
Recent data shows that Around 63% of small businesses use social media as a marketing tool, and it's easy to see why.
- 1 Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have hundreds of millions of users.
- 2 With a consistent social media presence, small businesses can attract customers wherever they are.
But with so many popular platforms, managing multiple social media accounts can become a nightmare. After all, business owners must spend time and energy logging into multiple social media accounts, create posts for each of them and post them as needed throughout the day.
For many small businesses with just a few employees, this is simply not feasible. That's why many small businesses are turning to social media management platforms that allow them to create a strategy complete social network that you can manage from one place.
Investopedia has compared all the major social media management platforms to determine which ones offer the best tools and features for businesses looking to expand their reach on major networks. If you're looking for a platform to help you grow your business, Keep reading to know more.
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What is social media management software?
Social media management software is essential for businesses that want to have an effective social media marketing strategy. After all, Social networks are used by a number unprecedented way for companies to communicate with customers and promote their products and services.
However, social media management software also saves businesses time and money. Whereas otherwise, You would have to manage each social media platform separatelySocial media management platforms allow you to create and schedule posts for multiple platforms in one place.
Plus, you'll have access to valuable engagement tools like idea generation, analytics, and integration with other programs you use. Social media management software also can help you manage and respond to comments, to collect user information for your sales funnel and to target specific audiences with built-in advertising to increase sales.
8 Best Apps for Managing Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for small businesses. You can use it to find new customers, drive traffic to your website, and stay in touch with current customers.
However, the management of the various social media sites and their consumer applications is, at best,, a time-consuming task and at worst, it's nearly impossible. If you really want to manage your social media well, you need the right tools.
Social media management tools can help you automate, analyze, and better control your accounts and dig deeper into social media so you can focus on creating quality content.
These apps can publish the same updates across all your social media accounts, schedule future updates, and help you find the most relevant and effective content and when to post it.
We've tested nearly 50 of the best social media management software solutions, and here are eight of the best for small businesses.
1. Best Overall: Sprout Social
We chose Sprout Social as our primary vendor for their ease of use, publishing and analytics capabilities across all major social media platforms. This vendor also offers one of the longest free trials in the industry.
One of the main advantages of Sprout Social is the 30-day free trial period for all of its offerings. If you're not sure if you really need this software, you can try it for free for a month.
The software currently supports all major social media platforms –Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest-, making it a great option for comprehensive management.
Plans
There are three paid plans to choose from: Standard for $99 per month, Professional for $149 per month, and Advanced for $249 per month. According to Sprout Social, the Professional plan is the most popular because it allows you to manage up to 10 social media accounts in one place.
This plan also includes an all-in-one Socialbox which allows you to read all of their social media posts, a social content calendar, response time and rate analysis reports, Twitter hashtag analysis tools, and many other valuable tools.
With any of these plans, you can also get a mobile app that lets you manage your social media accounts on the go. Sprout Social's standard plan is just $99 per month and includes many of the features of the pro plan, but with this option you can only manage five social profiles.
Advantages
- Free plan available
- Professional plans start at just $29 per month
- 30-day free trial period
- Hootsuite connects to over 20 social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disadvantages
- Some analytical reports have an additional cost.
- The free plan only includes a few tools
- Plans can get expensive if you have a lot of social profiles or spend a significant amount on advertising each month.
2. Best for Analytics: Hootsuite
Hootsuite receives high marks for its monitoring and analytics tools. This software allows you to analyze trends and engagement in real time. Analytics tools also cover regular social media posts and ads.
Hootsuite is on our list of best analytics because it offers one of the most comprehensive social media monitoring and analytics tools on the market, including customizable reports and team productivity reports.
You can also pay for ROI reporting on paid and organic actions, competitor benchmarking, and social listening tools. Although the cost of detailed analytics and reporting is higher, you can also pay for ROI reporting on paid and organic actions, competitor benchmarking, and social listening tools. may increase the price of Hootsuite, access to this information can be crucial for companies that do most of their marketing through social media.
Plans
Hootsuite offers a free plan, but it comes with a limited number of features and only lets you manage three social profiles. The provider offers three payment options: a professional plan for $29 per month, a team plan for $129 per month, and an enterprise plan for $599 per month. Hootsuite also offers customizable plans for larger or more complex installations, but prices may vary.
The corporate enrollment plan can be a good option for small businesses, since allows you to manage 10 social profiles in one placeYou can also create an unlimited number of appointments, although this is limited to just one user. The team plan is available for up to three users, and you can manage up to 20 social profiles in one place.
Please note that all Hootsuite packages include unlimited social messaging, unlimited auto-scheduling, editorial calendar, inbox, and many other tools. Plus, You can try each package for free for 30 days, which is a big plus if you want to try it out first before you buy it.
Advantages
- A free package is provided
- Professional plans start at just $29 per month
- 30-day free trial period
- Hootsuite connects to over 20 social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disadvantages
- Some analytical reports are available for an additional fee.
