Social media networks continue to expand as well as their influence on the marketplaces. The demand for image specialists, video content producers and influencer managers is becoming more important by the day. Everyone is talking about social media marketing. That’s why on this page we will disclose how to make a right choice and select the best social media management tools for your business.
What is the Best Social Media Management Tool for ___?The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for SchedulingThe Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Content CreationThe Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Content CurationThe Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Influencer ResearchThe Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Hashtag ResearchThe Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Social ListeningGet Your Social Media Strategy Straight with The Social Shepherd
Today, every brand needs a strong social media strategy to boost brand awareness, earn audience trust, and encourage sales. Consumers around the world rely on social media for peer opinions and general info on your brand.
In fact, 45% of global consumers say they use social media at least once a month to research prospective products and brands before spending their money.
That’s why every brand – big and small – needs the best social media management tools in 2021. The right tools can help you save time, reach more people, publish better content, learn about your brand’s reputation, and so much more.
As a social media management agency, we know choosing the right social media tool is a daunting task. That’s why we compiled the best ones here, organised by solution so that you can find the right one for you.
What is the Best Social Media Management Tool for ___?
| Social media content management tool | Best for… | Pricing per month |
| Buffer | Scheduling and publishing for small businesses | Four plans ranging from £0 to £71 |
| MeetEdgar | Scheduling and automated resharing from an evergreen library for small businesses | £14 or £35 |
| SocialPilot | Scheduling and content creation for SMBs, agencies, and enterprise | £22 to £61 and up for enterprise |
| SmarterQueue | Automated scheduling and engagement with seamless scaling | Three plans ranging from £14 to £54 with a custom option starting at £14 |
| Hootsuite | No-nonsense scheduling and planning for brands of all sizes | £22 to £460 and up for enterprise |
| SEMrush Social Media Poster | Easy scheduling and analytics for SEMrush users | Three plans starting at £86 |
| Anchor | Fast and easy audio content creation | Free + monetization |
| Typo Style | Quick social media image creation | Free |
| Canva | User-friendly yet powerful graphic design tools | Free with paid plans starting at £7 per person and £110 for enterprise |
| Powtoon | Template-based video creation platform | Free with pro plans starting at £65 if billed monthly and £15 if billed annually |
| Animoto | Canva-like tool for custom video creation | Free with pro plans at £12 and team plans at £30 if billed annually |
| CoSchedule | Curate, organise and publish content across social media | It starts at £22 |
| Elink.io | Curate bookmarks to transform into web pages for sharing | Free with paid plans starting at £9 |
| Scoop.it | Topic-based content curation and organisation | Starting at £9 for pro |
| Quuu | Daily content curation from real humans | Free with paid plans running £14 or £36 |
| Linqia | AI-powered influencer platform for finding influencers and maximising ROI | By request only |
| Awario | Streamlined influencer research and monitoring | Three plans ranging from £18 to £180 for enterprise |
| Klear | All-in-one influencer CRM and analytics tool | By request only |
| Keyhole | Full-suite social monitoring tool specialising in hashtag analytics and influencer marketing | Multiple plans starting at £32 and custom plans for enterprise |
| Hashtagify | Ultimate hashtag research and tracking tool for Twitter and Instagram | Plans start at £15 and offer custom add-on packages |
| Falcon.io | Advanced social listening and monitoring for sentiment and demographics | It starts at £95 with custom plans for enterprise or large companies |
| Sprout Social | Complete social media CRM with advanced social listening and monitoring | Three plans ranging from £72 to £180 for enterprise |
Use this chart to find the best social media content management tool based on your price or solution. We made sure to include a range of tools for every budget and need.
Keep in mind that many of these are all-in-one tools or include several features beyond the category they’re listed under. A scheduling tool might include social listening, hashtag research, and content curation, for example.
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Scheduling
Scheduling a week’s worth of social media posts across multiple platforms can take hours. Instead, use these social media scheduling tools.
Just integrate your brand’s social media accounts through the API and control all your posts from a single dashboard. Most also include analytics to check your performance and other useful features.
