10 best free social media management tools
One of the most important elements of any comprehensive marketing strategy is the use of social media platforms. In this age, there are a wide variety of social media channels ranging from Facebook to LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube among others. However, irrespective of what social media channel you are using, the main challenging factor is the fact keeping track of your channels, making regular posts and engaging actively with your audience can be time-consuming. In order to manage all these engagements across the many channels that you are using for your business, having a social media management tool take the load off your shoulder. It is through the use of social media management tools that you are not only able to keep track of your posts, but also keep your prospects engaged by scheduling several posts simultaneously across multiple channels. With an overwhelming number of social media management tools out there, it can be daunting to select the best one for your business as well as one that is absolutely free. Well, am here to help. In this article, I have discussed the top 10 best social media management tools you can choose from and offers suitable features right for your needs.
Top to best free social media management tools
1. HootSuite
Irrespective of the number of accounts you are handling, HootSuite makes it very easy for you to manage them all at once. With this tool, you have the ability to add more accounts and scheduling multiple posts across all your social media platforms. You can also add account managers to each. The good thing with this tool is the fact that it has a robust training platform in place just how to use these tools as well as train on how to think of social media marketing as a package. With this platform, you can upgrade and get value for your money.
Read Also: Read our Social Media Management Tools Review
2. Hubspot
Just like other social media management tools available out there, Hubspot allows you to monitor as well as post to social media accounts. In other words, you can not only monitor and publish but also have access to closed-loop reporting data. This means that you can be able to tell which channels drive the most traffic and engagements as well as track further to see what posts and channels make leads and sales.
3. MeetEdgar
With this platform, you are not only able to post and schedule posts, but also re-share evergreen posts. This is something that has a great impact on driving traffic to your channels and posts and is something that in my marketing opinion, is highly recommended.
4. TweetDeck
This is one of the social media management tools that has been around for quite a very long time. The main reason for this is the fact that it is best priced. That is, it is absolutely free-what can beat that! It is characterized by a multi-columned layout that makes it easy to track multiple conversations all at the same time. It also makes it easy to schedule content fast. In as much as Twitter moves fast, with TweetDeck, you not only achieve speed, but also enjoy every step of it.
5. Buffer
Just like HootSuite, Buffer has also been around for a long time. It offers you a space where you can manage multiple social media profiles with lots of ease. Some of the key features that makes buffer suitable is the ability to schedule content while you are browsing the web using their chrome extension. It also tells you the best time to post based on your followers activity. While there are several other options that would be suitable for a larger corporation, Buffer’s free plan is suitable for a wide range of social media management needs. These include; ability to manage up to three social media profiles, using browser extensions and mobile app features for both android and iOS, scheduling a maximum of 10 posts as well as creating content using image creators and video/GIF uploaders. However, the downside to the free plan is that you cannot access link shortening, tracking and RSS feed features unless you upgrade to the paid plan. The paid plans range form $10-399/month.
6. SocialOomph
This tool is quite impressive based on the fact that it offers access to typical features such as scheduling and analytics, and keeping your twitter DM inbox clean in order to increase followership. It has the ability of managing blog posts across multiple social media platforms. However, in as much as it has a free plan, its features are limited and mostly favors Twitter management. This means that you can schedule tweets, shorten URL’s, manage up to 5 twitter accounts as well as track keywords. The most sophisticated features can only be accessed via the paid plan.
7. Friends+me
This is a prime player in the social media management arena. It places so much emphasis on Google plus features but offers support to many other social media channels. It has a beautifully designed website with a wide range of plans to choose from depending on the size of your business. In as much as its free plan is not as robust as the paid plan, it is suitable for small business. The free plan permits up to two queues and the ability to schedule a maximum of three posts per queue. It has access to link shortening, standard support, browser extensions as well as integration with Zapier. You can use for a wide range of social media platform including Tumblr, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google and Twitter. It also supports Pinterest and Instagram, but only on its paid plan which ranges from $7.50-259 depending on monthly or annual billing chosen.
8. Mavsocial
This is a freemium plan that is fully fledged and can be considered as a social brand management system. It does not only allow you to schedule profile posts to several channels simultaneously, but it also has the ability of storing your assets and images on the platform for future use. It supports Tumblr, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram. You Tube and Facebook and you can consolidate all your social media pages and activity. One unique feature is the fact that it allows you to make several posts in multiple languages. It comes with a free starter key and allows you to grow your business so seamlessly. It has a streamlined posting process making it quite easy to view the metrics for each post. With the free plan, you can post up to 50 social profiles on six social channels, have a digital asset library and a Calendar planner.
9. Likeable Hub
This is an excellent tool that is suitable for individuals since it has access limitations to business profiles. It offers a smarter and faster design with the free plan where you can combine and automatically schedule posts from Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It simply helps you to share stories, manage reputations as well as amplify your search while saving time and resources. You can also use analytics tracking tools to measure your social media growth and generate more leads and references. It is fun and engaging as it bolsters engagements that livens up your social media account. For the VIP plan, you will simply get integration with business pages both on LinkedIn and Facebook at the rate of $19.99/month. You also can access paid plans at the Pro Level and Expert upgrades which permits you to access support and strategy consulting, Facebook ad spends as well as developing industry specific content.
10. Agorapulse
This is very useful for comprehensive social media posting, reporting as well as monitoring. It comes with advanced features with a 14-day free trial and then subsequent payment of $39/month. The free plan has Facebook page sweepstakes, quizzes and contests. It supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and You Tube among others. It is easy to view mentions that are directed to your business hence, allowing for efficient responses. They have reporting tools that are very easy to export and customize on a PowerPoint presentation. It has advanced features that compete at the level of buffer and HootSuite.
Conclusion
Social media management tools plays a very important role in helping us cutdown time, effort and resources we spend on social media. Ensuring that you find the right tool for your needs starts by first thinking about your social media goals. This will help a huge part in making the decision on whether a simple scheduler will suffice or an advanced tool with advanced features of reporting and monitoring is suitable. With this, the process becomes seamless.
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