Creating the perfect HootSuite dashboard is an art. It’s a process involving choosing keywords to track, search terms, finding lists, and building lists, in order to get the most out of social media updates from around the world. At a glance, HootSuite’s dashboard organizes the noise of Twitter. It automatically refreshes, it shows conversations, it gives you a quick view of images without clicking on links, etc.

Below, I share my top 5 must have Twitter streams from my Twitter tab. I also have an Inbox/Outbox tab, a Facebook tab, Linkedin tab, and Fun tab, for all the other social profiles HootSuite organizes, but that’s another post. I will admit, I do not have a MySpace tab.

It’s important to set up a dashboard to best suit your needs. Are you just reading what others are saying, or are you actively using Twitter to interact with friends, companies and power users? As a community manager, I use Twitter to watch what people are saying about Invoke, its products, its clients and its projects. I also use Twitter to follow breaking news stories, a select number of friends’ tweets, and any RT to win campaigns. What?! I like free stuff too.

1) @Mentions
This is a standard stream to have, but one of the most important. Quickly see who has included your Twitter handle in a tweet. Collaborate with team members and see if someone has already responded. Never miss mention again. You can easily respond, RT or DM, favourite, email, and assign a message to a team member. For a wider range of mentions, consider create a search column with your brands keywords and URL, which you can also share with a team to track who has replied to the mentions.

2) An influencers Twitter list
I have a tab dedicated to digital lists that I follow. However, I recommend following and monitoring your industry news in at least one stream in your dashboard. By following lists influencers have created you don’t have to spend time creating one from scratch and you will be at the forefront of industry news. A quick Google search with your industry’s keywords will bring up loads of lists to choose from. Keywords like tech, news, magazine’s, design, agency creative, celebrities (just kidding). Find and follow a list then add it to your HootSuite dashboard.

3) The people you work with stream
Never miss an inside joke, where the boss is, a tip from a guy in a different department, etc. Create and manage a Team Twitter list to track real updates of the people you work with. Include all your company’s twitter profiles, products, and people. It great way to track what tweets are going out, give feedback on the laguage being used, and again at a glance, know what everyone is reading / sharing / doing!

4) Clients
Create a stream of your clients Twitter profiles. You can create the stream by draging and dropping or by keyword. A keyword stream will act as a newsfeed, as it will help you stay on top of what they are up to, who they are talking to, what language they are using, what others are saying to them etc. It’s also a huge time saver for finding content to post. You use the stream to write tweets by RT’ing, replying to, and thanking them.

5) RT to win OR comment to win
Ok ok it’s not a must have stream, but it is a great one to have! Create a search stream with “RT to win” OR “comment to win” and just browse some of the campaigns out there. We have had several people in the office win something, and that’s fun!

This list is not complete. What streams do you have in the first tab of your HootSuite, the ones you go to daily?

The next edition gives you a glimpse into a brand new product from the agency that created HootSuite. Invoke is launching Food.ee in late September. Food.ee is a brand new way of ordering food online that’s quick, easy and friendly. Most importantly, the website gets to know you and offers you food to fit your mood based on past orders.

Want to learn more? Subscribe to the newsletter and you’ll land in a draw to win a curry bowl from Rasoee Indian Kitchen in Vancouver. Rasoee is one of Food.ee’s delicious culinary partners.

There are two handy places to can subscribe to Invoke’s newsletter. Meander over to the right hand side of the page (right now) and enter your email address then hit subscribe.

If you happen to be perusing memelabs.com (the home of another great Invoke product) simply scroll to the bottom of any page and you can subscribe to the newsletter there as well.

Check out our inaugural newsletter here.

More importantly, do you need to be? Having a presence on every single social media is not only time consuming, it exhausts valuable resources.  Deciding which networks your brand should be on is now easier, with CMO’s Guide to the social landscape.

From Tumblr to Facebook, the guide is an essential read for brands wanting to better leverage major social media sites. CMO.com has done the research for you, explaining which websites offer the best in customer communication, brand exposure, site traffic and search engine optimization.

For example, did you know that photos properly tagged on Flickr are indexed in search engines and passes links and page rank? Flickr is also a major part of Google’s and Bing’s social search component—increasing search engine rankings organically. Flickr = great SEO.

Or did you know Linkedin doesn’t send as much traffic to your site as Facebook, however, it’s great for brand exposure showing the professional prowess of your organization? Linkedin = not so good traffic to site.