1. Buffer
Buffer offers user-friendly social media content management tools for scheduling posts, engaging with your audience, and seamless team collaboration. Beyond scheduling, Buffer has interesting features for Instagram engagement and accelerating eCommerce sales.
Best for:
- Small businesses
- Medium businesses
- Ecommerce
Top features:
- Free plans available and paid plans start at around £10/month
- User-friendly content planning and scheduling
- Links with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter
- Instagram Story planning and scheduling
- Seamless team collaboration
Downsides:
- You’ll need to buy a separate plan for analytics
- Not ideal for enterprise or larger businesses
2. MeetEdgar
Keeping up with fresh content can be a pain. MeetEdgar lets you schedule unlimited posts and link an evergreen content library for automatic resharing every week. Categorise your library by format or topic and decide how often to reshare.
Best for:
- Small businesses
- Small social media teams
- Brands with lots of existing content to share
Top features:
- Unlimited scheduling for every plan
- Automate resharing from an evergreen content library
- A/B testing
Downsides:
- Limited automation and categories on lower priced plan
- Tough to scale with prices doubling between plans
3. SocialPilot
SocialPilot is one of the best social media content management tools for scaling, offering tons of capabilities and affordable plans for everyone.
Best for:
- Agencies, small businesses, and enterprise
- Scheduling and analytics
- Bulk scheduling and editing
Top features:
- Branded enterprise solutions
- Unlimited analytics and capabilities for agencies
- Keyword-based content curation
- Discover trending topics
- Macro and micro views within the calendar
Downsides:
- Small businesses might feel overwhelmed with features
- No social inbox management for the lowest priced plan
4. SmarterQueue
SmarterQueue is an all-in-one tool for scheduling, content creation, analytics, competitor analysis, and more. Automated category-based scheduling and engagement maximise your time and energy.
Best for:
- Agencies and businesses with large audiences to keep engaged
- Automated curation, sharing, and engagement
- Flexible scaling
Top features:
- Instant publishing to multiple profiles from one screen
- One-click recycling for resharing later
- Smart insights to figure out what works best
- Customisable plans starting at £14
Downsides:
- Small businesses or pages may not need all the automation features
- Brands without a large content library can’t benefit as much from the automation
5. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a simple yet powerful social media management tool for easy post scheduling, creation, and engagement from one convenient dashboard.
Best for:
- Scheduling and publishing posts
- Managing posts and planning calendars
- Small business, teams, and enterprise
Top features:
- Scheduling with instant post previews for each platform
- Asset library with platform optimisation
- Custom industry enterprise packages
- Seamless engagement across all accounts in the dashboard
- Multiple plans are available for brands of every size
Downsides:
- No collaboration feature on lowest price plan
- Large price jumps between plans
- Limited capabilities for the cost
6. SEMrush Social Media Poster
Your favourite SEO tool, SEMrush, also offers built-in social media content management tools for instant scheduling. Integrate your social media profiles for seamless cross-posting, curation, and of course, SEMrush’s excellent tracking.
Best for:
- Businesses with an existing SEMrush account
- SMBs and startups
- Analytics and tracking
Top features:
- Compare your post content and engagement to competitors’
- Schedule posts at optimal times for engagement
- Streamlined analytics to link with your site’s
Downsides:
- Not available as a standalone tool
- Costly if you don’t have a SEMrush account already
- Limited capabilities
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Content Creation
These social media content creation tools include customisable templates, inspiration, stock material, and much more. Use them to create audio, video, graphics, and other content for your social media posts.
7. Anchor
Owned by Spotify, Anchor is a free audio content creation tool. Use Anchor to create instant podcasts, clips, and recordings straight from your phone without any editing knowledge.
Best for:
- Audio creation on the go
- Small businesses and entrepreneurs
- Testing different types of audio content
Top features:
- Ability to record with multiple hosts
- Integrate any tracks from Spotify
- Drag-and-drop audio builder
- Monetisation possibilities
- Analytics
Downsides:
- Restrictive for experienced podcasters
- Sharing to typical social media accounts may require integrations
8. Typo Style
Typo Style is a mobile app you can use to create custom social media banners and posts. Choose from existing styles, upload your own photos, and transform words into attention-grabbing text.
