Session 4

Sysomos, Radian6, and Visible Technologies

These three tools represent prominent players in the social media monitoring and analytics space, each offering unique features tailored to specific business needs. Below is a detailed overview of each platform.

Sysomos

Sysomos offers three core services:

• Sysomos MAP – a web-based, enterprise-level social media monitoring tool

• Heartbeat – a web-based social media monitoring and engagement dashboard (see my review of Sysomos MAP and Heartbeat)

• Audience – a sales- and marketing-focused tool to help measure ROI and optimize marketing and community engagement

Sysomos has been noticeable in recent months with a series of smart awareness-driving tactics. In fact, they were featured in the New York Times just a day before this news. They’ve also made some interesting moves towards drawing a line between social media activity and business results with the introduction of their Audience product. It’ll be interesting to see whether/how Marketwire plans to factor this into its product lineup.

Implications

The recent spate of acquisitions isn’t surprising to anyone watching the space. Indeed, analysts like Altimeter’s Jeremiah Owyang have been commenting on the consolidation trend for a while. As Ray Wang suggests, expect to see more of this kind of activity in the coming months with other companies such as Alterian, BuzzGain, Cymfony, Radian6, Viralheat and Visible Technologies .

This particular acquisition is particularly interesting, as the acquisition is by a company on the “traditional media” side of the fence. This should help Marketwire to more effectively compete with wire services such as PR Newswire (in the US) and CNW Group (in Canada), which already feature monitoring solutions:

• Strengthens existing monitoring services
  
  While PR Newswire already offers a social media monitoring service, Marketwire’s monitoring offerings are currently more limited. With social media monitoring being a common “toe in the water” for many companies as they experiment with social media, this service is becoming a must-have for traditional monitoring companies.

• Strong analytics
  
  Monitoring solutions by themselves are useful, but the “clippings-style” approach to social media monitoring is really just the beginning. By acquiring a solution that allows users to do a deep dive on online conversations, Marketwire is adding a useful tool to its arsenal, and one that it doesn’t just need to white-label from other providers.

• User-friendly interface

        Sysomos offers one of the most user-friendly web interfaces of the monitoring providers – a big bonus for less tech-savvy clients. 

1. Sysomos

Overview

Sysomos is a leading social media analytics and monitoring platform that enables businesses to measure, analyze, and manage their online presence in real time. Founded in 2007, it offers comprehensive solutions for social listening, engagement, and reporting.

Key Features

• Real-Time Monitoring:

  • Tracks brand mentions, hashtags, and keywords across multiple social channels, blogs, forums, and news sites.

  • Offers real-time alerts for spikes in activity.

• Sentiment Analysis:

  • Uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to determine sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) in social conversations.

• Visual Dashboards:

  • Provides user-friendly dashboards to visualize key metrics, audience trends, and engagement statistics.

  • Enables custom reporting for specific KPIs.

• Competitor Analysis:

  • Tracks competitor mentions and campaigns to provide insights into industry trends and positioning.

• Influencer Identification:

  • Helps brands identify and engage with influencers based on reach, relevance, and resonance.

• Integration:

  • Integrates seamlessly with customer relationship management (CRM) tools and marketing platforms.

Applications

• Marketing campaign analysis and optimization.

• Social listening to improve brand strategy.

• Influencer marketing and engagement.

Strengths

• Comprehensive multi-channel monitoring.

• Customizable reporting and insights.

• Scalability for large enterprises.

Challenges

• Some users report a steep learning curve for advanced features.

• Pricing may be on the higher side for smaller businesses.

2. Radian6 (Now Part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud)

Overview

Radian6, founded in 2006 and acquired by Salesforce in 2011, is a robust social media listening platform designed to help businesses track and engage in online conversations. It is now integrated into Salesforce's Marketing Cloud.

Key Features

• Social Listening:

  • Monitors conversations on social platforms, blogs, forums, and news websites.

  • Tracks specific keywords, hashtags, and topics relevant to the brand or industry.

• Sentiment and Topic Analysis:

  • Provides detailed sentiment analysis and categorizes conversations by topic for better audience understanding.

• Engagement Console:

  • A dedicated tool for engaging directly with customers, responding to mentions, and managing brand interactions in real time.

• Integration with Salesforce:

  • Combines social media insights with CRM data to provide a 360-degree view of customers.

  • Facilitates lead generation and customer journey tracking.

