5 free, underrated analytics tools for Twitter

Social media analysis and reporting can be a daunting and downright expensive task.

Tools like Radian 6 are phenomenal for companies with large marketing budgets, but for small businesses or companies just starting on Twitter there are several free tools that can provide a great deal of data and analysis.

Every company should use a social media monitoring platform to manage its Twitter account. Free or low-cost social media platforms—such as Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, Seesmic, or Cotweet—allow for customization, list building, and the ability to delegate tasks to other team members.

Here are five analytics tools you need to check out.

5. Klout. Among influence-measuring tools, Klout might be the most notorious. I admit it’s not perfect, but there is still a lot we can gather from it. The actual Klout score is pretty much worthless after you surpass 35, but you can gather an awful lot from the Klout score analysis. For instance, it tells you your overall reach and your top influencers and influencees.