Seems like every week we get asked by a client about social media monitoring tools.  Like us, they’re being deluged with messages about the latest and greatest tool for tracking brands and conversations online.  Everyone knows that conversations are happening online but they’re unsure how to stay on top of what’s being discussed and by whom.  The questions we hear from clients include who are the influencers who matter in my market?  What topics matter most?  How much is our company being covered compared to our competitors?  And what are these online influencers saying about our brand? These are not necessarily easy questions to answer but they’re the right ones to ask.  And they’re the questions we’re asking ourselves as we build influencer strategies and engagement programs for our clients.

But, with what seems like thousands of tools out there claiming to track and provide  answers to those questions, where do you begin? Which tools or tools are the best fit? We’ve tackled the challenge of researching the myriad of useful tools out on the market so you don’t have to, and here is what we found.

• From low-end DIY tools to high end services, tools cover the gamut of needs from identifying influencers to measuring sentiment to simply tracking volume of social media chatter. The key is determining your true end goals and needs  – why you want to have better insight into social media coverage in the first place.  Without that base, you can spend hours walking down the wrong paths.

• So far there is no single solution that does it all, or at least does it all well.  There are solutions that address pieces of the puzzle very well and some that handle a couple of things adequately.  The combined power of using a few of these tools together, however, can really speed the tracking process to give our teams more time to add our knowhow and historical perspective to the mix, giving our clients better insights.

• Take the time to hone your searches and carefully craft the questions you are going to ask. There’s no replacement for applying critical thinking to the challenge before jumping in, overlaying an understanding of a particular market and customers, as well as the movers & shakers and what makes them tick.

• There will be surprises along the way – and that’s a good thing!  In fact, if you aren’t surprised by something you’re learning through a deep influencer review process, you’re probably missing something.  But no matter what tool or tools you choose to use, be prepared to use the most important tool of all — your brain — because that’s what makes the difference between just tracking social media and really understanding where and how influence is happening in your market.

So before you jump in and drink from the social media fire hose, take a few sips with us.   In some cases, it might make sense for you to piggy back on the work the agency is doing because we’re investing in the tools and can make those resources available to our clients.  At the very least, we’re happy to share insights into the tools we’ve become familiar with and to help you reach a better understanding of what people are saying about your brand online.

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Lots of changes going on in the influencer community — media moves, folks now using Twitter.  Below are a few you might want to know about.

BusinessWeek Goes to Bloomberg LP <http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/magazines/and_businessweek_goes_to_bloomberg_lp_140075.asp>
After weeks of speculation, Bloomberg LP just announced that it has agreed to acquire BusinessWeek from McGraw-Hill Cos. Bloomberg, a late entrant into the bidding for the business weekly, did not disclose terms of the deal. TVNewser <http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/bloomberg/bloomberg_buys_businessweek_140079.asp> : BloombergTV will incorporate the BusinessWeek brand and its journalists on air. BusinessWeek <http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/FineOnMedia/archives/2009/10/bloomberg_wins.html> : Knowledgeable sources say that Bloomberg’s cash offer is in the $2 million to $5 million range and that it has agreed to assume liabilities, including potential severance payments. NYT <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/business/media/14bizweek.html> : BusinessWeek will soon be rechristened Bloomberg BusinessWeek. AdAge <http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?a%20rticle_id=139652> : Bloomberg has a plan for BusinessWeek that’s basic enough to seem radical these days: It will invest in the editorial product in the expectation that readers, and advertisers in turn, will follow.

CNET News
Deep Tech <http://news.cnet.com/deep-tech/?tag=blgs.list> <http://news.cnet.com/8300-30685_3-264.html> recently launched as a CNET News blog. It offers hands-on tests and provides in-depth pieces devoted to technology trends. Senior Writer Stephen Shankland, who joined CNET in 1998, writes the blog. He is interested in Web browsers, cameras, standards, research, science and start-ups. Stephen can be reached on +1 (415) 344 2406 and stephen.shankland@cnet.com. He is also on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stshank <http://www.twitter.com/stshank>

Fox News
Jeremy Kaplan has recently been appointed the Science and Technology Editor for Foxnews.com. He was previously the Executive Editor for PCMag.com. Jeremy can now be on +1 (212) 901 4506 and jeremy.kaplan@foxnews.com

The Huffington Post
Jose Antonio Vargas has been appointed the Technology and Innovations Editor for The Huffington Post. He was formerly a Reporter for The Washington Post covering technology and politics. Jose can now be reached on +1 (646) 274 2455 and jose@huffingtonpost.com

The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post has recently launched a new technology and innovations section which will feature the perceptions and reactions to the latest gadgets. This section will explore a new angle on technology with a greater interest in the people using the technology rather than the gear itself. Technology and Innovations Editor Jose Antonio Vargas, who oversees the section, can continue to be reached on +1 (646) 274 2444 and jose@huffingtonpost.com

Investor’s Business Daily
Patrick Seitz, a Technology Business Writer at Investor’s Business Daily, has relocated from Chicago to New Canaan, CT. He will continue to cover personal computers, consumer electronics and video games for IBD. Patrick can now be reached on +1 (203) 594 7504 and patrick.seitz@investors. <mailto:patrick.seitz@investors.com>

Reuters
Jim Impoco has started his new position as the Enterprise Editor for Reuters Americas. He is responsible for commissioning and editing stories and is based in New York. Formerly the Sunday Business Editor of The New York Times, he has also served as Deputy Editor at Conde Nast Portfolio, Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune magazine, Executive Editor at Men’s Journal, Tokyo-based Reporter for the Associated Press and Tokyo Bureau Chief for U.S. News & World Report. Jim can now be reached at jim.impocco@thomsonreuters.com

