The social media management landscape of businesses has evolved rapidly with more people using social media on daily basis. In fact, 59.9% of the world’s population uses social media and the average daily usage is 2 hours and 31 minutes (July 2023).
Businesses are aggressively shifting focus primarily on their social media strategies to get their products and services seen as much as possible.
Companies have to narrow down what they need to increase their social media ROI and measure their marketing efforts. They are looking for monitoring and listening, analyzing and engaging tools across all social media management networks. Companies must rely on social media management tools that can help their bottom line.
This is why we decided to rank and compare the top 10 social media management tools which will help connect and manage all the social media networks in one platform.
Key Features in Social Media Management Tools
Social media management marketers need to stay on top of marketing trends , growing brands, promoting blog posts, streamlining workflows, and curating content on the fly with the ability to collaborate with their teams.
In addition, social media managers need to create marketing campaigns that perform with automated social media content, and track their social media analytics in a way that helps them pivot where needed.
Marketing agencies are managing many brands and need to centralize processes and automate tasks and increase productivity. Being able to collaborate with teams and clients is a key.
Reputation management or reputation monitoring is also becoming one of the most important aspects of the online business environment. Web listening is a feature that companies will start to expect from social media tools.
Social listening is a standard across many social media platforms, but web listening takes a bit more investment if you want to accomplish this under one roof.
Choosing the Best Tool for Your Business Needs
So how do you know which is the best social media management tool for your business, whether you are a professional entrepreneur, a social media manager, a small or a medium size business, a marketing agency, or an enterprise?
Not to mention, there is a lot of noise in the social media scheduler space. Most social media management tools are offering a comparable set of features, but how comprehensive are they?
While the list of standout features may go on and on, we bucket the main categories into:
- Publishing and Scheduling: Can you visualize your monthly calendar, automate posting, or customize across channels in the same screen? Are multiple social profiles included? Do you have unlimited scheduling?
- Unified Social Inbox: Can you engage with your audience in real time across all social media channels?
- Integrated RSS Feeds: Would you benefit from being able to publish your blogs or industry blogs automatically to your social media profiles?
- Social Media Monitoring: Can you monitor your brand’s reputation and listen to your audience by monitoring keywords and competitors? Can you measure sentiment?
- Competitor Analysis: Can you track and compare your competitive advantage with social media analytics and reporting?
- Campaign Tracking: Are you tracking your ads, posts, and website to optimize and pivot your marketing strategy? Can you target audiences?
- Custom Reporting: Do you need to build custom reports for your clients social media accounts?
Luckily for our readers, we’ve done the research and compiled the top 10 of the social media management tools that are integrated with the must have social media channels . We have created a scoring system for each of the notable features listed below in this comparison graphic.
Compare at a glance and see how these standout companies marry with your needs and wants as you seek to partner with a social platform in the future.
We recommend signing up for a LIVE demo of these solutions where possible and accepting the FREE trial if offered. Take note of any paywalls that may exist with hidden costs.
Here are the top 10 social media management tools for 2023:
- eclincher – Best for SMB, Agencies & Enterprise
- Brandwatch (Falcon.io) – Best for Enterprise
- Sprout Social – Best for Agencies & Medium Sized Businesses
- Hootsuite – Best for SMBs & Enterprise
- Agorapulse – Best for SMBs & Agencies
- Loomly – Best for Solopreneurs & Small Businesses
- SocialPilot – Best for Small Agencies
- Sendible – Best for Agencies
- Buffer – Best for SMBs
- Later – Best for Solopreneurs on Instagram
1. eclincher
Platforms: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Instagram Stories, Twitter, Google My Business, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok
G2 Ranking: 4.7 out of 5
eclincher might just be the best kept secret in social media management due to their grassroots ‘word of mouth’ content marketing efforts. eclincher, as brand advocates tote, has been reviewed as “the swiss-army knife of social media”.
Why eclincher?
They are pushing out more value and functionality to businesses, marketing agencies and larger teams, than their competitors.
You might expect customer service to be a standard. But, in the SaaS world, eclincher’s support team really takes the clients’ expectation of service seriously. They offer:
- 24/7 live chat support
- 1 on 1 demos or meetings
- Listen to their customer’s feedback.
Their customer support is consistently and notably awarded best in class from sites like G2Crowd, Capterra, GetApp and the like.
You’ll capture some serious social media ROI using eclincher’s social media management software. Centered around marketing automations, eclincher helps marketers and social media managers to save time using a single dashboard.
