion tracking to get the most of your analytics information and use it to improve your website’s content, user experience and optimization for better online sales.

Out of so many features in Google Analytics, I think the ability to identify the Source / Medium to your website is one of the best website tools. Based on the data shown, you can find out if your marketing efforts have been paid off or not. This can provide a solid reference for your next decision making in enhancing your website performance.

Google Data Studio

Trust me, for beginners, you might be overwhelmed by all the amount of data shown in Google Analytics. To be frank, sometimes you just need a simple report with chart, graph or pie to summarize the performance of your website.

Here is a free tool from Google called Google Data Studio, which gives you everything you need to turn your analytics data into informative, easy-to-understand reports through data visualization.

Analytics has always been a challenge for digital marketing, however, Google Data Studio allows you to create customizable data visualization and report. Besides, you can even share with your clients – a huge plus especially if you are working in a big group.

Quick tip: You can check out Google Data Studio Gallery to duplicate their samples and modify to your website use. After that you will be able to change and edit the metric according to your needs. Quite amazing, right?

Google Search Console

Previously known as Google Webmaster Tools, now rebranded to Google Search Console, this free web service is designed for webmasters. It allows you to check the indexing status and optimize the visibility of your websites.

This free tool is a MUST for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The power to track your site’s search performance is the most precious data to understand what the audiences want for your site.

Once the website is tracked by Google, you’ll be able to view your organic search results right alongside the performance statistics for the organic search queries. This information helps you better understand how paid text ads and organic search results work together. If you analyse deeply enough, you will find many opportunities like identify relevant search queries that have low organic traffic volume and target these keywords in Google AdWords. This will increase your overall traffic, tailored to the objective of your website.

Google My Business

Are you operating a brick and mortar business? If you are, this free tools from Google is one of the most local SEO strategies to strengthen your website. Google My Business is a powerful tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, like Google Search and Google Maps.

As smartphone penetration in Malaysia approaching 100% by 2018, the majority of Malaysians are using smartphones for navigation, searching for instant answers or browsing social media platforms. Your business and brand need to be found online with the correct information.

Make sure all the listed information is correct, up-to-date and reflect your business. Remember, those info will appear when people search for your office or physical store via Waze or Google Map. We often see some of the business hasn’t updated their address, phone number and business hours to the latest. Wish to gain my traffic to your website?

You should try the new the features from Google My Business called “Posts”. The published content will display your image and short description with call-to-action link to your intended URL. For example, blog post “Should I hide or even remove client inquiry on my Facebook?” will appear at the bottom of our business info.

Google Keyword Planner

Building a website without keyword research is exhausting and time wasting in long-term. In order to reach the right customers with the right keywords, you should use Google Keyword Planner to discover relevant keywords. Inserting those keywords into your website will ensure your content remains relevant.

*To access Keyword Planner, you need to sign in to your Google AdWords account at http://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner. Create the account is free of charge and fast.

Yes, it’s completely free, you can find new keyword ideas that are relevant to your product, service and target customers. Keyword planner will show you the search volume data in historical statistics which is one of the most important key factors for your website.

Furthermore, the data from keywords ideas is a useful tool for SEO to your website. Analyse the information and turn it to your next content marketing strategy. Based on the search terms data, you should have plenty of ideas what should can be inserted to your text to make it more relevant to your audience.

Google Tag Manager

This free tool helps you update tags and code snippets on your website and mobile app quickly and easily. You can insert JavaScript and HTML tags used for tracking and analytics on websites in Tag Manager without touching the back end of the website.

Many websites do not deploy tracking function or have unreliable data collection because of messy codes injection. To solve this, we highly recommend using Google Tag Manager to consolidate and manage all your tracking codes or scripts.

The best example of using this tool is to use Facebook Ads. While more and more businesses are spending on Facebook Ads, most of them do not install Facebook Pixel into their website for conversion tracking, optimization and remarketing purposes.

Facebook Ads is already integrated with Google Tag Manager for smooth and easy installation. All you need to do just click and follow the instructions given without any need for complicated coding.

Test My Site from Think With Google

In order to rank well in mobile Google Search, your website should have fast loading speed and a mobile-optimized website. Use the Test My Site tool from Think with Google to check your website score on mobile performance. After a few minutes, you will receive recommendations on improving website performance across all devices.

Nobody wants to wait for slow websites or browse non-mobile friendly websites. The suggested time is 3 seconds from Google, which means if your site doesn’t load completely within 3 seconds, most people will most probably go elsewhere.

