Almost 100% of social media managers will tell you what the most important part of their job is: organization and preparation. In this fast-paced, constantly evolving industry, your brand not only needs to develop, plan, and schedule content preemptively, but also must be able to produce content at a moment’s notice as social media trends change.
If your social media team and ultimately your brand do not have a centralized location where content can be viewed, scheduled, and quickly edited, this can lead to social media content management disasters. This is why a social media management platform is essential for a successful social media strategy.
- What Does a Social Media Management Platform Do?
- What Are the Top 3 Social Media Management Platforms Today?
- When Is the Right Time to Start Using a Social Media Management Platform?
What Does a Social Media Management Platform Do?
Social media management platforms allow companies to manage multiple social media accounts across departments and devices with a secure, scalable solution. When managing more than one social network, you need a social media management software that will assist you in organizing and scheduling content at the best time for optimal consumer reach.
Furthermore, social media management tools and/or software can assist in monitoring, posting, and tracking social media, and enable you to manage everything from customer service to lead generation all in one place.
What Are the Top 3 Social Media Management Platforms Today?
As social media marketing has evolved, so have the many tools available today to help your social media team perform their tasks successfully and on schedule. The top 3 social media management platforms we recommend are Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer.
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite provides the basic features and tools that many social media management software include, such as monitoring for multiple accounts, scheduling content options (automated or daily entries), and customizable engagement perimeters. However, where Hootsuite stacks up against the competition is with its analytic capabilities. Brands that continually use analytical data as a component in their daily social media strategy, as well as long-term decision-making, will most likely use Hootsuite’s most comprehensive analytics tools. The tools include customizable reports and team productivity insights.
While Hootsuite can cost more in terms of analytics and reporting, having access to this information can be critical for businesses that rely on social media to succeed in their marketing campaigns, and can offer additional data driven insights to make informed business decisions.
Overall, Hootsuite is a great social media management platform for small business to enterprises as their base features are covered at little or no cost depending on the size of the company, total number of users on the account, and the amount of social profiles that our brand will manage. Additionally, with their extensive library to analytics and reporting your brand can tailor your software with additional features if needed (at an additional cost) that can assist your brand in making data driven marketing decisions.
Last but not least, all Hootsuite plans include unlimited scheduled messages, unlimited auto-scheduling, a publishing calendar, and plenty of other tools and features. You can also try Hootsuite’s four plans free for 30 days, which is a great advantage if you prefer and try them before you buy.
Hootsuite Pricing Structure
- Individual: Free plan is available (limited capabilities, especially if you are manage multiple accounts)
- Professional: $49 per month
- Team: $129 per month
- Enterprise: Varies based on needs of Enterprise
*Currently, Hootsuite supports all major social media platforms, so you don’t have to worry about having multiple social media management softwares to cover all the platforms your brand operates across.
To learn more about Hootsuite features and pricing visit: Hootsuite
2. Sprout Social
As a industry leader in social media management software, Sprout Social is the best option for businesses based on features such as scheduling tools and analytics, their user friendly mobile app for both iOS and Android interfaces (this is a must have for any social media marketing manager), and their paid promotion tools which can aid in maximizing Meta posts.
Additionally, what sets Sprout Social apart from their competitors in the social media management software space is their customer relationship management (CRM) feature. This type of built in feature within Sprout Social’s platform allows brands to better serve their social media followers and establish stronger relationships with these types of consumers.
Sprout Social offers a 30-day free trial with any of their plans. During this trial you can utilize the full basic platform to determine if Sprout Social’s content organizing/scheduling features and available reporting capabilities can help you streamline your social media processes and furthermore of the platforms fearure align with what your brand is seeking in a social media management software.
Sprout Pricing Structure
- Standard: $89 per month
- Professional: $149 per month
- Advanced: $249 per month.
*Currently, Sprout Social supports all major social media platforms, so you don’t have to worry about having multiple social media management softwares to cover all the platforms your brand operates across.
To learn more about Sprout Social features and pricing visit: Sprout Social
3. Buffer
For companies with few employees who want to manage social media without a costly management plan, Buffer may be the best budget option. With both free and paid plans, their free plan is one of the best on the market, allowing one user to access three social channels. For an additional $5 per month, a “Team Pack” upgrade will allow unlimited social channels and unlimited users.
Buffer offers a 14 day trial for all plans, and allows you to schedule posts directly on the platform. Similar to other social media management software on the market, Buffers features include a posting scheduling tool, link shortener tool, and optimization tools for hashtags, tags, and mentions across platforms. Additionally, all plans include access to Buffer mobile app along with e-commerce, two-factor authentication, social media support, email support, and access to the Buffer community.
*Currently, Buffer supports all major social media platforms, so you don’t have to worry about having multiple social media management softwares to cover all the platforms your brand operates across.
Buffer Pricing Structure
- Free: $0 per month (up to 3 channels)
- Essentials: $5 per month, per channel
- Team: $10 per month, per channel
- Agency: $100 per month, for 10 channels
To learn more about Buffer’s features and pricing visit: Buffer
When Is the Right Time to Start Using a Social Media Management Platform?
If you haven’t been using one of these tools so far, there’s no time like the present to get started. Set your team up for success by giving them access to the platforms that will help them push your social media content to the right channels on an optimal schedule. You may be surprised by the results that you see!
And of course, if you need any help with your social media content, why not reach out to the marketing experts? At Fullmoon Digital, our team is equipped to help you get noticed on social, reach the right audiences, and create the brand awareness and engagement you’re looking for. Our contact form is always open, so don’t hesitate to get the conversation started.
