TThe CMD incubator group originated as a way to discuss and explore the latest trends in digital and social media. With three years of early-morning gatherings (and lots of coffee) under our belt, we’ve found these sessions to be a great way to share the many things our curious-minded folks are reading, exploring and learning about.
This week, for example, our incubator session focused on four interesting social media tools. Here’s a quick run down of what we explored:
Synthesio, presented by @Liz_John
The Download: A content management tool that he ability to organize and manage your social channel content distribution and engagement, as well as identify influencers and surface up some analytics.
Strengths: Particularly well-suited to brands that have a global social presence and channels in other countries that also require translation. Winner of a Forrester Groundswell Award.
Weakness: Fairly similar to other tools out there. Metrics capabilities and influencer identification are good, but pretty average.
Nestivity, presented by @messengerbird85
The Download: A tool that creates a “nest” out of your Twitter chats, giving you the ability to take the conversation outside of Twitter and have a more robust dialogue with your followers. More of a forum-like experience, helping you to better organize your Twitter chats. Limited-time trials are available for free subscription service thereafter.
Strengths: The group thought this tool had a lot of possibilities. Great for customer service initiatives, Twitter chats and Tweetcasts. Can also livestream Google+ hangouts. Compelling analytics reporting capabilities as well.
Weaknesses: Not many. This one is definitely on the hit list to explore and try.
Union Metrics, presented by @messengerbird85
The Download: The first Tumblr-endorsed metrics and analytic tool. Pricing available for individual Tumblr bloggers as well as brands.
Strengths: A new way to measure Tumblr engagement (reblogs, likes, notes, influencers, etc.) A no-brainer for social media programs that emphasize Tumblr as part of the mix, as measuring this channel has been a challenge for most.
Weakness: Relatively expensive as an add-on to the other social media measurement tools you may be using. For those who prioritize Tumblr as part of their program, the additional cost may be worth it.
YouTube advertising options, presented by @JesseLeeDavis
The Download: Users now have a variety of options for advertising on YouTube: In-Stream (video pre-roll), In-Display (right-hand side/served up related video content) and In-Search (other suggested content). Target options include by what people are viewing/their interest (type of videos they are watching) and search terms (similar to Google ad word targeting). Fee is 5% of your budget spend as a baseline.
Strength: It’s a misnomer that you must have a big budget to advertise on YouTube. Recent experiences have proven that advertising efforts perform quite well if you take the time to determine your strategy and tweak your approach based on analytics.
Weakness: It’s not easy to learn about the advertising options. If you have a small budget, don’t expect a personal response from Google’s or YouTube’s sales team. It’s truly a DIY initiative for anything less than a six-figure budget.
What new social tools intrigued you?