Just insert your email address and you will obtain the detailed analysis about your website. The content of the report is simple, but provides valuable insight into how Google ranks your website speed.

The report will become a crucial reference to your webmaster or web developer to further optimize the website. If you need even more in depth report about how Google renders and indexes your website, you should use the PageSpeed Insight tool.

Google PageSpeed Insight

If you have web developers or web designers that really want to understand the factors to increase your website speed, give PageSpeed Insights Tool a try and check your score on your website’s speed and optimization.

The latest version now shows the data from your First Contentful Point (FCP), the measurement when a user sees a visual response from the page. DOM Content Loaded (DCL), as well as the measurement when HTML document has been loaded and parsed.

PageSpeed Insights is handy in providing insight on how Google indexes your website differently for desktop and mobile versions.

Here are some website speed optimization tips from PageSpeed:

  • Avoid landing page redirects

  • Eliminate render-blocking JavaScript and CSS in above-the-fold contents

  • Enable compression

  • Leverage browser caching

  • Minify CSS

  • Minify HTML

  • MInify JavaScript

  • Optimize images

  • Prioritize visible content

  • Reduce server response time

Google Trend

Wish to see the latest trends and data from Google? You can search anything via Google Trends and even narrow down to specific country or category. This tool is useful to identify latest trends or viral news in your location.

Ideally, once you identified a trend, you can craft new blog posts, new promotions or ideas that reflect the said trend.

Don’t forget that you also can view the interest traffic of search terms using Google Trends.

With this, you can spot the best time to launch specific campaign. This is helpful for seasonal campaign or annual promotion because you can discover the best timing for your ad hoc digital marketing campaigns.

Google Alert

If you want to be aware of a particular topic and all the related information that bubbles up in the news, you can have them all automatically delivered to you with Google Alert and get notified every time when your keywords or phrases have new updates.

Google Alert is good for simple keyword monitoring, with updated on every mention of those keywords being sent to your email inbox for almost real time notification. Of course, you can choose the frequency at which you’ll receive them – once per day, once per week or even get them as they just happen.

A useful tip when creating the Google Alert is to avoid using generic keywords but create alerts that are more unique to your website. The more precise the keywords, the more relevant are your alerts. For that, you should utilize the search filters wherever possible, such as languages, region or sources.

Summary

So, that’s it, above are the 10 must-have free Google tools to improve the performance of your website. Make full use of all tools from analysis, research or monitoring to achieve the objective of your site.

What are your favourite tools from Google? Do you know any other Google tools that we should cover? Let us know in the comments below!

Top 5 Web Analytics Tools To Improve Business Performance

Every business generates data and records them as part of its operational requirement. The data, particularly related to websites of companies, can come in many forms such as the number of users visiting your site and their locations or better, the number of them purchasing products from your site among others.

If left unattended the data can be treated as plain gibberish occupying precious server space whereas if analysed with proper tools and acted upon, can be transformational to the business. The methodology of web data analytics includes measuring the user traffic, predicting performance, gauging customer satisfaction levels and other attributes of business by using statistics and computer programming.

Why web data analytics is important

  • To find out current level of performance of your website and areas of improvement
  • To extract actionable information to improve marketing strategies, boost performance and improve decision making
  • To know the profile of users and understand their browsing & buying patterns
  • To predict changing user behaviour, market dynamics, and their impact on business

As the challenges before businesses become more complex and patterns of data more unwieldy, the use of analytics tools has become important more than ever before. Thus, to leverage the functionality of the available tools or services to the benefit of your business, engaging professional online advertising services with the right expertise can be a thoughtful strategy. Let’s discuss the top five web analytics tools that are widely used in most companies of today, and the ones you can readily use to help transform your business.

Google Analytics: Arguably the most popular among all the existing web analytics tools, this comes free with the following attributes. However, a subscription based version called Google Analytics 360 is available as well for enterprise users.

  • Tracks and collates the source of web data spread across channels, devices, and locations
  • Tracks the user activity on a website on the basis of performance related metrics such as total number of visits, transactions, revenue etc
  • Analyses user activity on the site including areas (pages) from where users seem to have bounced off
  • Provides detailed reports that can help to improve digital marketing strategies like social media campaigns, besides aiming at better targeting of search engine rankings, and conversions

An important aspect of Google Analytics related to online advertising is called Google AdWords, which offers bespoke services such as Pay Per Click (PPC) and Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). Known to be the highest revenue earner for Google, this paid marketing service is used by advertisers and web marketers to display product listings, advertising copies, and video content high on Google SERPs.

