Links and tools
for social media teams

Social media news and information

There are a wide range of websites and organisations that offer guidance, training and information on social media. Reading a few articles a week can really help you get a feel for the different networks, and pick up invaluable ideas to try on your own campaigns.

  • Social Media Examiner -
    Simple site provides regular updates, tips and stories from the industry.
  • Nonprofit Tech for Good -
    Comprehensive guides to social media networks for charities. Offer a regular e-newsletter.
  • Directory of Social Change -
    UK-based charity organisation provides a wealth of information, including training courses and guides in their 'Marketing and communications' section.
  • Charity Comms -
    A wealth of information in their Knowledge Hub, including digital/social media.
  • Charity Digital News -
    More 'techie' site, but includes some interesting articles on social media after a search on their site.

Image editing

The right image can make all the difference on social media, ensuring your post gets noticed and encouraging people to engage. Here are some free tools for making the most of your images.

  • Pic Monkey -
    Simple online image editor allows you to resize and touch up images as well as add captions and effects. Also includes a collage feature, perfect for presenting large numbers of images and creating Facebook/Twitter cover photos.
  • Paint.net -
    Powerful free image editor with many similar tools to expensive packages such as Photoshop, has a friendly and familiar user interface.
  • GIMP -
    GIMP is a free, open source alternative to Photoshop. It is extremely powerful but with a complex interface, so may be for more advanced users or those with time to get to know the software.

Free stock images

Finding the right image can sometimes be a challenge, but if you’re struggling to take your own photographs to fit the post, it might be time to look for a stock image. Many stock image sites are expensive and will take legal action if you use their images without paying. Here are a few free stock image sites to help avoid this.

  • Pexels -
  • Pixabay -
  • Unsplash -

Management tools and analytics

Social media management tools help to put all social media content in one place, reducing the need to switch between accounts. They may also include tools for measuring campaign performance, although this is often on paid versions only. There are many many options, but some useful tools with good free options include:

  • Tweetdeck –

This tool allows you to have an overview of your Twitter account on one page, i.e. notifications, twitter feed, messages, your posts and certain # monitoring. You can also schedule tweets in advance using the tool which is really handy.

  • Hootsuite -
    Good free plan allows you to include up to three accounts. Feeds let you see posts, comments and replies on the networks, as well as post and schedule content.
  • Cyfe -
    Billed as an 'all-in-one business dashboard', Cyfe offers a dashboard to which you can add a wide range of feeds and performance charts. While you can't post directly from the app, you can keep track of engagement, hashtag performance and website visits in one place.
  • Keyhole -
    Simple free hashtag tracker allows you to view the popularity of any hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. Free reports are for a maximum of 7 days, so be quick - paid options to extend this are very expensive.
  • Google Analytics - analytics.google.com
    Allows you to see how much traffic you receive from social networks across your site, and examine what people do once they've arrived. If not already available, this may require setup from your website company.

For further information or to discuss any of the issues covered above, please contact a member of the Headway UK Social Media Team on 0115 924 0800 or

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