We all know about the importance of social media automation. Now, let’s explore the top eight tools to save you significant time while maximizing your social media efforts.
1. Buffer
Buffer offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the scheduling and publishing of posts across major social media platforms. It provides robust analytics, including engagement metrics, post reach, and performance comparisons, helping refine your content strategy.
If your business has multiple contributors, Buffer has a collaboration feature for team members. The platform further offers a browser extension for easy content curation while browsing the web. You can also use Buffer’s social media calendar to visualize your posting schedule.
Pros:
- Buffer supports many social media platforms, including Instagram, which many automation tools struggle with due to API limitations.
- Its clean and friendly interface makes it accessible to users of all levels of expertise.
- Buffer’s analytics help users understand their audience better, allowing for data-driven content decisions.
- Team collaboration features facilitate coordinated social media efforts.
Cons:
- The free version has limitations, including limited scheduled posts per platform.
- The analytics provided might not be as in-depth as some other specialized tools.
- Some users may find that Buffer’s interface lacks certain advanced features that other platforms offer.
Buffer offers a range of pricing plans, starting with a free plan. Premium subscriptions start at $15 per month per social profile, with higher tiers providing additional features and team collaboration.
2. HootSuite
Who doesn’t know HootSuite at this point? HootSuite is an all-rounder social media management platform that supports scheduling, monitoring, and reporting across various social networks.
You can manage multiple accounts from a simple dashboard, making it suitable for agencies and businesses. About analytics reports, HootSuite provides insights into engagement metrics, audience growth, and social media performance.
You can also curate content ideas through this platform. It helps you discover and share relevant content. What’s more, HootSuite provides team collaboration features and allows for content approval workflows.
Pros:
- HootSuite’s multi-account management and collaboration features are well-suited for businesses and agencies with complex social media needs.
- The versatile platform supports integration with numerous social media platforms.
- HootSuite’s analytics help users track the impact of their social media efforts.
- Its content curation tool simplifies the process of finding and sharing valuable content.
- Users can schedule posts in advance to stay consistent across platforms.
Cons:
- HootSuite’s interface can be overwhelming for beginners, and learning all the features may take some time.
- Some users have reported occasional issues with post-scheduling and content publishing.
- Advanced analytics features may require a higher-tier plan.
HootSuite offers a limited free plan. If you look for custom enterprise plans for larger organizations, consider upgrading to premium subscriptions, which start at $19 per month.
3. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is another one-stop solution for social media management. It provides scheduling and publishing capabilities for major social networks. If you want to manage social media messages and comments, Sprout Social might be your best option.
Like any other automation tool, this platform’s analytics and reporting features provide insights into engagement, audience demographics, and content performance. With this tool, you can track keywords and monitor online conversations related to your brand.
Pros:
- Sprout Social’s comprehensive features make it a one-stop solution for social media management.
- The unified inbox simplifies social media engagement and ensures prompt responses to messages and comments.
- Robust analytics help users understand their audience and fine-tune their content strategy.
- The platform supports team collaboration, making it suitable for businesses with multiple contributors.
- Sprout Social’s mobile app allows for on-the-go management.
Cons:
- Some users find the interface complex, especially when navigating advanced features.
- While it supports scheduling on multiple platforms, some users may prefer more specialized tools for specific networks.
- The analytics features may require a learning curve to utilize fully.
While Sprout Social offers a free trial, the premium plans start at $99 per user per month, with additional costs for more advanced features and team members.
4. Zapier
Like HootSuite, Zapier has emerged as one of the industry’s most profound automation tools. The platform connects thousands of apps and services, including many social media platforms.
With Zapier, you can create “Zaps,” automated workflows that integrate different apps and trigger actions based on specific conditions.
For social media, Zapier can automate tasks like sharing new blog posts, adding new followers to email marketing lists and more. The platform allows you to seamlessly connect with a wide range of apps, making it versatile for various automation needs. You can build custom Zaps to automate specific tasks and processes for your needs.
Pros:
- Zapier’s versatility extends beyond social media, making it suitable for automating various tasks and processes.
- The platform’s user-friendly interface allows users to create custom automations without coding knowledge.
- Zapier’s extensive library of integrations ensures compatibility with many popular social media platforms.
- Users can create complex automation by chaining multiple actions and triggers.
Cons:
- While Zapier is powerful, it may be overkill for those seeking simple social media automation tasks.
- Advanced automation may require a deeper understanding of app integrations and triggers.
- The free plan has limitations, including a cap on monthly tasks.
You can try Zapier with an initial free plan. To access more features, you must upgrade to premium plans, starting at $19.99 monthly. But don’t worry. You can have a 14-day free trial to try out the premium features. The pricing is based on the number of tasks and premium features needed.
5. Oktopost
Oktopost is a B2B-focused social media management platform designed to help businesses manage content and track leads. It supports scheduling and publishing on major social media platforms. This tool is a way to go if your business adapts the business-to-business (B2B) model instead of business-to-customer (B2C).