This digital marketing platform automates tasks such as:
- Bulk scheduling
- Publishing from smart queues and RSS feeds
- Collecting and responding to all social media interactions in one inbox
- Automated and custom analytics reports & team collaboration workflows.
In addition, you can find a comprehensive content scheduler and publisher, drag and drop visual calendar, campaign tracking, competitor analysis, and omnichannel customized social media post editing.
This top rated powerful social media management software, or a platform, has everything you need to execute your social media strategy.
If Instagram scheduling is top of mind you’ll love the Insta Link in bio traffic driver, custom Instagram grid planning, and being able to schedule Instagram posts, stories and carousels.
The eclincher’s inbox or a social media CRM is designed so you never miss an interaction, a message, a comment or a review. All interactions are automatically collected in one inbox. Once you reply, you can complete the item and “clean” your inbox.
In addition, eclincher helps you discover relevant content and easily curate and publish articles to your social media profiles.
Also included are keywords and hashtags monitoring, social media analytics, Google Analytics integration, URL shorteners, campaign tracking and more.
This social marketing tool really has it all to keep campaigns innovative and organized catering to multiple social media account(s).
Other integrations to mention are: Yelp, Canva , wave.video , Zendesk , Bitly , Feedly , Unsplash. Slack is coming in 2023 and TikTok for Business was already integrated in 2021.
It doesn’t end here! They have recently implemented new features specifically for TikTok. You can now schedule content without push notification, and check your TikTok analytics.
Remarkably, two of the most amazing benefits of working with eclincher is their agile team atmosphere and their ability to be nimble with the ongoing addition to features benefiting new and current clients without additional cost pushed onto users.
The real value of eclincher evolves when you need to scale. If you have many brands to manage or a lot of franchise locations, that cost adds up in thousands.
Comparing against some of the social media management software giants like Hubspot, Sprout Social, or Sprinklr, eclincher is the best choice for scaling large social media accounts with multiple locations or brands.
If a feature doesn’t exist, suggest it with their 24/7 live chat and if it is scalable and beneficial for companies like yours, they will implement that suggestion. How cool is that?
They have recently updated their User Interface in January 2022 and users are loving it! There are a lot of features to choose from, so make sure to get a live FREE personal demo.
Plans are scalable and customizable with add-ons such as Users and Profiles. The platfrom supports large accounts with hundreds of profiles and users for large companies. When it comes to the best social media management tools, eclincher is at the TOP!
Currently they offer a 14-day FREE trial with no credit card required.
Pricing starts at $65/month (1 user) – $425/month (6 users).
RELATED : Why eclincher is Perfect For Agencies
2. Brandwatch (Falcon.io)
Platforms: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube
G2 Ranking: 4.1 out of 5
Falcon.io. is a cloud-based social media marketing and customer experience management solution that features tools for social media listening, engagement, publishing content, measuring, and customer data management.
They pride themselves in being a versatile social media management tool for digital agencies and solopreneur alike. Toting Auto-Queue posting and visual planning, their tool can be used for monthly planning across different social channels.
They have a Social Inbox feature in addition to social monitoring and listening. They do not have an Influencer Search feature, yet they are a fully encompassed tool that is likely to serve business of any size.
Falcon.io provides users with a content calendar that allows them to plan, create and schedule content in collaboration with marketing teams.
It also facilitates the creation of pages using the campaign builder that consists of pre-designed templates providing APIs that deliver metrics on social data, audience and content, for integration with existing client CRM, CMS and analytics systems.
This social media management software offers support through online guides, tutorials and via email and a ticket submission portal 24/5 on business days and custom hours on weekends.
Pricing starts at $129 per user/month and increases based on custom features.
3. Sprout Social - Rate: 4.3 out of 5 via G2
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Pinterest
G2 Ranking: 4.1 out of 5
Sprout Social has positioned their scalable platform to large organizations and teams known favorably for monitoring, scheduling social media posts, analytics, and team management with approval workflows. Those interested in employee advocacy will also enjoy this social media management tool.
This simple yet powerful platform is user friendly and offers all of the basics that you’d expect in addition to any customized features upon requests. One such feature is the individual statistics for each post.
Sprout Social is one of the best social media management platform that offers post approvals and administering permission settings, which cater to digital agencies in addition to medium-sized businesses.
