In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses need to maintain a strong and consistent presence on social media platforms. Whether you're a small business owner or a social media manager for a large corporation, managing multiple social media accounts can be both time-consuming and overwhelming. Fortunately, social media management tools are designed to make this process significantly easier and more effective.
But with so many tools on the market, how do you select the best one? In this article, we'll dive into some of the best social media management tools currently available, assess their features, pricing, and unique capabilities. These tools will not only save you time but improve your social media engagement, increase productivity, and even help you measure your social media ROI.
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the most well-known social media management tools, and for good reason. It offers a robust platform for managing multiple accounts across various social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. With its easy-to-use dashboard, you can schedule posts, track social media trends, and engage with your audience across all platforms in one place.
Some standout features include the ability to bulk-schedule posts, meaning you can upload several pieces of content at once. Hootsuite also provides deep insights and analytics that measure post-performance, engagement levels, and helps identify optimal times to publish your content.
- Free plan: Limited to 1 user and 3 social profiles.
- Professional plan: $49/month (up to 10 social accounts).
- Team plan: $129/month (up to 20 social accounts and 3 users).
Overall, Hootsuite stands out for its scalability, making it ideal for both small businesses and large enterprises alike.
2. Buffer
Buffer is another well-established and user-friendly social media management tool. It allows you to schedule and publish content across various platforms quickly, all while offering a clean and intuitive interface. Best of all, Buffer is known for its fantastic customer support and ongoing product improvements.
Buffer primarily focuses on simplicity in post-scheduling and managing different social accounts. It also includes features like suggestions for post timing and a browser extension, which allows you to share content from any webpage with no hassles.
What sets Buffer apart is its integrated set of tools for publishing, analytics, and engagement. This allows you to monitor how your audience interacts with your posts, and you can use these insights to refine your social strategy over time.
- Free plan: Limited to 1 user and 3 social profiles.
- Essentials plan: $6/month per social channel (advanced analytics and integrations).
- Team plan: $12/month per social channel (more collaboration features).
Buffer's simple and effective tools make it a great option for freelancers, small businesses, and organizations that are new to social media management.
3. Sprout Social
If you’re looking for a tool that provides deeper analytics and audience insights, then Sprout Social could be the perfect choice. Sprout Social is widely regarded for its intelligent data collection tools, making it ideal for businesses that need analytics to inform social strategies. This tool focuses heavily on team collaboration, message scheduling, and detailed performance reports.
What sets Sprout Social apart from the competition is its built-in customer relationship management (CRM) tool. This allows your team to manage customer relationships, create detailed profiles of your social audience, and respond to brand mentions efficiently. Additionally, Sprout Social offers powerful social listening tools, helping you track important keywords and trends relevant to your brand.
- Standard plan: $249/user/month (up to 5 social profiles).
- Professional plan: $399/user/month (up to 10 social profiles).
- Advanced plan: $499/user/month (up to 10 social profiles, advanced analytics and reporting).
Sprout Social’s comprehensive approach makes it an ideal choice for businesses that prioritize data-driven strategies and effective social media performance tracking.
4. Later
Later is particularly popular among visual-based platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, though it can manage other platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well. As a visual planner for Instagram, Later puts extra emphasis on helping you create aesthetically pleasing content with its drag-and-drop calendar.
Later includes features for scheduling posts, but what sets it apart from other tools is its focus on post planning. With Later, you can organize and preview your Instagram feed in advance and ensure a cohesive look across your posts. This makes it a favorite among brands that rely heavily on Instagram for branding and marketing purposes.
While Later is beneficial for visual content planning, it also provides basic analytics to help track engagements, impressions, and clicks.
- Free plan: 1 social set, 30 posts per social profile per month.
- Starter plan: $18/month (60 posts per social profile).
- Growth plan: $40/month (unlimited posts, analytics, and team collaboration).
Later is perfect for content creators, designers, and businesses that thrive with aesthetically-driven platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.
5. AgoraPulse
AgoraPulse is a highly-rated social media management tool, known for its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support. What makes AgoraPulse stand out is its social inbox that aggregates messages, comments, and brand mentions from various social platforms, allowing you to manage them from one central location.
In addition to post-scheduling and management, AgoraPulse offers excellent functionality for analytics and reporting. Their reports are easy to create and even easier to interact with, providing valuable insights about your social media performance. The platform also integrates well with team workflows, enabling users to assign tasks and keep track of what’s happening with their social media channels in real-time.
AgoraPulse's social listening features let you monitor the conversations happening about your brand or competitor on social platforms. These features allow you to stay connected with your audience and pivot your strategy whenever necessary.
- Free plan: 3 social profiles, 1 user.
- Pro plan: $99/month (10 social profiles, 2 users).
- Premium plan: $199/month (20 social profiles, 4 users, reporting).
AgoraPulse’s excellent blend of features makes it a powerful tool for businesses that focus heavily on social media engagement and real-time conversations.
Comparison Table: Key Features
| Tool | Best Known For | Free Plan Available | Starting Price (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Scalability for businesses of all sizes | Yes | $49 |
| Buffer | Simple and effective scheduling | Yes | $6 per social channel |
| Sprout Social | Comprehensive analytics and reporting | No | $249 per user |
| Later | Planning visual content | Yes | $18 |
| AgoraPulse | Social inbox management | Yes | $99 |
Conclusion
Choosing the right social media management tool is crucial for saving time, increasing engagement, and growing your brand presence online. The best tool will depend on your specific needs and goals. If you’re focused on scaling your social activities across multiple platforms, Hootsuite and Sprout Social are excellent choices, particularly for larger teams. For businesses that rely heavily on visual marketing, Later offers unique visual planning features that can differentiate your Instagram feed from others.
Small businesses or solo entrepreneurs who need a budget-friendly yet effective solution may find Buffer and AgoraPulse to be the best picks. At the end of the day, you should consider your specific goals, budget, and team size when choosing a social media management platform.
Regardless of which platform you choose, using a social media management tool will streamline your workflow, help you connect with your audience more effectively, and ultimately drive better results from your social media campaigns.