Oktopost’s advanced analytics feature makes it unique for tracking the ROI of social media efforts, including lead generation and conversion tracking. You can schedule and analyze paid social media campaigns. This tool also excels in content distribution and offers features for employee advocacy.
Pros:
- Oktopost’s focus on B2B social media marketing makes it a valuable tool for businesses targeting professional audiences.
- Its analytics go beyond basic engagement metrics and provide insights into lead generation and social media conversions.
- Oktopost offers collaboration features, allowing team members to contribute to social media efforts.
- The content distribution capabilities help businesses extend their reach and visibility.
- The platform supports integration with popular marketing automation tools.
Cons:
- The learning curve for advanced analytics and lead-tracking features can be steep.
- It has limited support for certain social media platforms compared to general-purpose tools.
Oktopost does not openly disclose its pricing on its website, which suggests that it may offer custom pricing tailored to the needs of individual businesses.
6. IFTTT (If This Then That)
IFTTT has a close similarity to Zapier in terms of automation concepts. It’s a versatile automation tool that connects various apps and devices to create automated workflows. While you can create “Zaps” with Zappier, IFTTT allows you to create “applets.”
Although not exclusive to social media, IFTTT can automate various social media-related tasks. You can create custom applets that trigger actions on social media platforms based on specific triggers from other apps or services.
For example, you can automatically save Instagram photos to Google Drive or share WordPress blog posts on social media. IFTTT integrates with many apps and services, offering nearly endless automation possibilities.
Pros:
- IFTTT’s flexibility allows for a wide range of automation scenarios, making it valuable for personalized automation.
- The platform is user-friendly and accessible to individuals and businesses of all sizes.
- Its extensive library of applets ensures compatibility with many popular social media platforms.
- Users can customize and create their own applets to suit specific needs.
Cons:
- IFTTT’s versatility may require users to spend time exploring and configuring applets.
- Complex automation may be challenging for users without a technical background.
- Some applet actions may depend on the APIs and capabilities of connected apps, which can vary.
IFTTT offers a free plan with basic features. A premium plan, IFTTT Pro, is available for $3.99 per month and includes advanced features and faster applet execution.
7. MeetEdgar
MeetEdgar offers a unique approach to social media automation by recycling and repurposing evergreen content. If creating ever-lasting quality content is your goal, this tool might be your favorite.
Like many other automation tools, MeetEdgar allows you to categorize and schedule content, ensuring that the best-performing posts get continual attention. This scheduling feature is available for some major social media platforms.
Even better, MeetEdgar comes with features for content curation and sharing content from external sources. You can easily track the engagement and performance of each scheduled content.
Pros:
- MeetEdgar’s focus on evergreen content recycling simplifies content management and extends the life of high-performing posts.
- Users can curate and share content from external sources, diversifying their social media presence.
- The platform supports integration with popular social media networks.
- MeetEdgar’s interface is user-friendly and intuitive, making it accessible to users of all levels.
- Users can maintain a consistent posting schedule without needing constant manual scheduling.
Cons:
- MeetEdgar’s unique approach may only suit some social media strategies, as some businesses like Multimo may prioritize fresh and time-sensitive content.
- It may lack certain advanced features offered by more general-purpose social media management tools.
- The recycling approach may not align with businesses focusing on new and trending content.
MeetEdgar offers paid plans starting at $19 monthly for a single user and up to $49 for more features and team collaboration.
8. Buzzsumo
While it’s not a classic social media automation tool, Buzzsumo is valuable for social media marketers and content creators. This tool helps you research and discover the most famous content in your niche.
Buzzsumo provides insights into content performance, including social shares and backlinks. More or less, Buzzsumo has an SEO feature in it. Interestingly, you can use Buzzsumo to identify key influencers within your industry for collaboration and outreach. The platform also offers content alerts to stay updated on trending topics.
If you care about following the current trends, consider using Buzzsumo as your social media automation tool.
Pros:
- Buzzsumo’s content discovery features are valuable for content curation and strategy planning.
- It provides insights into content performance, helping users identify what resonates with their audience.
- Users can find influencers to connect with for collaboration and influencer marketing campaigns.
- Content alerts keep users informed about trending topics and mentions in their niche.
- Buzzsumo’s interface is user-friendly and accessible to marketers and content creators.
Cons:
- Buzzsumo is not a traditional social media automation tool and lacks features for scheduling and publishing content.
- While it excels in content discovery and insights, it may only fulfill some of the automation needs of social media managers.
- Users may need to integrate Buzzsumo with other tools to execute their social media strategies effectively.
While Buzzsumo offers a 7-day free trial, you must pay at least $99 monthly for the Pro version, with more advanced features available in higher-tier plans.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve revealed the top eight tool recommendations for your social media automation, remember that each tool offers various features to suit different needs and preferences. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a prominent agency CEO, these tools can help optimize your social media strategies and achieve better results.
About the Guest Author:
Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
- LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro
- Email/Gravatar: andre@breadnbeyond.com
- Instagram: andre_oentoro
- Twitter: andreoen