There is a social inbox tool that is great for communicating and engaging with your audience, in addition to a social monitoring and keyword search feature. Unfortunately, it does not have the Auto Post with queues feature or an influencer search feature.
Pricing starts at $249 per month – Increases $199 per user/month.
4. Hootsuite
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Pinterest)
G2 Ranking: 4.1 out of 5
Hootsuite was first on the social media marketing scene and has been around since 2008. Hootsuite is the most blogged about social media platform out there and you will find they exist on most listicles.
They are well known for content curation, organization, scheduling, monitoring, and RSS integration and have a notable reputation. We feel a lot of teams large and small start with Hootsuite and then scale to other services that might meet their needs better.
But, what we can genuinely appreciate is the sheer size of Hootsuite, their marketing prowess, their educational Hootsuite Academy that helps you learn social media marketing and allows you to pay for certifications to arm you with the skills you need to be successful.
Hootsuite social media management tool allows for bulk scheduling, meaning you can upload several social media posts at once in addition to client management support. They do not have an Auto Post feature, social inbox or influencer search.
However, it is highly well-known for being a fully integrated tool that has a great social listening feature. They also offer a 30 day trial.
Pricing starts at $249/month (Team Plan) – Price increases for additional features.
5. Agorapulse
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, & YouTube
G2 Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
Agorapulse, similar to the above fully integrated social media management tool, contains all of the main features of scheduling, visual calendar, social inbox, analytics, and team collaboration.
Similar to eclincher, Agorapulse is one of the best social media tools that also provides a competitor analysis and permits boosted Facebook posts to really capture your audience.
Unfortunately, they don’t have an influencer feature so you can’t really stalk your favorite industry leaders. Regardless, Agorapulse has a cult following of niche users that find this social media management software to meet their needs. Don’t count them out!
Pricing begins at $79/month – $399/month, billed annually.
6. Loomly
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google My Business, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, & TikTok
G2 Ranking: 4.6 out of 5
Loomly is a social media management tool for branding and content creation.
Compared to other social suites, Loomly isn’t a fully integrated solution as of yet. Due to its core focus on content creation, they unfortunately lack features larger businesses find valuable such as listening and monitoring.
Loomly does have a visual calendar and content suggestion feature to assist social media management in curating strategy. While they do not currently have a social inbox, they do provide social monitoring and client management features.
There isn’t an influencer search option, but we still think Loomly is a solution that might make great sense for some solopreneurs and small businesses.
Pricing is from $26/month – $269/month, billed annually.
7. SocialPilot
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google My Business, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Pinterest
G2 Ranking: 4.3 out of 5
SocialPilot is a fully integrated social media management tool geared towards digital agencies or medium sized businesses who manage multiple clients or multiple social media accounts.
If your team is mostly interested in creating workflows with permission settings, collaboration tools, and custom reporting for clientele, SocialPilot is worth a look.
While SocialPilot does provide the basics, their tool also includes a full social inbox feature allowing them to engage with their audience in addition to auto posting.
They do not have an influencer search feature, but they do offer a social monitoring and listening feature. This feature is not only essential for evaluating social media performance but is also becoming a crucial hero feature for most businesses.
As we shift focus to remote environments, tracking and optimizing social media performance through such tools is of paramount importance.
Pricing ranges from $50/month – $150/month.
8. Sendible
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google My Business, & Pinterest
G2 Ranking: 4.4 out of 5
Sendible is a social media management tool best targeting digital agencies looking for an end to end solution that includes a CRM.
Sendible has a Smart Queue feature similar to e-clincher’s Auto Post, allowing social media management team to repurpose content. Utilize their Social Inbox and social listening tools to monitor keywords, competitors, and mentions of your brand.
Even though there isn’t an influencer search, Sendible integrates a CRM system, allowing users to actively engage with influencers and communicate in real-time, further enhancing their social media presence.
Pricing ranges from $29/month – $399/month.
9. Buffer
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Instagram Stories, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Pinterest
G2 Ranking: 4.3 out of 5
Buffer is a well rounded and easy to use social media tool offering publishing social media posts with one queue, engagement, analytics, and team features.
Buffer is considered an intuitive, streamlined social media management tool trusted by brands, businesses, agencies, and individuals to help drive meaningful engagement and results on social media channels.
While you can’t upload hundreds of posts and recycle them, it does integrate from an RSS feed that enables you to publish posts from blogs. Buffer connects to a product called Reply, granting users to a Social Inbox.