• Custom Dashboards:

  • Offers customizable widgets and dashboards for real-time insights and KPI tracking.

Applications

• Customer service via social platforms.

• Campaign monitoring and competitor tracking.

• Crisis management and sentiment analysis.

Strengths

• Deep integration with Salesforce for end-to-end customer management.

• Scalable for enterprises with complex social monitoring needs.

• Strong focus on engagement and actionable insights.

Challenges

• High cost, especially for small and medium businesses.

• Some users report occasional inaccuracies in sentiment analysis.

3. Visible Technologies (Now Part of Cision)

Overview

Visible Technologies, founded in 2005 and later acquired by Cision in 2014, is a social media monitoring and analytics platform that focuses on actionable insights for marketing and PR professionals.

Key Features

• Advanced Monitoring:

  • Tracks conversations across social media, blogs, forums, and news outlets.

  • Provides multilingual capabilities for global monitoring.

• Audience Insights:

  • Delivers demographic, geographic, and psychographic insights into the audience.

  • Enables segmentation based on behavior, sentiment, and engagement.

• Crisis Management:

  • Offers real-time alerts for potential issues and crises, helping brands respond quickly to protect their reputation.

• Influencer Engagement:

  • Identifies key influencers based on reach and relevance, enabling targeted outreach and collaborations.

• Data Visualization:

  • Provides interactive dashboards and visual reports for tracking trends and campaign performance.

Applications

• Public relations (PR) monitoring and reputation management.

• Influencer marketing and outreach.

• Global audience engagement and monitoring.

Strengths

• Strong PR and reputation management focus.

• Robust audience segmentation capabilities.

• Integration with Cision’s PR tools for holistic media and social analytics.

Challenges

• Limited integrations compared to some competitors.

• May not offer the same depth of analytics as Sysomos or Radian6.

Conclusion

• Sysomos: Best for enterprises needing a full suite of advanced analytics, multi-channel monitoring, and influencer marketing capabilities.

• Radian6: Ideal for Salesforce users and enterprises seeking tight CRM integration and robust engagement tools.

• Visible Technologies: Focused on PR and reputation management, making it a good choice for organizations prioritizing media and audience relations.

Zoho social and others

Zoho Social and Other Popular Social Media Monitoring Tools

Social media monitoring tools like Zoho Social and its alternatives cater to businesses of all sizes, offering solutions for social media tracking, engagement, analytics, and content scheduling. Below is an in-depth look at Zoho Social, followed by details on other notable platforms.

Key Features of Zoho Social

1. Social Media Monitoring

• Real-Time Brand Mentions: Tracks brand mentions, keywords, hashtags, and topics across multiple platforms in real time.

• Activity Streams: Provides a live feed of audience activities, such as comments, likes, shares, and brand mentions, enabling quick responses.

• Sentiment Analysis: Helps businesses understand audience sentiment by categorizing mentions as positive, negative, or neutral.

2. Social Media Scheduling

• Content Calendar: Visualizes all scheduled posts in a calendar format, making it easy to plan campaigns and spot gaps in the posting schedule.

• Optimal Post Times: Recommends the best times to post based on audience engagement trends.

• Bulk Scheduling: Allows users to upload and schedule multiple posts simultaneously, saving time for larger campaigns.

• Queue Functionality: Organizes unscheduled posts into a queue to ensure consistent content publishing.

3. Engagement and Collaboration

• Unified Inbox: Consolidates messages, comments, and mentions from all social platforms into a single dashboard, streamlining responses and engagement.

• Team Collaboration Tools:

  • Assign roles to team members (e.g., Admin, Editor).

  • Approve or reject drafts before they are published.

  • Track team activity on the platform.

4. Analytics and Reporting

• Performance Metrics:

  • Tracks engagement (likes, comments, shares) and reach for posts and campaigns.

  • Provides insights into audience growth, demographics, and behavior.

• Custom Reports:

  • Enables users to create and export tailored reports with the metrics that matter most to their business.

  • Visualizes data with charts and graphs for easy interpretation.

• Trend Analysis:

  • Identifies patterns in engagement, mentions, and follower growth over time.

5. Integration with Other Tools

• Zoho CRM: Syncs social media data with Zoho CRM, allowing businesses to link social interactions with customer profiles and sales pipelines.

• Zoho Desk: Converts social media inquiries into support tickets, enabling quick and efficient customer service.

• Third-Party Integrations:

  • Integrates with tools like Slack, Canva, and Google Workspace.

