If you're looking for "Easy Street", then you came to the right place. We're asking you to STOP your search because there is none. The reality is that in order to do social media monitoring right,

it takes hard work and commitment. From the mechanical processes of discovering content, purposing it for your requirements, and moving to the "now what" stage, there are many moving parts and manually intensive practices which cannot be fast-tracked or skipped.

At the human intervention stages, things don't get any easier. Even when things are humming along nicely, managing audience interests and inquiries can be taxing on resources. When things go wrong online, we've seen months and sometimes years pass before things clear up to manageable levels - this even for companies and brands with stellar models of outreach and community engagement.

This all said, instruments and tools can greatly improve your ability to keep things at manageable levels by affording the time to impart the expertise and undivided attention your projects deserve. Winning over audiences requires more of "you" and less of the tools used, and having the mechanical portion handled competently and with timeliness improves your chances of keeping a positive flow in the attention economy and resolving contentious issues amicably whenever they arise.

As well intentioned as it might be to keep your budgets on course, using the right instruments and tools for the job is important. Don't get caught up with the "free" banner being waved online when it comes to managing your social media monitoring and listening requirements. There is a significant cost to human resources and to the outcome of your projects when things either get missed, or time and attention gets divided by "free" tools that limit your output to a half-baked idea.

Knowing what we do about the availability of tools and the way monitoring and listening ought to be done (we suggest checking an excellent list of vendors on Twitter compiled by @gilliat), make sure your bosses and managers are made aware of the available options. Selling them on "free" is not fiscally responsible, and when stared in the face with the fact that the average cost of paid tools will run you approximately half the cost of a junior researcher or paid intern, it's a stern advisory which can help you avoid the hot waters of corporate governance.

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