Researching social media tools, services and software, collating desired features, assessing effectiveness and narrowing potential candidates will require a comprehensive strategy.

These guidelines and comparison tool, created by Mark W. Kaelin for TechRepublic Premium, will help your decision makers evaluate available social media solutions and find the best ones for your business.

From the guide:

FEATURES

In addition to helping you decide which social media platform you should use to satisfy your marketing campaign strategy, your choice of social media management service or software should meet several basic requirements. The priority of each feature will largely depend on your situation and on what your business is trying to accomplish.

Channel specification

If you’re fortunate enough to know that your social media strategy will rely on a specific platform, you should be looking for software or services that specialize in that platform. Just as important, if you don’t know what platform to use, a potential vendor should be able to offer platform suggestions backed by logical reasoning.

Strategic planning

Developing a strategic marketing plan with social media elements isn’t a skill set many businesses have access to in-house. A vendor offering social media management services or software should be able to help your business formulate an effective social media campaign with their experience and technological tools.

Enhance your decision-making process with our in-depth 10-page PDF and spreadsheet. Previously priced at $29, this is now available for download at just $9. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription. Click here to find out more.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 24 hours of dedicated writing, editing and research.