Allie MacPherson
By Allie MacPherson on August 05, 2024

Choosing a social media platform that fits your business needs

With so many options, here are 5 social media content management tools to consider

Social content management should be at the forefront of any social marketer’s mind - the tool or platform you choose impacts the effectiveness of your brand’s social media presence. Social media management tools are software solutions that allow you to manage multiple social media accounts from one place. They do a lot, but are most commonly used to help with content scheduling and publishing, monitoring, engagement and performance tracking.In this blog we will discuss some of the different tools available and how to create and map your social media strategy to the platform that will best support your organization.

Overview of social media management platforms

There are many social media management tools available these days so it’s critical to understand the differences between each before making a decision. First, let’s explore some of the more widely used tools through the lens of ease of use, interface design, platform integration, analytics & reporting and pricing.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is one of the original social media management tools. It’s used by millions around the world and is  especially popular amongst individuals and small-to-medium businesses.

Like its competitors, Hootsuite allows for the management of multiple social media streams and the dashboard is customizable. The reports tool is also customizable and measures typical metrics like engagement rates, click-through rates and follower growth. While Hootsuite does have a relatively straightforward user-interface, learning all of the features and where to find things can take some getting used to for many users.

It supports Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Threads. 

Hootsuite is great for an individual or for teams, as it does allow for multiple users and access/permission management. Many like it for its scalability and pricing plans. While there is no free tier plan, there is a Professional plan at a lower cost that offers one user, 10 social accounts and unlimited post scheduling for business that don’t need anything too complex. 

Another feature many users like is its app directory – it can be integrated into tools like Salesforce, Asana, Figma and others. And finally, Hootsuite Insights, powered by Brandwatch, is an add-on package for Business and Enterprise plans, with listening capabilities to help you monitor what’s being said about your brand and corresponding sentiment and trend detection. 

Hootsuite Pros: Supports a broad range of social networks, good for bulk and highly customizable reporting

Something to consider: The platform interface has a bit of a learning curve, and while it has a lower entry-level price point, it can become expensive as features are added 


HubSpot

HubSpot has a lot to offer as a social media management platform, especially if you already use Hubspot as your CMS, CRM or for landing pages. Since it’s native to the system it requires no additional integration. HubSpot has a good hold on the SMB market because it has such a comprehensive CRM and easy-to-use marketing automation tools. 

HubSpot has a user-friendly interface and it integrates with major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube (Marketing Hub Enterprise subscription required).

Its customizable dashboards and reporting tools extend to its social media platform, too, allowing users to access detailed reports on performance, post engagements, interactions and even ROI. Depending on your subscription level, there are some reports that include contact-level analytics, illustrating how social media can translate to leads or sales. 

HubSpot offers a few subscription levels, but to utilize their social media platform you need to be on at least Professional.

HubSpot Pros: User-friendly interface, excellent integration with marketing automation, strong CRM features

Something to consider: To access more advanced tools, HubSpot can be more expensive than other platforms, and it does contains some complex features that require training


Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a popular choice among large enterprises and Fortune 500 companies. It supports enterprise-level users who need extensive social media management capabilities over a number of platforms and geographies. 

Designed to handle large volumes of data, Sprinklr can be quite complex for everyday users and has very customizable workflows for specific needs, with in-depth analytics, customizable reports, real-time data processing and visualization tools. One feature that stands out is the ability to integrate across digital channels, not just social media, though it does integrate with all the major platforms, including Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube and many other niche platforms globally. 

Sprinklr is highly customizable and works off a quote system based on services and scale. 

Sprinklr Pros: Extremely powerful for large enterprises, offers extensive customization

Something to consider: Users tend to find Sprinklr a more expensive option that is somewhat complex with a steeper learning curve than alternatives. Smaller organizations might find this tool to be more than they really need. 


Sprout Social

Sprout Social is used by companies of all sizes around the world. In particular, mid-size businesses like it because it provides a relatively simple, robust tool with a gentler learning curve. Its user interface is easy to navigate for new users and it offers customized dashboards and reports, including analytics around engagement metrics, audience growth and campaign effectiveness. It integrates with Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, and other services like Google My Business. 

A standout feature is Sprout’s performance reporting using Labels and Campaigns. Labels are universal tags to keep your content organized and for more in-depth analysis. Campaigns are a specialized tag to report on the success of your campaigns to stakeholders. Sprout Social also offers advanced listening as an add-on to monitor conversations, compare against competitors and discover trends. 

Sprout Social Pros: Comprehensive analytics, user-friendly interface, strong customer service

Something to consider: Smaller businesses often find Sprout to be overkill for their needs. Coupled with a higher higher starting price point, some seek other platforms


Zoho Social

Zoho Social is quite popular among small and medium-sized businesses and is part of a larger suite of Zoho products, all of which are affordable and have strong integration capabilities. 

In terms of usability, most customers report a very friendly user interface, customizable dashboards and a very straightforward navigation and setup. Zoho also offers real-time analytics with insights into audience demographics and engagement. 

It integrates with Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Mastodon, YouTube and Google My Business.

Zoho Social Pros: Cost-effective, great for small to medium-sized businesses, integrates well with other Zoho products

Something to consider: Less powerful analytics and performance options, fewer advanced features for more sophisticated content management

Integrations

When selecting a social media management platform, consider the most important features that will deliver the most value to your organization and help you achieve your brand’s social media goals.

Social media content management platforms

Interested in learning more about social media content management or talking about how to use it to your advantage? Give us a shout!

Published by Allie MacPherson August 5, 2024
Allie MacPherson