Before diving and creating multiple profiles on every single social site, save time and resources by selecting the best fit for your brand’s goals.  Invoke can help you create a strategy that integrates social engagements across social media channels.

There is a lot of online buzz about Shark Week, and I couldn’t understand what the hype was all about. Apparently, I’ve  been missing out. Not only are the shows informative and intriguing, the folks at Discovery Channel have integrated a great digital marketing strategy to go along with the buzz.

Discovery Channel built an interactive microsite for Shark Week with a high level of engagement for its viewers. Additionally, Discovery Channel generated a lot of publicity by signing on Andy Samberg as the Chief Shark Officer.

The best element that is integrated across all features are the share functions – after every game, puzzle, quiz, or video you view, users are able to easily share it across their social networks via Twitter, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Digg, StumbleUpon and  email.

If the daily programs aren’t enough to satisfy your shark fix, I’ve highlighted a few of the awesome, interactive features below:

What: Tech Cocktail Vancouver 2011
Where: Vancouver, BC
When: July 9, 2011
Why: Partnering with Futurists: BetaLuanch, Tech Cocktail Vancouver, according the its website,  is a literal “cocktail of emerging technology news, people, startups, products, and innovations,” for the true tech enthusiast. Tech Cocktail is a media company focused on celebrating entrepreneurs, emerging technology, and innovation. It aims to engage with the local Vancouver tech community and start-ups and local innovators will have their chance to showcase their products and innovative ideas.
Follow them on Twitter @TechCocktail

What: Online Marketing Summit 2011 – International Tour
Where: Multiple cities
When: Multiple dates

• July 11-13, 2011 – Jersey City, NJ
• July 14-16, 2011 – Boston, MA
• July 18-20, 2011 – Atlanta, GA
• July 25-27, 2011 – Chicago, IL (OMS & Integrated Marketing Technology Expo)
• August 8-10, 2011 – Miami, FL
• August 15-16, 2011 – San Francisco, CA (Social Media Marketing Summit)

Why: The Online Marketing Summit is not a typical conference or tradeshow. It enables attendees to collaborate, network and learn how to execute on the best practices in Online Marketing without an exhibit floor or vendor sales pitch distractions. Learn from workshops, one-on-one personalized labs with experts, thought-leadership presentations and peer-to-peer collaboration on subjects that include social media strategies, web analytics and tracking, eCommerce and integrated marketing. With the 2011 tour, there is a Super Regional format so there is no way that you can miss this event with stops in major cities.
Follow them on Twitter: @OMSummit
And don’t forget to hashtag #OMS11

What: Big (D)esign 2011
Where: Addison, TX
When: July 14-16, 2011
Why: The Big Design Conference is three intense days of learning within the scope of strategy, user experience, mobile, usability, content strategy, career development and code development. Taking place in Addison, Texas, experts will gather from all across the country to present theories, research, experiences and best practices to students, professionals, and executives looking to stay on the cutting edge.
Follow them on Twitter: @BigDesign
And don’t forget to hashtag #bigd11

What: PR News’ Facebook Conference
When: August 9, 2011
Where: San Francisco, CA
Why: The PR News’ Facebook Conference is the only Facebook-focused conference designed with PR & marketing professionals in mind. In a single, fast-paced, interactive day, social media innovators will educate you on how to use Facebook as a PR tool to build a community of influencers and advocates, and forge new relationships in order to drive new business to your organization. From sharing in-depth case studies and Q&A periods, you’ll learn how to get the most out of using Facebook and walk away with tactics to create a Facebook content strategy.
Follow them on Twitter @PRNews
And don’t forget to hashtag #prnfb

What: GROW 2011
When: August 17-19, 2011
Where: Vancouver, BC
Why: GROW is a unique three-day conference that brings together the top minds in business, entrepreneurship, technology and startup investment to inspire and engage the next generation of disruptive entrepreneurs. The conference starts out with a Mentorship Day, an invite-only program bringing together promising Canadian entrepreneurs with leading Silicon Valley founders, influencers and investors. Day 2 is the main conference day including many speakers from founders of fast-growing companies to leading investors and influencers. The conference closes with an exhilarating outdoor adventure day with local insiders taking attendees kite-boarding, hiking, cycling, mountain biking and kayaking.
Follow them on Twitter @growconf
And don’t forget to hashtag #growconf