Best for:
- Entrepreneurs, small businesses, and independent creators
- Quick content creation on the go
Top features:
- Photo editing, filters, and collages
- Templates for social media platforms
- Upload photos and adjust colours for branding
Downsides:
- Only available as mobile app
- Limited capabilities
- Not ideal for large businesses
9. Canva
You can’t go wrong with Canva when it comes to the best social media content management tools for content creation. Canva offers engaging templates in the right size for each social media platform and tons of features even under the free plan.
Best for:
- Brands of all sizes with basic graphic design needs
- Teams with minimal graphic design experience
- Social media-ready graphics
Top features:
- Customisable templates sized for each platform
- Tons of capabilities even under the free plan
- Brand kits for seamless collaboration
- Integration with other social media tools
Downsides:
- Priced per person per month
- Important features missing from the free plan
10. Powtoon
Need to create videos that look professional for your brand’s social media but lack the know-how? Powtoon can help. Use the Powtoon template library to start your creation and customise a video all on your own.
Best for:
- Brands of all sizes – Powtoon says 96% of Fortune 500s use their tool
- Teams that create a lot of video content or would like to
- Brands without the budget for a full video team
Top features:
- Customisable templates categorised by industry or solution
- Integrates with some social media and marketing tools
- Easy collaboration for teams
- Free and low-cost plans available
Downsides:
- Free videos include the Powtoon watermark
- Monthly billing costs over 3x more than annual billing
11. Animoto
Have you ever wished there was a Canva for video creation? Introduce yourself to Animoto: a DIY online video editor with impressive customisation options.
Best for:
- Small businesses, teams, and agencies
- User-friendly video creation
- Creating a professional video with minimal design knowledge
Top features:
- Free and affordable plans available
- Customisable templates for all kinds of video creations
- Embedded stock music and photo library
- Integrate with social media platforms for seamless sharing
Downsides:
- Only one user account on the pro plan
- Big jump in price between pro and team plans
- Free plans must keep Animoto watermark
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Content Curation
Sometimes, you just need awesome content from other sources to share on social media in between your original posts. These social media management tools for content curation can help.
Use them to search and filter content across platforms based on the topic or other factors. Connect with creators while keeping your audience engaged.
12. CoSchedule
CoSchedule’s Marketing Calendar is one of the best social media content management tools because it brings clarity to your content curation. Organise your brand’s assets based on content type and schedule them to go out on social media (or anywhere) within CoSchedule.
Best for:
- Curating and sharing owned assets like blogs, photos, and videos
- Staying focused across multiple platforms
- Small teams
Top features:
- Drag-and-drop scheduler and organiser
- Bulk scheduler
- Automate publishing
- Social campaign templates
- Marketing integrations
Downsides:
- Not ideal for teams or agencies
- Mostly for curating own content
13. Elink.io
Elink lets you level up from boring links with templates for creating curated web pages, emails, widgets, and social bio links. All you need is a link.
Best for:
- Organising curated content for social media sharing
- Brands of all sizes
Top features:
- Bookmark manager for grabbing and organising content
- Content editor for customisation
- Templates for easy branding
- Curate bulk links and RSS feeds
- Integrate with other tools and automate
Downsides:
- Integrations and sharing limited in the free plan
- Automations only available in the most expensive plan
14. Scoop.it
Scoop.it takes the hassle out of finding credible content to curate for social media. Use Scoop.it as a social media content management tool to aggregate expert content and share it to a targeted audience on social media.
Best for:
- Small businesses to enterprise companies looking for easy content curation
- Brands in niche industries who need expert-vetted topics
Top features:
- Topic-based curated pages and categories
- Integrate with social media for sharing
- Sharable via a direct link as well
- Custom templates for branding
Downsides:
- The free plan doesn’t offer social sharing integrations
15. Quuu
Quuu automates content curation, but there’s a catch: humans hand-select your content. Just create a free Quuu account, link one social media scheduler, choose up to 500 topics, and get publishing suggestions every day.