New York Post
Sara Clemence has been appointed Deputy Business Editor at The New York Post. She is a Co-Founder of Recessionwire and was previously Lifestyle Editor at Conde Nast’s Portfolio.com. Sara can be reached at sclemence@nypost.com

The New York Times
Saul Hansell, a Technology Reporter for The New York Times, will now focus his coverage on telecommunications including wired phone service, wireless, cable, broadband, Internet video, set top boxes and related government policy. This beat will continue until the end of 2009. Saul will continue contributing to the Bits <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/>  blog which is being edited by Vindu Goel. Saul prefers to receive story ideas and related topics via email. He can continue to be reached on +1 (212) 556 5908 and hansell@nytimes.com

San Jose Mercury News
Assistant Business Editor Tracy Seipel is now covering San Jose City Hall news. She previously covered energy, cleantech and greentech. Tracy can continue to be reached on +1 (408) 275 0140 and tseipel@mercurynews.com

Reporter Dana Hull is now covering energy, cleantech and greentech. She previously covered education and starts her new coverage on September 28th. Dana can continue to be reached at dhull@mercurynews.com

Network Computing
Byte and Switch has shut down and will now be integrated into Network Computing which relaunched as a web site in September 2009. Mike Fratto, who served as the Editor for Byte and Switch, continues to serve as Editor for Network Computing. Mike can be reached at +1 (315) 299 3558 and mfratto@techweb.com and is available on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MFratto <http://www.twitter.com/MFratto>

VentureBeat
Eric Eldon has left his role as Editor of VentureBeat to pursue an opportunity as Co-Editor of Inside Facebook and Inside Social Games. Kim-Mai Cutler has recently begun working as a Reporter at VentureBeat responsible for the Facebook and Twitter beat. Eric can now be reached at eric@insidefacebook.com <mailto:eric@insidefacebook.com> . Kim-Mai can be reached on +1 (415) 297 9704 and kim-mai@venturebeat.com <mailto:kim-mai@venturebeat.com>

The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal has recently announced the launch of its new twice daily webcast, ‘The News Hub.’ The program, which will be filmed from the 6th floor news hub of The Wall Street Journal offices, will bring together reporters, columnists and editors from the Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Marketwatch and Barron’s to discuss breaking news. Economics Reporter Kelly Evans will host the morning show while Dow Jones Newswires’ Simon Constable and WSJ.com’s Kelsey Hubbard will host the afternoon show. All three journalists will maintain their regular duties in addition to hosting, Kelly, Simon and Kelsey can continue to be reached at kelly.evans@wsj.com, simon.constable@dowjones.com and kelsey.hubbard@dowjones.com respectively.

The Washington Post
Cecilia Kang, a Staff Writer for The Washington Post, has launched a new blog on the publication’s site called Post Tech <http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech> . The blog will replace an older version, Post I.T. <http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-i-t/archives.htm> , and will provide analysis, related news, and coverage of technology policy, focusing on issues at the intersection of Washington, technology, and business. Cecilia can continue to be reached on +1 (202) 334 4367 and kangc@washpost.com. The blog can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/posttech <http://www.twitter.com/posttech>

The Washington Post / Bloomberg News
The Washington Post and Bloomberg have formed a partnership that will include a joint news service, a co-branded page of business news online and the transmission of Post stories on Bloomberg’s financial terminals. The announcement came after the news that the Los Angeles Times–Washington Post News Service would be disbanded at the end of 2009. The Washington Post already runs a limited number of Bloomberg stories which, moving forward, will not change. At washingtonpost.com, the business page will feature a package of corporate, economic and business news from Bloomberg in addition to the Post’s coverage of the intersection of business and policy.

TWITTERATI

Stephen Shankland, a Senior Writer at CNET News who writes the Deep Tech <http://news.cnet.com/deep-tech/?tag=blgs.list>  blog, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stshank <http://www.twitter.com/stshank>

Mary Ellen Slayter, Senior Editor at SmartBrief in Washington, D.C., is tweeting about management and HR news at www.twitter.com/SBWorkforce <http://www.twitter.com/SBWorkforce>

Jesse Stanchak, an Associate Editor at SmartBrief in Washington, D.C., is tweeting about entrepreneurship and small business news at www.twitter.com/SBStartup <http://www.twitter.com/SBStartup>

Lance Ulanoff, Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com, is tweeting all day about technology, gadgets and other interesting things at www.twitter.com/lanceulanoff <http://www.twitter.com/lanceulanoff>

Todd Wasserman, Editor at Brandweek, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ToddWasserman <http://www.twitter.com/ToddWasserman>

Karen J. Bannan, who recently launched a blog, NaturalasPossibleMom.com <http://naturalaspossiblemom.com/> , is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NaturalasPosMom <http://www.twitter.com/NaturalasPosMom>

Tom Foremski, Editor of Silicon Valley Watcher, can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tomforemski <http://www.twitter.com/tomforemski>

Mike Fratto, Editor for Network Computing, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MFratto <http://www.twitter.com/MFratto>

Paul Glader, a Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, is tweeting at www.twitter.com/PaulGlader <http://www.twitter.com/PaulGlader>

Steve Hamm, Senior Technology Writer at BusinessWeek, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stevehamm31 <http://www.twitter.com/stevehamm31>

Cecilia Kang, Technology Reporter at The Washington Post is now on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ceciliakang <http://www.twitter.com/ceciliakang>

Del Jones, Corporate Leadership Reporter at USA Today, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jonesdel <http://www.twitter.com/jonesdel>

Andy Jordan, a Technology Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Wsjandy <http://www.twitter.com/Wsjandy>