TechNOWlogy

Geoff Jones

Social media is an essential part of a comprehensive marketing strategy these days. But keeping up with posting messages to multiple platforms and collecting analytical data that shows how Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn really help a firm is a challenge. Maximizing the brand development potential of social media requires constant attention and coordination.

This is where social media management software comes into play. These tools can make it simple and easy to manage social media marketing by ensuring a campaign is properly timed and targeted, while reducing the time and effort normally required for sustained success.

Paid Option

If you are looking for advanced analytics — with the ability to manage multiple platforms and accounts with enhanced tracking — free options won’t cut it. Starting at $49 per month, the Hootsuite Professional package for a single user provides access to 10 social media accounts in one place, all with one password. This platform provides a quick snapshot of your content to see what’s resonating with target audiences. Hootsuite Analytics allows you to create customizable reports, providing key data with an easy-to-use display. The “best-time-to-publish” feature gathers insights based on previous engagement, tailored to each of your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. The messaging feature provides a single view of messages across multiple networks in your inbox. Hootsuite provides a 30-day free trial, so new users can take a test drive before making a financial commitment.

Free Option

Buffer is a robust platform that allows users to post to several social media platforms — including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram — and then view the interaction. The free plan allows users to manage three social profiles with up to 10 posts you can store and schedule in your queue (per channel). There is no monthly or annual limit. The scheduling feature allows the user to set time slots throughout the week for content to be released and then view them all in a calendar view, with the ability to use different messages on different platforms. Buffer is simple and straightforward while also providing flexibility. You can start with the free plan, then upgrade for $5 per month to add analytics, insights and reporting tools that provide an overview of key metrics (impressions, engagements and new followers, etc.). The upgrade also allows you to see a history of your published posts, store data, analyze campaigns and audience demographics, and more.

Source: Buffer