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Tech Tools: Social Media Analytics: Sprout Social
Laura McNeill
Graduate Student, University of Alabama Interactive Technology Specialization
College of Human Environmental Sciences
The rise of social media over the last decade -‐-‐ Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn – among others -‐-‐ has significantly and permanently changed the reach and scope of marketing, sales, and public relations efforts for every corporation, non-‐profit, and community organization across the globe.
With social media’s ease of access and instant feedback, people around the world—as individuals and groups—have fallen in love with the ability to construct information, promote ideas, and have conversations 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The need for measurement of social media effectiveness or “analytics” is evident in the results of a recent Social Media Marketing Industry Report sponsored by Socialmediaexaminer.com. After surveying three thousand marketing professionals in 2013, author Michael Stelzner found that 86% of those professionals indicate that social media is important for their business, yet only one in four of those marketers agree they are able to measure their social media activities.
Analytics tools exist, but what remains elusive is the availability and affordability of one easy-‐to-‐use, effective means of measuring social media return on investment (ROI) across dozens of
outlets. How do marketers know they’re utilizing the right strategy, attracting the right people, making an impression, and translating those impressions into sales? A variety of analytics programs have been released, but none have emerged as the clear winner.
For marketers who want to measure social media analytics across several platforms at a time in one snapshot, Sprout Social is one tool that allows users to view Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and LinkedIn audiences -‐all at once-‐ with a Smart Inbox, or individually, using filters. Sprout Social offers the ability to connect and manage multiple profiles and network easily from a single interface. Sprout Social can be found by typing in the URL sproutsocial.com.
Sprout also offers value-‐add options, including scheduling messages in advance, allowing marketers to prepare content in advance and spread it out at optimal times over a given period. Social media managers designate images, choose time and day to post, and select the specific number of social accounts to post from at once.
Sprout Social’s reports are very detailed and thorough, providing fantastic metrics across all connected social networks with just a minimal number of clicks, and can be reviewed by week, month, or a specific timeframe or tool.
The reports tab in Sprout Social also includes information such as new followers and fans, audience demographics, and the reach of your posts. Each page presents data in a concise, effective, and visually appealing format. In addition, it appears that Sprout Social is the clear winner when it comes to supporting users.
Sprout Social’s customer and technical support is exceptional across all channels: Twitter, email, and phone. Their welcome emails are personalized with the information of a particular user, and the Sprout Social staff responds to inquires directly.
When it comes to pricing, Sprout Social’s most affordable option stands at $39/month – Prices rise from there to $ 59, $99 and $1,500 dollars a month. The company does offer a 30-‐day free trial of its product.
Differences between plan options include reporting, Google Analytics integration, and the ability to manage additional profiles.
There is much to consider when choosing a social media analytics tool. Many are available on the market today, with more on the horizon. With continued focus on the power and reach of social media, it behooves professionals to choose the best tool, which will help them remain competitive in today’s ever-‐changing global marketplace.