Social media: On a budget

We can all agree that the world of social media is pretty fantastic. Fantastic and expensive. While social media can be a very cost-effective way for organizations to engage audiences, market products and promote the brand; the tools and applications we use often leave a major dent in our social media coin purse. It’s no surprise that the most popular social media tools (iPhones, Macbooks and iPads) are not cheap–totaling over $2,000. (Not to mention the monthly cost of the iPhone). I am by no means insinuiating that we shouldn’t buy these products. Because I can promise you, the second I get a job I’m buying them all. They don’t just look trendy, they make engaging in social media must easier.
This post is dedicated to sharing tips (form a PC and LG phone user) on using social media on a budget. Here are a few tips I have found useful:

1. Use Twitter applications like TweetDeck or Seesmic and keep it open on your desktop at all times to stay updated on conversations.
2. Register your tweets and facebook updates to send to your phone as a text message alert. You do have to pay for the text, but you will be updated of status updates and announcements immediately.
3. Schedule your tweets with sites like Twuffer or HootSuite. So when you’re not connected, you can still provide content.
4. Follow hashtags and conversations on Twitter. Respond to questions and conversations as soon as you receive them so you don’t leave people hanging.
5. Finally, start a savings plan for an iPhone!

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