  • Offers API access for custom integrations.

6. Platform Coverage

Zoho Social supports major social media platforms, including:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

• Google My Business

Unique Features

• SmartQ Scheduler: An AI-driven feature that suggests the best times to post content for maximum visibility and engagement.

• Brand Health Dashboard: A centralized view of your social media presence, including performance metrics, audience insights, and engagement trends.

• Mobile App: Offers full functionality on iOS and Android devices, allowing users to manage their social media accounts on the go.

Use Cases

1. For Businesses:

   • Plan and schedule posts for product launches, announcements, and campaigns.

   • Monitor brand reputation by tracking mentions and sentiment.

   • Generate leads by engaging with customers directly on social platforms.

2. For Agencies:

   • Manage multiple client accounts with a single login.

   • Collaborate with clients for content approval and campaign strategies.

   • Create white-label reports with agency branding.

3. For Marketing Teams:

   • Analyze campaign performance with detailed reports.

   • Coordinate between team members for content creation and publishing.

   • Align social media goals with broader marketing strategies.

Pricing

Zoho Social offers multiple pricing plans to cater to businesses of different sizes:

1. Free Plan:

   • Basic functionality for small businesses with limited needs.

   • Includes 1 brand and 1 user.

2. Standard Plan:

   • Affordable for startups and small teams.

   • Includes scheduling, monitoring, and basic analytics.

3. Professional Plan:

   • Advanced tools for growing businesses.

   • Offers team collaboration, custom reports, and CRM integration.

4. Agency Plan:

   • Designed for agencies managing multiple brands.

   • Includes advanced analytics and white-label features.

Zoho Social frequently updates its pricing tiers. For the latest pricing details, visit Zoho Social Pricing.

Strengths of Zoho Social

1. Affordability:

   • Offers competitive pricing compared to tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social.

   • Includes advanced features even in lower-tier plans.

2. Ease of Use:

   • Intuitive interface suitable for beginners and experts alike.

   • Easy onboarding and setup process.

3. Comprehensive CRM Integration:

   • Deep integration with Zoho CRM helps align social media efforts with sales and customer service.

4. Scalable:

   • Flexible plans cater to small businesses, growing teams, and large agencies.

Limitations

1. Limited Advanced Analytics:

   • Lacks some of the in-depth analytics offered by enterprise-grade tools like Talkwalker or Brandwatch.

2. Limited Platform Support:

   • Does not natively support platforms like TikTok or Pinterest, which are gaining popularity for certain industries.

3. API Restrictions:

   • Some advanced customizations may require API knowledge and additional configuration.

1. Zoho Social

Overview

Zoho Social is a comprehensive social media management and monitoring tool tailored for businesses, agencies, and marketing teams. It integrates seamlessly with the Zoho ecosystem and is known for its affordability, user-friendly interface, and robust features.

Key Features

a. Real-Time Monitoring

• Tracks brand mentions, hashtags, and keywords across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google My Business.

• Provides a live stream of audience interactions and activities.

b. Social Media Scheduling

• Allows users to schedule posts across multiple platforms.

• Features an optimal posting time feature, which suggests the best times to post based on audience activity.

c. Sentiment Analysis

• Monitors customer sentiments (positive, negative, neutral) to help brands assess audience perception.

d. Unified Inbox

• Combines messages, comments, and mentions from all connected platforms into a single dashboard, simplifying customer engagement.

e. Advanced Analytics

• Tracks KPIs such as engagement, reach, and impressions.

• Provides detailed reports that can be customized and exported.

f. Team Collaboration

• Supports multi-user access with role-based permissions.

• Includes approval workflows for content creation and publishing.

g. CRM Integration

• Integrates with Zoho CRM, enabling businesses to link social interactions with customer profiles and sales activities.

Applications

• Social listening and reputation management.

• Campaign planning and performance analysis.

• Customer engagement and lead generation.

Strengths

• Affordable pricing for small and medium businesses.

• Easy-to-use interface.

• Seamless integration with Zoho’s suite of tools (CRM, Campaigns, Desk, etc.).

Challenges

• Limited advanced analytics compared to enterprise-grade tools.

• API limitations for platforms like TikTok or YouTube.

2. Hootsuite

Overview

Hootsuite is one of the most popular and versatile social media management tools, supporting a wide range of platforms and offering features for businesses of all sizes.

Key Features

• Real-time social media monitoring for keywords, hashtags, and brand mentions.

