Social Media Roundup: Let’s Focus on the Social Media Tools

We love contradicting ourselves.

The other day in the Social Media Roundup, we gave Chris Brogan’s smartly argued piece (opens in a new tab) on human-focused approaches to social media some play.  He argued, fairly, that spending all your time talking about the tools gets boring.

But even if social media tools do get boring, social media pros still need to understand what they’re doing. So here’s a little more about … um, the tools:

Google+’s Integrated Messaging

(opens in a new tab)

Google+ may not get the love it deserves from the wider social sphere, but as Web.com’s Shashi Bellamkonda points out on SmartBlogs, it totally beat Facebook to its own idea  (opens in a new tab) — fully integrated messaging that works across the company’s platforms seamlessly. Facebook launched it in 2010, Bellamkonda notes, but Google+ perfected it. “Facebook began with a great idea, but in implementation it has so many barriers that make you go through several steps to see your Facebook updates even when you are notified in an email,” he explains. “Until the day comes when you only go to Facebook for all your messages and email falls by the wayside, Facebook has work to do.” (via Maddie Grant on Google+  (opens in a new tab))

Pinterest Goes Business

#Pinterest  (opens in a new tab) Introduces Business Accounts & Tools @mashable  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/y7Pdm1bK  (opens in a new tab) via @ashleyhsullivan  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #tourismchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) November 15, 2012  (opens in a new tab)

About time, right? Realizing that perhaps their market might be a little more diverse than the people who initially made Pinterest a hit (but, we admit it, we love cork  (opens in a new tab)!), the company launched a set of business-focused tools  (opens in a new tab) for the platform on Thursday, including a tool allowing sites to verify their accounts. Already have a Pinterest account? You’re in luck: The company will let you convert your current account to a business account easily. Mashable has more details  (opens in a new tab). (ht @ChatterBachs  (opens in a new tab))

What social media tools can’t you stop talking about, even after you suggested you might stop talking about them? Let us know in the comments.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)