The Best Social Media Management Tools
The concept and task of posting something on social media has become an afterthought for most small business owners. It’s not easy to run an entire business, and then act as your own marketing agency. But, if you read about why you should be scheduling your social media posts, you’ll soon feel like a marketer first, business second!
In this article, we’re going to be going over 4 different social media management platforms (plus a bonus!!), the goods and the bads, and why you should be choosing one over the other. In case you need to be convinced on why you should be using a social media management tool here’s a brief recap :
Post on multiple social media platforms
Plan out copy more strategically
Roadmap and schedule an entire campaign
Post more
Focus on other aspects of your business
With that being said let’s jump into the different tools you can be using to grow your business today!
1. Hootsuite
Price: Free - $49+/Month (Professional Plan)
Pros:
One of the first social media management tools
Extensive analytics for both organic and paid social media marketing
Manage different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and more!
Cons:
The free plan for Hootsuite is very limited to the tools you are provided
If you are looking for more detailed analytics, you will be paying an additional cost
If you plan to manage many different accounts, you will end up having to upgrade your plan
Takeaway:
Hootsuite has been the standard among social media agencies since its inception, mainly because it was one of the first social media tools made! If your business’s marketing campaigns rely solely on the performance and results that originate from your Social Media Accounts, then look nowhere else for a management tool other than Hootsuite. Even with its higher price tag and limited free account, investing in a tried and true tool to help your business will help scale your business.
Price: $99+/Month (Standard Plan)
Pros:
Scheduling posts is made easy through their user interface
The user dashboard allows you to see all of your social media accounts (Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / etc.) as well as inboxes in one central location
Manage different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and more!
Cons:
No free plan to utilize the platform (however there is a 30 day free trial for all plans)
Limited amounts of social profiles you can manage per plan tier (however, you can purchase additional accounts without having to upgrade your plan)
Takeaway:
Sprout Social has become a standard to use alongside other management tools. Sprout social focuses heavily on the unity of all social media accounts and allows users to access a universal inbox with all of their DMs and messages. If you are looking for in-depth analytical reports, you’ll have to upgrade to a higher tier plan. However, if you are looking for a solid tool to just simply keep all of your social accounts in one place, check out Sprout Social!
3. SocialPilot
Price: $30+/Month (Professional Plan)
Pros:
Schedule up to 500 posts (images and articles) in advance
Access to a universal inbox across all social accounts (Small Team Plan and higher)
Manage different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and more!
Cons:
No free plan to utilize the platform (however there is a 14 day free trial for all plans)
In order to receive discount pricing, yearly cost is to be paid upfront
Detailed analytics require higher tiered plans
Takeaway:
SocialPilot is an amazing tool for agencies, not necessarily small businesses. There is some overlap between the features that benefit both agencies and small businesses, however. The ability to bulk upload up to 500 posts with a single .csv screams automation. However, it seems as if SocialPilot was made to be white labeled as it explicitly says in their “Agency” plan.
4. Buffer
Price: Free - $5+/Month per channel (Essentials Plan)
Pros:
Free plan can accomplish most basic tasks such as scheduling up to 10 posts per channel
Create a quick landing page for your business in minutes if you don’t have one
Manage different platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and more!
Cons:
Free plan only supports 3 channels
Analytics are only required on Paid plans
Price can become more expensive as new channels are added
Takeaway:
Coming in at the most competitively priced social media management tool, users can try out Buffer for free. Forever… but as long as they utilize 3 channels, and don’t require analytics, and don’t expect to schedule out more than 10 posts at a time. In reality, Buffer is an amazing choice for those solopreneurs starting out; however, as you begin to use more and more channels, you might find benefit in looking to other social media management tools on this list.
Bonus: Meta Business Suite
Price: Free
Pros:
A 1st party tool to help you manage your Facebook Business Page and Instagram Business Account
Have a universal inbox between your Facebook and Instagram account
Manage different platforms such as Facebook and Instagram
Cons:
No access to manage other channels
Analytics are kind of basic compared to other platforms
User interface is unintuitive at times
Takeaway:
Coming in with a little bonus for those of you who just Facebook and Instagram currently to market your business! Meta Business Suite is a great way to start your journey in learning the power of social media management tools and how they can help your business scale. However, do not let Meta Business Suite be your end all be all solution for social media management. Instead, challenge yourself to post on multiple platforms, create content specifically for each, and continue to market yourself!