This list of social media aggregators will help you organize all your social Web 2.0 connections into one place.
Catch it All in One Place
If you are like me, you lose touch and miss things on your social media accounts as you’re just too busy to keep track of it all. Yet, social connections with coworkers and students can be a great way to extend learning and professional development opportunities outside the classroom.
Social media aggregators are a potential solution to managing all your posts and accounts in one place. It also makes it easier to post a cool item to more than one location at the same time, in one shot.
I evaluated the following tools, and have placed them here in the order of my personal preference. Note that my preference is based on these needs (which may differ from yours):
Aggregation of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN and Google+
Aggregation of Instant Chat accounts (AIM, Skype, MSN, GoogleTalk)
RSS News Reader (as the Google reader will be phased out in the next year).
TweetDeck- http://www.tweetdeck.com/
Pros – It is free. Available for PC, Mac, and on mobile devices. Allows several social media accounts to be added.
Cons- I was able to add one Facebook account, and several Twitter accounts, but then it would not let me add more. It says you can add more than one Facebook and also add in LinkedIN. I’ve yet to figure out how. No Google+.
HootSuite – http://hootsuite.com
Pros – A free plan. A very long list of social media tools that can be included. They even have an app for Evernote. One can also have a ‘corporate’ plan that would be a good way to manage corporate/business social media accounts.
Cons – The free plan only allows 5 social media accounts. The paid plan allows as many social tools/accounts as you want, but is really expensive (10.00 a month). Only a browser tool: No desktop or mobile tools.
Digsby - http://www.digsby.com
Pros – it is free. PC desktop tool. Ability to create a ‘widget’ for the tool for a website. Includes aggregation of not only social media, but email and Instant Chat (MSM, AIM, Google Talk, Skype, etc.) too. Aggregates the most popular social tools: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIN.
Cons – No Mac tool (the site says it is coming). No mobile apps. Doesn’t include other important social media tools, such as Google+.
Sobees - http://www.sobees.com/
Pros – It is free. iPad app, desktop (PC) and browser options. Aggregates the most popular social tools: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIN.
Cons – Desktop tool is for PCs only, not Mac. Doesn’t include other important social media tools, such as Google+.
Multimi – http://free.avg.com/ww-en/multimi
Pros - It is free. Most of the main social media accounts can be tracked here, including email.
Cons - Only a desktop tool, PC only (that I could find), which in the modern mobile and Apple age seems a serious drawback. No browser tool.