Ok, so those of you who use Twitter, Facebook … etc. for networking purpose on a continual basis know that it can be a huge challenge to follow the right people back, to keep things clean and mainstream right?  Well after spending some significant time on Mashable, I found some relief that I’d like to share with you today.

There are several online and a few desktop apps that will help clean up your social networking life.

First I’ll toss in some good reference articles with direct and fast info:

• 10 Twitter Tools to Organize Your Tweeps (by Josh Catone on Mashable)
• 18 Essential Tools for Every Word-of-Mouth Marketer (by Clay McDaniel on Mashable)

Start reading those two links for in-depth information and immediate direction.

Personally what I’ve found that I enjoy using that is not only free but pretty sweet in the results.

• www.Monitter.com is a great tool to monitor the twitter world in “real time” using keywords that match what others are saying.   This is also hosted so no downloads needed.
• www.google.com/alerts is another fantastic way to keep up in “real time” about topics people are talking about.  You simply enter in your search terms and have them emailed to you “as it happens”, daily or weekly to your gmail account.  This is also hosted so no downloads needed.
• www.backtype.com is a pretty good way to find out several things about your niche, brand or market, or to even find out what others are saying about you!  Find comments that match your business, products, services or other topics of interest.  This is also hosted so no downloads needed.
• We love www.cotweet.com for sure!  This is how business does twitter.  How to use the platform is to invite your staff or “key” twitter contributors and assign them anything from simple tweeting, to follow up on a DM (direct message), monitor keyword and trends and more.  This is also hosted so no downloads needed.
• By Dossy.org, you will find something called Twitter Karma at http://dossy.org/twitter/karma that is a pretty decent tool for finding out who is following you back.  This is simple, direct and pretty useful if you especially have a huge crowd you’re following.  See if they’re following you back and choose if you want to continue to follow them or not.  This is also hosted so no downloads needed.
• www.twitoria.com is another sweet tool!  Now this one basically will tell you how active those people are of whom you are following and allow you to determine if you want to continue to follow them based on their last post time.  For example, you have a list of folks you are following that haven’t spent much time on Twitter in the past month.  You really rather follow those who are more active in the Twitter community.  So find out who on your list has been inactive for the past week, two weeks, month and all the way up to a year.  This is also hosted so no downloads needed.

Now on to desktop apps that is useful and free!

• TweetDeck – love it! It hooks you up to Twitter, Facebook and even Myspace (if you’re into that) and provides friend info, real time mentions about you, DM’s and even recommends users according to your criteria.  I’ve only scratched the surface of what TweetDeck offers, but the fun part is you can tweet or post to Facebook right from the deck!
• Seesmic Desktop is cool software.  It acts like TweetDeck but is a bit easier to search keywords of your interest to find others in the same niche or interest area!   It also connects you to Twitter and Facebook together!

Now, all we’re looking for is “one” platform that does the entire kit-and-caboodle!  If you know of anything close to that, comment away!!!

To a Cleaner Social Networking Experience!!!!!