However, the only area where Google Analytics lags is in providing the description of real time data in its entirety, which it does to some extent but with a few data points only.

Kissmetrics: Unlike Google Analytics, Kissmetrics provides comprehensive web related data about user activity on a real time basis. It shows individual user activity over a period of time spanning across devices, locations and time. It gives an insight into individuals or specific user groups, and is specially useful for mobile apps and ecommerce sites. And yes, it doesn’t come free with charges starting from $200 per month.

Clicky: The tool provides comprehensive real time data on individual user activity, search rankings, and video analytics. Interestingly, it provides a heatmap traction of users in real time through an online widget. The best part is that it is free up to 3000 daily page views but charges $19.99 per month beyond that.

The tool alerts you as well when your site goes offline. It does so by keeping a tab on your site from five different locations worldwide. Thus, it helps companies to work towards real time optimization of business data to arrive at better outcomes.

Woopra: This real time analytics tool has a unique live chat feature that allows site owners or web marketers to chat with users visiting the site. This feature can give important insights about a site from a user’s perspective and helps to improve shortcomings (if any).

Also, by using the tool’s AppConnect feature you can connect with other platforms like Salesforce, WordPress, HubSpot, MailChimp etc. It is available in both free (up to 30,000 actions per month) and paid versions (up to $1,199.95 per month and higher with advanced enterprise level features.)

FoxMetrics: Available at $299 per month, the site provides actionable information to web owners relating to users’ browsing behaviour over a period of time including making sales. By using the tool you can even follow up with customers who have abandoned shopping carts through targeted emails and offers. The tool allows you to create user surveys and feedback forms apart from directing the users to pages that suit them better.

Conclusion

Web analytics tools can provide important insights into user traffic, various facets related to it, and its changing dynamics. However, such information won’t be of any use unless suitable action is taken towards improving the user experience and thereby possible conversions. In the article, top 5 web analytics tools have been discussed in terms of their usage in digital marketing. Readers are invited to give their comments on the same.

Tools To Consider Buying For Your Woodworking Business

Starting a home based wood working business will require a plan. This plan should show you to get through the initial startup in a cost-effective and timely many. Part of this plan should also include a list of tools you will need to help make your home based business profitable as soon as possible.

Some of these tools can either be cordless or corded. The cordless type will be portable in that they can be used anywhere. Cordless tools will not require an electrical outlet except when the batteries need to be recharged. It should be noted operating cordless tools in a cold environment will mean the batteries having to be recharged more often. You will have to recharge the batteries in a warm environment to speed up the charging process. Using corded tools will be less expensive to purchased and will operate in colder environments more efficiently.

Some tools you need to consider to purchase during the start-up of your wood working business are many. They can be or cordless or corded. Many will require no power put just your muscle power. Here are some to consider.

1. Hand Held Circular Saw and Chop Saw.

This is hand tool that can used to cut wood and is very portable in both cordless and corded versions. Circular saws are also used to cut masonry and metal. These types of saws are often called shop saws and use special circular blades that cut through these materials. When using a chop saw get the proper training to do so and use proper personal protective equipment such protective eye ware and gloves. Not properly using such a tool can lead extreme personal injury.

You likely will never need a chop saw in you woodworking business. However a hand-held circular saw will be useful and are very safe to operate.

2. Impact Driver

These are high torque tools that can often do the work of the common more effectively with regards to speed of getting the job done. These are very popular tools used the construction industry. Carpenters, plumbers and electricians prefer the impact driver over the drill driver. However there will a number of applications the drill driver will be more useful especially if need to use the hammer drill setting of drill driver.

3. Reciprocating Saw

This tool is another portable tool that can be used to cut through wood or metal with the proper blade. The cutting action is accomplished by a push and pull action or the reciprocating action of the blade. Proper use of this tool is required as serious personal injury can result. Always remove the battery when changing the blade on such a device. If the tool is corded always unplug the device when changing the blade or making any other changes to the devices. before handing over the device to another person use its locking feature.

Starting up a wood working business will require the purchase of a number of tools Choosing a proven wood working plan should contain a list of the tools needed to help you start profiting with few problems and in a timely manner.

Best Regards

Best Regards

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