Social media marketing and measurement has become a necessity for success on the Web, forcing many companies to expand their staffs, outsource to expensive firms or both. HootSuite has been an effective and affordable option for many online businesses in the short time the space has existed, and the recent launch of a new analytics platform has been welcomed by more than a million users.

Updates to the Web-based dashboard include a brand new interface, much-improved reporting capabilities and new metrics that allow for deeper monitoring of Twitter, Facebook, Google and other services. The demand for social media management and analytics tools is rapidly approaching the supply, and companies such as HootSuite, Radian6, Involver and Sprout Social are doing their best to keep up.