Social network aggregation

Social network aggregation is the process of collecting content from multiple social network services into a unified presentation. The task is often performed by a social network aggregator, such as Hootsuite or FriendFeed, which pulls together information into a single location, or helps a user consolidate multiple social networking profiles into a single profile. Various aggregation services provide tools or widgets to allow users to consolidate messages, track friends, combine bookmarks, search across multiple social networking sites, read RSS feeds for numerous social networks, see when their name is mentioned on various sites, access their profiles from a single interface, provide "live-streams", and so on. Social network aggregation services attempt to organize or simplify a user's social networking experience, although the idea has been satirized in the concept of a "social network aggregator aggregator". Other related uses of social media aggregators, besides simplifying the user's social networking experiences, exist. Some aggregators are designed to help companies and individuals improve engagement with their brands. This is achieved by creating aggregated social streams that can be embedded into an existing website and customized to look visually intrinsic to the site. This allows potential customers to interact with all the social media posts maintained by the brand without requiring them to jump from site to site. This is beneficial to the company as this will keep customers on the brand's place for a more extended period. Social network aggregation platforms allow members to share social network activity on their social network accounts with companies, such as Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, or Delicious, and other major platforms. Content appears in real-time to other members who subscribe to a particular community, eliminating the need to jump from one social media network to another, therefore, streamlining the process of updating multiple social media platforms individually.