Marketing has changed more in the past 5 years than the previous 30.

Anyone under the age of 35 is already steeped in peer to peer sharing; communicating immediately, continuously online. This is the age of Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Flickr and countless other sharing platforms. We are increasingly connected, even if still anonymous.

Consumers are creating a far closer relationship with companies and brands, and these same companies are welcoming them. Companies are asking consumers to help design products, comment on service, even create advertising. Marketing, in this new era, is less about anticipating consumer reactions, and more about simply asking for them.

We’ve moved from communications aimed at the many, to communications targeted to the few, to communications from the many to the many. Everybody’s marketing to everybody.

Chaos? Only if you aren’t ready to trade control for connectedness. And if you are, here are a few tools we think can help.

  • 1. Listen: Brand Monitoring


    • BackType Alerts BackType Alerts sends you e-mail updates whenever a search term is mentioned in a comment. Receive updates as they happen or in daily or weekly digests. You can also monitor alerts from your Dashboard.BackType Alerts sends you e-mail updates whenever a search term is mentioned in a comment. Receive updates as they happen or in daily or weekly digests. You can also monitor alerts from your Dashboard.
    • Boardreader Boardreader is a search engine for forums and messageboards. Search filters include post types, times, sites, and more.Boardreader is a search engine for forums and messageboards. Search filters include post types, times, sites, and more.
    • Google Alerts Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
    • Groundswell's Social Technographics Tool Groundswell’s Social Technographics Tool is based on analysis by Forrester Research filled with practical, and data-based strategies for companies that want to harness the power of social technologies like blogs, sGroundswell’s Social Technographics Tool is based on analysis by Forrester Research filled with practical, and data-based strategies for companies that want to harness the power of social technologies like blogs, s
    • IceRocket IceRocket is a real-time search engine based out of Dallas, Texas. They have a special focus on displaying the most up to the second results. Search results include: blogs, Tweets, news and images all in real-time. IceRocket’s top blog search tools includIceRocket is a real-time search engine based out of Dallas, Texas. They have a special focus on displaying the most up to the second results. Search results include: blogs, Tweets, news and images all in real-time. IceRocket’s top blog search tools includ
    • Nielson BlogPulse BlogPulse is an automated trend discovery system for blogs. BlogPulse applies machine-learning and natural-language processing techniques to discover trends in the highly dynamic world of blogs. BlogPulse is brought to you by Nielsen.BlogPulse is an automated trend discovery system for blogs. BlogPulse applies machine-learning and natural-language processing techniques to discover trends in the highly dynamic world of blogs. BlogPulse is brought to you by Nielsen.
    • PeopleBrowsr Search Twitter content and users with a variety of filters that help you identify influencers, sentiment, and popular links.Search Twitter content and users with a variety of filters that help you identify influencers, sentiment, and popular links.

  • 2. Connect: Social Publishing


    • MailChimp: Free Email Marketing Tool Mailchimp makes it easy to to send email newsletters to your customers, manage your subscriber lists, and track campaign performance using sophisticated tools such as segmentation, a/b testing, and ROI tracking.Mailchimp makes it easy to to send email newsletters to your customers, manage your subscriber lists, and track campaign performance using sophisticated tools such as segmentation, a/b testing, and ROI tracking.
    • Ning: Build Your Own Social Network Ning lets you create and join new social networks for your interests and passions. As a Ning Network Creator, you have a wide choice of features – videos, photos, chat, music, groups, events, and blogs – in addition to latest activity feature, member profNing lets you create and join new social networks for your interests and passions. As a Ning Network Creator, you have a wide choice of features – videos, photos, chat, music, groups, events, and blogs – in addition to latest activity feature, member prof
    • TubeMogul TubeMogul provides a single point for deploying uploads to the top video sharing sites, and powerful analytics on who, what, and how videos are being viewed. TubeMogul provides a single point for deploying uploads to the top video sharing sites, and powerful analytics on who, what, and how videos are being viewed.
    • TweetDeck: Twitter and Facebook Management Tool TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.
    • Wordpress: Free, Opensource Web Publishing Platform WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

  • 3. Measure: Analytics and Tracking


    • Alexa Alexa has built an unparalleled database of information about sites that includes statistics, related links and more. All of this information can be found on Alexa’s Site Overview pages, Traffic Detail pages and Related Links pages. To access these pages,Alexa has built an unparalleled database of information about sites that includes statistics, related links and more. All of this information can be found on Alexa’s Site Overview pages, Traffic Detail pages and Related Links pages. To access these pages,
    • Google Analytics Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely neGoogle Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely ne
    • HowSociable HowSociable tracks brands across 22 media platforms and displays site-specific and overall brand visibility scores. HowSociable tracks brands across 22 media platforms and displays site-specific and overall brand visibility scores.
    • NetVibes Netvibes is a free web site that lets you personalize your web experience. Manage and update your facebook and twitter accounts from one place, setup a “watch” dashboard to keep track of your favorites subjects, and embed any other widgets that you’re usNetvibes is a free web site that lets you personalize your web experience. Manage and update your facebook and twitter accounts from one place, setup a “watch” dashboard to keep track of your favorites subjects, and embed any other widgets that you’re us
    • Twitterless Twitterless tells you who stops following you and graphs your follower history over time, making this info available in a variety of useful views.Twitterless tells you who stops following you and graphs your follower history over time, making this info available in a variety of useful views.