- The free plan only includes a few tools
- Plans can be expensive if you have a lot of social profiles or spend a significant amount on advertising each month.
3. The best all-in-one tool: Zoho
Zoho It stands out for being an "all-in-one" tool that allows consumers to manage the social aspects of their business in one place, while also managing email, projects, accounting, and webinars.
Zoho offers comprehensive social media management software that can be purchased separately or integrated for complete all-in-one management. Zoho offers two plans for businesses and individuals: a standard plan for $10 per month and a professional plan for $25 per month.
Both plans allow you to publish and schedule posts across multiple platforms, access summary reports and analytics, and integrate with Bitly and URL shorteners.
Plans
The Standard plan is for one brand and up to two team members, while the Professional plan can be used by up to three team members. Both plans allow you to add more team members or social channels for an additional fee.
It should also be noted that there is a free plan with limited features. With Zoho's free plan, you get access for one team member and one brand, as well as the ability to publish multiple posts in one place. offers social networking software for agencies that have at least 10 different brands under their roof.
Benefits
- Zoho offers a customer relationship management product that lets you manage email, projects, accounting, and more under one roof.
- You can integrate Zoho's social media management platform, which works with all major social media platforms.
- Social media planning for individuals starting at $10/month.
- Free plan available
Contrary to
- Agency fees start at $200 per month, which makes it quite expensive.
- Individual and business rates are only charged for two or three team members, with additional users incurring an additional monthly fee.
4. Best for Automation: MeetEdgar
meet edgar It stands out for its automation functions and programmingMeetEdgar also offers continuous posting, meaning relevant posts are automatically selected and shared on your social networks.
This app wins the award for best automation because it is designed to help businesses that are under pressure to automate their communications. It allows you to create posts via a browser extension, set up a category-based schedule to save time and energy, and create persistent posts that keep your audience engaged.
You have access to an unlimited library of content that the platform mixes and schedules on your behalf. You can also set your account to automatically download the latest content and Use an automatic link shortener to save space when sharing content on social networks.
Plans
MeetEdgar offers two basic plans: the Edgar Lite plan for $19 per month and the Edgar plan for $49 per month. Both plans offer similar tools, although the Edgar Lite plan only You can integrate three social media accountsThe most expensive plan also offers 1.000 recurring spots per week, while the Edgar Lite plan only offers 10.
Advantages
- Superior automation and scheduling features allow you to create social media and then forget about it
- Seven days free trial
- Analysis of commitment and responsiveness
- The Edgar Lite plan costs only $19 per month
Disadvantages
- Integrates only with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram
- The cheapest plan only allows three networks
- There is no central inbox to manage messages or comments
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5. Best for large team collaboration: Loomly
Loomly is our first choice for large team collaboration, as the company offers complete plans for teams of up to 26 peopleAll packages also include key features like audience segmentation, previewing, auto-publishing, analytics, and more.
Loomly is a great option for large teams looking to develop a social media strategy together. While the plan basic It is only available for two users, the highest corporate plan can include up to 26 users.
Plans
This application offers the following basic plans: the basic plan for two users for $25 per month, the standard plan for six users for $57 per month, the advanced plan for 16 users for $119 per month, and the premium plan for 26 users for $249 per month.
However, these prices are only available if you pay for annual administration upfront; you'll pay more if you want to pay for the plan monthly.
When comparing the options, you will also realize that Each level of management software has a spending limit on advertising, so if your business spends $5.000 or more on Facebook advertising, you should use the premium plan.
Other characteristics
All Loomly plans allow you to publish an unlimited amount of content and include key features such as audience segmentation, auto-publishing, news sponsorship, engagement tracking, and basic analytics.
Furthermore, You will have customer support via chat and email on all plans. A 15-day free trial is also available, regardless of which level of protection you want to try.
Advantages
- 15 day free trial
- Basic plans start at just $25 a month
- Manage and share all your social assets in one place
- Optimize your messages in real time
Disadvantages
- Plans for large teams can be expensive
- Companies that spend a lot of money on advertising may need a more expensive plan, regardless of the size of their team.
6. Best integration: Sendible
We have chosen Sendible as the best integration provider because of the large number of platforms it can be used with. As a Sendible customer, you can integrate:
- Facebook,
- Twitter,
- Instagram,
- LinkedIn,
- Google My Business (GMB),
- Pinterest,
- YouTube
- WordPress,
- medium,
- Tumblr,
- Can go,
- Google Analytics,
- Google Drive,
- Slack and much more.
A total of 26 different platforms or tools can be integrated with this app. Sendible tops our integration ranking, as it allows you to synchronize with the main social media platforms, as well as popular tools like Canva, Google Analytics, and Slack.
This allows you to manage almost every aspect of your social media strategy in one place and save time.
Plans
Sendible offers four plans for businesses of all sizes: the Starter plan for $24 per month, the Traction plan for $84 per month, the Growth plan for $169 per month, and the Large plan for $254 per month. However, to secure these low prices, you'll have to pay for annual access to the software or pay around 15% more for a monthly plan.