• Content scheduling with a built-in calendar view.

• Team collaboration tools for content approval workflows.

• Customizable analytics and reporting dashboards.

• Integration with over 150 tools, including CRM and marketing platforms.

Applications

• Managing multiple social media accounts.

• Monitoring brand mentions and competitor activity.

• Creating and analyzing campaigns.

Strengths

• Supports a vast number of social media platforms.

• Scalable for businesses of all sizes.

• Advanced analytics for tracking ROI.

Challenges

• Expensive for small businesses or freelancers.

• Steeper learning curve for beginners.

3. Sprout Social

Overview

Sprout Social is a premium social media management platform known for its intuitive interface, robust analytics, and customer-focused features.

Key Features

• Unified inbox for managing social conversations.

• Powerful analytics for audience insights and campaign performance.

• Advanced sentiment analysis and competitor benchmarking.

• Tools for creating, scheduling, and publishing content.

• Integrations with CRM tools for enhanced customer management.

Applications

• Social listening and audience engagement.

• Campaign tracking and reporting.

• Customer service through social media.

Strengths

• Clean, user-friendly interface.

• Excellent customer support.

• Strong focus on audience insights and sentiment analysis.

Challenges

• Higher price point compared to similar tools.

• Limited support for smaller or emerging social platforms.

4. Buffer

Overview

Buffer is a simple, streamlined tool for scheduling and analyzing social media content, catering mainly to small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use scheduling and publishing tools.

• Content calendar for managing campaigns.

• Basic analytics for tracking engagement and reach.

• Collaboration tools for team workflows.

Applications

• Scheduling posts and analyzing their performance.

• Managing multiple social accounts with minimal effort.

• Improving content consistency.

Strengths

• Affordable and straightforward for small teams.

• Simple interface with minimal complexity.

• Browser extension for easy content curation.

Challenges

• Limited monitoring and listening features.

• Not ideal for advanced analytics or large-scale operations.

5. HubSpot Social Media Tools

Overview

Part of HubSpot’s all-in-one marketing platform, its social media tools integrate with CRM, marketing automation, and sales tools to provide a complete solution.

Key Features

• Social media monitoring and engagement.

• Post scheduling and campaign tracking.

• Built-in analytics for social ROI measurement.

• CRM integration to link social interactions with customer data.

Applications

• Social media campaigns integrated with marketing funnels.

• Lead generation and nurturing through social platforms.

• Customer support via social engagement.

Strengths

• Seamless integration with other HubSpot tools.

• Ideal for inbound marketing strategies.

• Detailed analytics and reporting.

Challenges

• Expensive for small businesses or standalone social needs.

• Limited flexibility for platforms outside of HubSpot’s core ecosystem.

6. Mention

Overview

Mention is a dedicated social listening and brand monitoring tool that focuses on real-time tracking of online mentions and conversations.

Key Features

• Real-time alerts for brand mentions, keywords, or competitors.

• Sentiment analysis for audience feedback.

• Insights into audience demographics and geographics.

• Competitive analysis for benchmarking industry trends.

Applications

• Social listening and reputation management.

• Competitive monitoring and analysis.

• Identifying PR opportunities and responding to crises.

Strengths

• Affordable for small businesses.

• Easy to set up and use.

• Focused on social listening and monitoring.

Challenges

• Limited scheduling and publishing capabilities.

• Fewer integrations than larger tools.

7. Talkwalker

Overview

Talkwalker is a premium social listening and analytics tool designed for enterprises, with advanced AI features and global monitoring capabilities.

Key Features

• Multilingual tracking across social platforms, news outlets, and blogs.

• Visual listening for image-based content mentions.

• Sentiment analysis and trend forecasting.

• Crisis management alerts and real-time monitoring.

Applications

• Global brand monitoring and analytics.

• Crisis prevention and response.

• Advanced campaign performance tracking.

Strengths

• Comprehensive and detailed analytics.

• AI-driven insights and forecasting.

• Best suited for large enterprises.

Challenges

• High cost compared to other tools.

• Complex setup for small teams.

Conclusion

• Zoho Social: Best for small and medium businesses looking for an affordable all-in-one solution.

• Hootsuite: A versatile option for managing multiple accounts and platforms at scale.

• Sprout Social: Ideal for enterprises focusing on audience insights and engagement.

• Buffer: Great for simple content scheduling and analysis.

• Talkwalker: Perfect for enterprises needing global social listening and advanced AI features.