Buffer does not feature an influencer search and has a limited client management support system, but it is a very easy to use tool simplifying the content planning process. It also allows for user permissions and creating a user workflow.
Pricing ranges $72/month – $1440/month.
10. Later
Platforms: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook (limited), Twitter (limited)
G2 Ranking: 4.7 out of 5
Later’s social media management software is best used for a visual content calendar and scheduler.
Later originally started as a social media posting tool focused on Instagram as the main social channel. It offered content planning to optimize the aesthetic of the Instagram feed but has evolved into a visual calendar incorporating most social media channels. Their offering focuses mostly on visual planning. It does not have a social inbox or an RSS integration but it does provide an analytics feature to optimize your content planning.
If you have seen a Facebook ad for Later, you might be surprised they do allow you to add your Facebook pages to expand your posting schedule. However, the platform is limited for these Facebook and Twitter. If you are focused on Facebook Marketing or on publishing social media posts to multiple social channels, you might want to seek another social media platform since Later is highly focused on Instagram and Pinterest currently.
Pricing falls from $15/month – $80/month.
What Is A Social Media Software Tool?
Social media has quickly become a must-have for any modern business. It allows businesses to connect with customers from around the world with relative ease. However, managing 7 different social media accounts can be a burden. That is where social media management tools come into play.
By automating tasks a business can easily save time & money:
- Posts Scheduling & Automation
- Simplified Multi-Platform Management
- Following & Engagement Analysis
- And more
Nowadays, social media management tools are indispensable for any business looking to harness the power of social media management for marketing purposes.
The reality is that we are living in an impulse-driven society driven by social media presence. Social media software tools are crucial for any business’s marketing strategy.
Which Social Media Management Tool Is Best For A Small Business?
A small business is a company with limited resources and a smaller customer base compared to larger enterprises. In fact, the average small business in America makes only $53,000 per year.
Among all the different social media management tools we discussed, eclincher stands out as the best option for small businesses.
- Very user-friendly interface
- Advanced scheduling capabilities
- AI content curation tools
- Analytics tracking
Generally speaking, small businesses need to consider their target audience before choosing which social platform to advertise on. Facebook and Instagram have the largest audiences & are a great choice for small businesses to reach potential customers
Which Social Media Platform Is Best?
There is no “best social media” for every business. The truth is, it depends on your target audience and demographic. For example, if you wanted to target a younger audience TikTok may be the way to go!
However, Facebook (now called Meta) is still the biggest fish in the pond. Meta has several billion users and is one of the most popular and effective social media platforms to run ads to your specific audience.
How We Rate Social Media Management Tools
There are a few different things that we look for the best social media management tool. Here are some of the main ranking factors.
- Price – How much does the tool cost?
- User Friendly – Is the tool easy to use? Technology is useless if it doesn’t make our lives easier!
- Compatibility With Social Networks – Does it work with the major social media platforms (i.e Twitter, Meta, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)? A social media management tool is useless if it does not work with all the major social networks!
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools do social media manager use?
There are a number of tools that social media managers use to help them with their job. One of the most popular tools is eClincher. This tool allows users to manage all their social media accounts in one place, as well as measure and track the performance of their campaigns. It also has features that allow users to schedule posts, respond to comments, and more.
How do I manage all my social media in one place?
There are a few different social media management platforms out there, but eClincher is the best. It’s really easy to use and allows you to manage all your social media accounts in one place. You can also schedule posts, track analytics, and more. So if you’re looking for an all-in-one platform to help you effectively manage your social media, eClincher is a great option.
What are the four main types of social media tools?
There are four main types of social media tools: curation tools, scheduling apps, media analytics tools, and reputation management.
A few final words…
The reality is that we are living in an impulse-driven society with all kinds of artificial intelligence at the helm of technology innovation. This is no different in the world of social media management services. Your own business needs will dictate which type of social media management platform best fits your requirements, budget, and your preference.
With various price points serving the market and a plethora of features offered amongst social media management tools, we recommend you choose a partner that will save you and your team valuable time automating social media marketing processes, collaboration workflows, and actionable insights.
Take a look again at the table above to see which social media management platform is most suited for your business and supports all the social media channels you need.
Whether it’s a fully integrated end-to-end solution to boost your engagement and brand awareness, a lead-generation machine, or a content monthly planner for social media content and blogging, make a list to prioritize your business’s needs and see which option checks most of your requirements.