All Sendible packages include up to 10 tails, content publishing, workflow tools, bulk scheduling, keyword tools, and an inbox for engagement and monitoring. However, more expensive plans include more queues, more users, and the ability to manage more social profiles.
The good news is that all of Sendible’s social media management plans offer a 14-day free trial. Plus, you can cancel at any time.
Advantages
- More integration options than other providers
- The handy social media dashboard lets you control your social media tactics in one place
- Basic plans start at $24 per month
- You can save 15% by paying the annual management fee in advance.
- 14 day free trial
Disadvantages
- Basic plans are for a single user
- There are no free options
7. Best Budget Option: Buffer
Buffer is worthy of our ranking, as its plans start at just $15 a month, with the most expensive plan costing just $99 per month. You can try all of Buffer’s plans for free for 14 days, and there’s a free single-user plan that gives you access to three social channels and 10 scheduled posts.
Buffer is the best budget option For small businesses with a few employees who want to manage social media without an expensive management plan, Buffer offers a free plan that gives the user access to three social channels.
However, you can also pay $15 a month for a Pro plan that includes up to eight social channels for one user, $65 per month for a Premium plan that includes up to eight social channels for two users, or $99 per month for a Business plan that includes up to 25 social channels for six users.
Other characteristics
In both cases, you can take advantage of a 14-day trial period to get started, and all plans They allow you to schedule posts directly on the platformOther key benefits of Buffer plans include a post scheduling tool, custom video thumbnails, calendar views, and Instagram tagging.
All plans also include a browser extension, mobile app access, two-factor authentication, social media and email support, and access to the Buffer community.
Advantages
- Prices starting at $15/month
- 14 day free trial
- Free plan available
- Works on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest
Disadvantages
- It doesn't integrate as many major platforms as the competition (it doesn't work with YouTube, for example).
- The most expensive plans only cover up to six users.
8. Best for small teams: SocialPilot
In our opinion, SocialPilot is best suited for smaller teams, as the lowest-tier pro plan only allows three users. In contrast, many competing subscriptions in the cheapest package only allow one user.
SocialPilot is the best choice for businesses that need low-cost social media software for more than one user. The business plan gives access to three users for just $25 a month.
There are a total of three plans available. You can sign up for the Professional Plan with three users and 25 social media accounts for $25 per month, the Small Team Plan with five users and 50 social media accounts for $41,66 per month, or the Agency Plan with 10 users and 100 social media accounts for $83,33 per month.
Please note that after the 14-day trial period, you must pay for one year in advance to take advantage of these special rates.
Other characteristics
All SocialPilot plans include features such as unlimited scheduling, group scheduling, access to social media analytics, browser extension, and customer support.
With SocialPilot premium plans, you can have more users, control more social media accounts, manage more Facebook ad accounts, and have access to special features like client management tools.
Please note that SocialPilot packages limit the number of posts you can create per day. With the professional package, you can only publish 200 posts per day; with the small team package, up to 500 posts per day; and with the agency package, up to 1.000 posts per day for all your clients.
Advantages
- The lowest rate available for up to three users.
- Discount if you pay a year in advance
- 14 day free trial
- Management of at least 25 social media accounts per plan
- SocialPilot works with LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, Google My Business, Vk and Tumblr.
- It can be integrated with Canva, Bitly, Zapier, Box and more.
Disadvantages
- You have to pay a year in advance to get the best price.
- Basic plans don't include many tools and features.
- Each plan limits the number of posts you can publish per day.
Which social media platform is most effective?
For different types of businesses, it makes sense to focus on specific social media platforms. A business with a low-budget app might do better on Facebook, where customers can click directly on the ads, while a travel or luxury clothing brand might work better on Instagram, where it can engage users through visual triggers.
Some argue that Facebook has a significant advantage over other companies, mainly because its remarkable ability to advertise to millions of customers potentials in one place.
Facebook also offers incredibly targeted advertising tools, such as the ability to create and manage multiple audiences based on customizable factors. However, choosing the best social media platform can also depend on how businesses distribute and use advertising.
Last details
Ultimately, a social media management platform, like the one featured in our ranking, can help determine which platforms will give you the best resultsThis is because this type of software offers engagement analytics and reporting to help you determine where to invest your time, energy, and money.
How We Chose the Best Social Media Management Software
For this ranking, we are looking for social media management software that allows users to access most social networks. Also We seek integration with other tools and software and we lean towards providers that allow customers to manage multiple social media accounts across as many networks as possible.
Price was also a big factor in our rankings. We looked at a lot of social media software packages that cost from $100 a month up, but we settled on providers that offer the best value for money. offer free or low cost options cost, as well as a free trial.
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My name is Javier Chirinos and I am passionate about technology. Ever since I can remember, I have been interested in computers and video games, and that passion has turned into a job.
I have been publishing about technology and gadgets on the Internet for over 15 years, especially in mundobytes.com
I am also an expert in online marketing and communication and have knowledge in WordPress development.