One of my favourite listening/monitoring tools for social media is Hootsuite. I find Hootsuite to be very user-friendly, easy to use, popular in the social community, and you can tailor your dashboard to provide specific information that is of interest to you and/or your business (i.e.: following certain accounts, specific hashtags, mentions, topics). I also appreciate the free training services that Hootsuite offers, which isn’t solely focused on how to better use their interface/platform. Hootsuite provides training that helps the user better understand topics, such as gathering and analyzing social media metrics or best practices (for consideration) to boost performance on specific platforms. Lastly, Hootsuite is a platform that allows the user to monitor/listen across various platforms and generate analytical reports in one place.
Another listening/monitoring tool that I favour may not be considered an actual “tool”, but rather, a platform – TikTok. I find TikTok is the birthplace of trends – whether it’s fashion, affordable Amazon finds, recipes, or “life hacks”, if a topic blows up on TikTok, we all hear about it – and very quickly. Not only does the content inform users of what’s trending or relevant, but we can also observe what is being said in the comments section of each video among users (and sometimes, the conversations themselves go viral).
In terms of news sources or where I gather updates, I rely heavily on my Apple News app, and shockingly, Instagram.
I receive Apple News notifications to my phone daily on emerging stories/issues (within Canada/Ottawa and internationally) so I can stay in the loop on current events. The notifications are concise, yet informative, and the app serves as a “hub” where I can access various articles from a multitude of sources.
As of recent, I’ve found Instagram to be a useful tool for staying informed as well. For example, when news broke out about abortion rights (or lack thereof) in the U.S., many of my female followers were sharing infographics, screenshots of news articles, and their own personal opinions on their Instagram stories. People are becoming more opinionated and comfortable speaking out about issues that matter to them on their platforms, which I can appreciate; Instagram is no longer serving as a platform where everyone’s lives are “picture perfect”.
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 