Photo by _ltwp

You’re active on Twitter, have a blog going, are developing your company’s LinkedIn page all while being ‘fan’-ed on Facebook. You’ve learned the social media ropes, but how do you manage it all day-to-day?

It’s not only time consuming to visit each social network page, but also inefficient. Luckily, there are several options once you learn some social media functions. The social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) can be accessed and maintained through third party applications.

I have mentioned some tools before, but this time lets take look at practical applications.

My all time favorite social media control center is Tweetdeck. WHY? Because this application is all about organization!

In Tweetdeck you can:

• Organize social networks and searches into separate columns. I have my Twitter feed, LinkedIn updates, Facebook news (live) news feed and my twitter searches all on ONE screen. It may sound insane and chaotic, but it’s great for spot checking topics and trends.
• Manage multiple Twitter accounts. Talk about an amazing feature! I volunteer and tweet for some local non-profits and I can address all their Twitter updates from one screen.
• Add, create and manage Twitter lists. For those that adamantly use their lists- it’s a great new feature.
• You can update LinkedIn. This makes the list because LinkedIn is different from Twitter and Facebook updates. It represents (or should) a more professional demeanor.
• You can upload a video or picture. That’s right! You can add pictures and videos from Tweetdeck.

Once you’ve learned some social media basics and have developed a strategy, taking on a third party application is a great way to maintain your goals, personally or professionally.

Here’s what I do on Tweetdeck:

• Follow chats on Twitter. There are a number of insightful professionals and enthusiasts that talk. ALOT. Why not follow their conversation? It’s the socially acceptable form of public eavesdropping. (My favorites: #MNbloggers, #YPCTC, #u30pro)
• Follow company and non-profit hashtags. I’ve been helping with a few businesses and non-profits and this is a great way to have brand control. I can see what people are saying about the organization without digging too much. I can also see what goes viral, and what doesn’t.
• Keep track of my LinkedIn updates. It’s important to nurture relationships. By having my LinkedIn updates on my Tweetdeck I can see what my network is doing. If I see that people have jumped into a new position or title, why not congratulate them on their accomplishment?

What are you using to maintain your social networks and remaing part of the constant stream of information?

Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, social networks, tweetdeck, Twitter