Social media is one of the foundations of internet marketing today. They allow you to present your brand and products to a wide audience, easily reach new customers and direct contact with existing ones. Being present on the largest social media platforms is therefore an absolute necessity in most industries at a certain stage of the company’s development.
However, conducting extensive marketing in social media is very demanding. Each platform in social media has its own rules – it has a slightly different user profile, puts emphasis on different elements and uses a different technology, so that the marketer has to adapt to the communication code prevailing there. Usually, we will not post the same content on a TikTok or Twitter profile (or at least not in the same form) as on Instagram or LinkedIn. For this reason, when running company profiles on various websites, we have to generate a lot of different content, tailored to a given website.
In addition, it is necessary to use separate applications for each medium, and sometimes, in addition, to switch between several profiles within one platform – all this in real time in order to answer customer questions as quickly as possible and react to current events. It cannot be denied that in terms of logistics, this is a huge challenge.
Social media tools
Platforms that, thanks to API (Application Programming Interface) integration, allow you to manage profiles on many social networks within one tool come to the rescue. Thanks to this, using one “combine”, we can – depending on the functionality offered by a given product – plan automatic publication of posts, reply to comments, talk to users via private messages, and analyze statistics on reach, engagement or the number of subscribers and generate reports from it. What are the most popular tools and what exactly do they offer?
Hootsuite
Hootsuite, apart from the basic functions, also allows you to set an alarm that will notify the user of a non-standard increase in activity on our profiles. As you know, immediate reaction allows you to minimize any crises. Hootsuite also allows you to analyze frequently used words in a given situation, so that we can properly formulate the messages we need. Setting the right parameters also allows you to connect and advanced analysis of the effectiveness of posts in Google Analytics.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration with over 20 social networks – including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter,
– Post publication planning,
– The ability to receive and send private messages for some portals,
– Charts regarding the reach of individual posts, collective charts and the possibility of comparison with competing fan pages,
– Built-in link shortener,
– Possibility of integration with advertising systems,
– mobiles applications for androids and ioses.
Postplanner
Postplanner connects to the most popular portals and allows you to plan posts using a convenient calendar. Integration with Canva also allows you to easily create graphically friendly content.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration with 5 social networks: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest,
– Planning, editing and targeting of posts,
– Sorting posts in terms of range, number of comments or reactions,
– Displaying the most popular posts on a topic from different platforms for guidance and inspiration
– File hosting,
– The ability to create graphics using Canvy,
– Algorithms to evalsuate the potential of a given post.
Loomly
Loomly, apart from the publication calendar, allows you to analyze the effectiveness of posts, suggests ideas for new entries and allows the tool to be used by several users.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn,
– Calendar post scheduling,
– File hosting,
– Image library for publication,
– Management of ads in social media,
– Performance analytics,
– Ideas for posts generated on the basis of current trends in a given industry,
– Ability to reply to comments.
Later
A content publishing tool focused mainly on Instagram, but also works with Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest. As one of the few, it allows you to plan Stories (in the form of sending material to the phones and reminders about the need to publish – Instagram API currently prevents the automatic publication of stories).
The most important information at a glance:
– Drag & drop calendar,
– Hashtag suggestions,
– Suggestions on the date of publication based on data,
– Visual image editor with filters,
– Post effectiveness analysis.
Buffer
Like the above Later tool, Buffer also allows you to schedule Instagram Stories in the form of content upload and publication reminder. Buffer will also highlight any Instagram comments we haven’t replied to.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn,
– Analytical module,
– mobiles application for ioses and androids.
Planoly
A tool dedicated to Instagram and Pinterest, in a limited form also cooperating with Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter. In addition to the publication calendar combining several platforms, Planoly also offers other modules, including a post builder with various functions for visual modification.
The most important information at a glance: Platform integration:
– Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat to a different extent,
– An extensive analytical module,
– Built-in basic post patterns,
– ioses and androids application.
Postify
Basic post planner for several social networks – apart from the most popular, it also integrates with the Russian platform Vkontakte. On Facebook, apart from the publication of entries at a specified time, it allows, for example, to automatically change the background photo on the fan page.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Vkontakte,
– Graphics editor,
– Suggestions and inspiration for posts,
– Built-in link shortener (to Twitter and LinkedIn),
– Analytical module.
NapoleonCat
The Social Inbox feature will allow you to handle all messages sent to the company in one inbox. NapoleonCat also allows you to manage ads (Facebook / Instagram) and profiles on Google My Business.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Messenger, YouTube, Google My Business,
– Analytical module,
– Ad moderation (Facebook and Instagram),
– Multiple users – team coordination,
– Reports in .pdf.
SkedSocial
A tool that focuses mainly on Instagram, but according to the principle “Instagram first does not mean Instagram only”, it also works with Facebook, Twitter, Google My Business and LinkedIn.
The most important information at a glance:
– Publication calendar,
– Multiple users,
– Graphics editor,
– Analytical module,
– Canva integration.
SproutSocial
SproutSocial is a multiplatform social media calendar that also allows you to analyze and compare your statistics with competing profiles.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest (post publication), Reddit, Tripadsvisor, Glasdoor (monitoring),
– Analytical module,
– Graphics editor and template library,
– Algorithms suggesting the best time to publish a given post,
– Multiple users,
– mobiles application.
Kontentino
A simple-to-use social media organizer, useful especially with a large number of profiles and a large team. It will be especially useful for marketing agencies thanks to the module enabling easy acceptance of the given content by the client.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest,
– Solutions facilitating communication in the team,
– mobiles application,
– Analytical module,
– Ad management.
Sendible
A tool designed for larger teams and marketing agencies. Monitoring of specific phrases can be especially useful, which will allow you to be always where a given brand is mentioned.
The most important information at a glance:
– Integration: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google My Business, as well as a number of blogging platforms (WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr) and messengers (Slack),
– Solutions facilitating communication in the team,
– mobiles application,
– Analytical module,
– Ad management.
