Scores of startups are jumping into this space to make social media management easier and more, well, manageable (if you’re interested in seeing just how large the landscape is, Jeremiah Owyang maintains a list of providers). So, there is a lot of choice in this space.
But don’t wait until you are juggling many accounts before selecting a platform. When you are preparing for a campaign launch, you want to be able to launch new profiles smoothly. Take the time now to get familiar with your options.
A further caveat: once you make a commitment to one of these tools, you will spend a lot of time in it. Think of this decision less like a first date, and more like a marriage. It takes hours of use to be able to use these systems to their maximum benefit. And there will be a learning curve with using each of these tools.
I have been briefed on, and tested out, a number of different platforms. These services are adding new functionality weekly, so it’s difficult to pin down one platform that will be best for everyone. We are in a period of rapid development in this ecosystem, and you should expect substantial change yet to come.
That being said, I can recommend several platforms in this space that have robust features (“the ugly” talks about the design and usability of the tool):