Listen guys. The most important part of any marketing activity, online or offline – period.

The variety of listening tools out there is mind boggling. I’ve been researching the market for a potential client and SMM (another TLA we could do without), meaning Social Media Monitoring is the start middle and end for any marketer looking to utilise the bewildering set of tools out there to engage with people.

From Alterian’s SM2 to Viral Heat and Hootesuite – the reports and pricing varies enormously. Test drive them all and then decide which one’s the most comfortable and affordable fit.

Once armed, you’ll see what the world is saying about you – good, bad, neutral – and you can then decide what steps to take.

And that’s they big bit! No ‘tools’ out there can help you with that. After all you’re listening to human beings, and you presumeably are human, so deal with it in a way that comes naturally to you – as amember of the human race.