Social Media Examiner’s 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report surveyed more than 2,800 marketers with the goal of understanding how they are using social media to grow and promote their businesses. A surprising 85 percent feel like they don’t know what tools are best.

With new social networks coming into play and social engagement on the rise, the need for tools to simplify social media marketers’ jobs is all the more important.

We all can be overwhelmed managing our company’s social landscape. How many times have you heard these arguments?

“Video marketing is too expensive.”

The power of social media and the role of video marketing in it should not be underestimated. However, making a video can seem daunting and expensive.

Let me introduce you to Directr. This tool “unlocks the power of video for every business with simple tools and built-in smarts.” You don’t need fancy equipment to create an engaging video. Directr provides preset templates on how to frame shots, tips on how to tell your story and guides on what messages you need to get across. Whether you’re a B2B marketer selling a product or a nonprofit promoting a movement, this tool offers an easy way to produce video, connect with your target audience and share it on your web site, YouTube and other social media channels.

“Blogging? Who has the time?”

While marketers understand the value of blogging, we are faced with challenges that hinder us from fully executing our blog strategy and plan. You may want to check out CoSchedule: “Plan Awesome Content. Save A Bunch Of Time.” It’s an easy-to-use tool that helps your content marketing team communicate, complete tasks on time and plan ahead, in addition to improving your content through analytics and scheduling social media messages before you even publish your blog post. Whether you’re a solo marketer or work with a small team, this solution is well worth looking into.

“There’s no way I can make myself stand out on Twitter.”

Are your tweets getting lost in the crowd? Are you desperate for new, fresh followers? Take a look at ManageFlitter: “Work faster and smarter with Twitter.”

This tool helps you grow your business on Twitter, gain insight through analytics and manage multiple Twitter accounts efficiently. What’s pretty cool is the ‘PowerPost’ feature. PowerPost has a unique interface that allows you to quickly see the best time to post Tweets based on your account. Give your Twitter account a boost and help reach more of your followers with every Tweet.

Here at Interprose, we recently made the decision to adopt a new social media metrics and analysis tool – Sysomos. This social intelligence engine drives better decisions and allows you to “research what you want, when you want, as often as you need.” We use the tool to quickly and easily build custom-built reports jam-packed with targeted analysis, including competitive benchmarking and market research reporting on campaign or event performance. Our clients are then able to benefit from deep social insight and we’re able to tailor and adapt their social media strategy to what works specifically for them.

It’s so important for marketers to invest the time in finding the right tools to do our jobs effectively and efficiently. I encourage you to take advantage of the digital tools that are available to ensure you’re maximizing and supporting your social media campaigns to the fullest.

What social media tools are you using that help you work smarter, not harder? Let me know by leaving a comment below – I welcome the suggestions!