The only really useful answer to the question “Is this social media management product comprehensive?” is another question: “Just how comprehensive do you need it to be?”
Back in March 2014, Direct Marketing News‘ sister publication The Hub asked which of several high profile vendors was winning the “marketing cloud wars.” That was a well-defined topic, because however short of a perfect solution any particular cloud fell, there was relatively clear agreement on what a comprehensive, fully-integrated marketing cloud solution should look like (even if the vision has evolved somewhat in the intervening sixteen months). We wrote:
“There are at least 4 components that every digital marketing cloud should be offering:
1) Multichannel marketing automation – For publishing and promoting content that helps marketers engage customers across several different channels, particularly mobile and social. It also needs automation for the intelligent algorithms that sequence how that engagement happens.
2) Content management tools – To create and manage the content and engagement tools that can be deployed across different channels.
3) Social media tools – For listening to and engaging with social media networks to tap into consumer conversations, responding with custom content, or social media advertising.
4) Analytics platform – To create profiles of consumers based on their online behavior, and evaluate which marketing campaigns are working and which aren’t.”
As is obvious, social media relationship management is part and parcel of any legitimate marketing cloud option. But is there a consistent model of what an independent social media management tool should look like?
No, there isn’t.
Read the full report on the social media management providers here.