Best for:
- Businesses with a large social media following
- Streamlining hand-curated content on topics
- Agencies managing up to 100 social media accounts
Top features:
- Choose from over 500 interests for curation
- Suggestions appear in your publisher each day
- Manually approve the best ones
Downsides:
- Limited suggestions on the free plan
- Not available for Pinterest or Instagram
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Influencer Research
91% of respondents to a 2021 survey say influencer marketing is effective as a marketing tactic. Meanwhile, two-thirds admit to suffering from fraud at the hands of influencers. A little influencer research with the right social media tool can help you avoid fake engagement, fake followers, and wasted money.
16. Linqia
Linqia is an AI-powered influencer platform. Brands can use the Linqia database to find influencers for specific objectives or niches, choose optimised content, and vet engagement potential with algorithm technology.
Best for:
- Businesses with large marketing budgets
- Using AI to drive the most ROI from influencer marketing
Top features:
- Find the best influencers for meeting campaign goals
- Decide which type of content will perform best with influencer audiences
- Take the question out of engagement and metrics
Downsides:
- Caters to global brands
- No public pricing
17. Awario
Awario is mainly a social monitoring tool, but they also offer a tool for discovering and following influencers for future campaigns.
Best for:
- Businesses of all sizes thanks to flexible plans
- Finding and filtering influencers in your niche
Top features:
- Customised alerts for topics or keywords
- See influencer feeds within the platform
- Filter by engagement or platform
Downsides:
- No sharable reports or exports on the lowest price plan
- API only available for enterprise
18. Klear
As one of the best social media content management tools for influencers, Klear serves as a complete CRM. You can complete everything from discovery and vetting to messaging within the Klear platform.
Best for:
- Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
- Global brands, agencies, and early startups
Top features:
- Instant demographic analysis on audiences
- All-in-one platform from research to outreach
- Track your campaign results
- Algorithm scores influencers to fit with your brand’s goals
Downsides:
- No freemium version
- Only available for large companies and enterprise
- Startups must qualify
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Hashtag Research
Whether independent creators, small businesses, or enterprise companies, everyone knows hashtags are important for reaching new yet targeted audiences.
But how can you choose the most active and relevant hashtags with the lowest competition? Use the best social media content management tools for hashtag research.
19. Keyhole
Hashtags might be useful for reaching a wider audience, but they sure aren’t easy to track for metrics and results. Keyhole is one of the best social media content management tools because it’s one of the few tools that offers a solution.
Best for:
- Media and entertainment, agencies, and non-profits
- Scaling with social monitoring and influencer research tools
- Tracking hashtag performance and analytics
Top features:
- Measure your campaign results in real-time
- Track hashtags across every platform in one place
- Monitor hashtag trends for performance
- Generate hashtag performance reports
Downsides:
- It may be costly for small businesses
- Downloads and reports limited in the basic plan
20. Hashtagify
When hashtags matter, Hashtagify is a must in every social media content management toolbox. Search for hashtag inspiration, discover influencers, and track hashtag trends for the best engagement.
Best for:
- Twitter and Instagram
- SMBs, agencies, and enterprise thanks to flexible plans
- Brands looking to maximise their organic social media presence
Top features:
- Get insights on hashtag trends and performance
- Research influencers via hashtag monitoring
- Nice visual reports and analytics
- Track hashtag trends over months or weeks
Downsides:
- Only available for Twitter and Instagram
- No way to know if metrics are correct
The Best Social Media Content Management Tools for Social Listening
Social listening tools help you monitor your brand’s reputation, audience, competitors, and anything else you choose to track.
Just set up alerts for your brand name and respond to comments as needed. You could also set up alerts for general industry keywords to monitor trending topics.
21. Falcon.io
Falcon.io is really an all-in-one tool but offers some of the most extensive social listening and monitoring tools of any platform. You can also start with high-level analysis and dig deeper as you view the results.
Best for:
- Small and mid-size companies with the budget and time to invest in social media monitoring
- Enterprise and large companies in need of a custom solution
- An all-in-one social media management tool with a focus on monitoring
Top features:
- Monitor mentions and keywords across social media, comments, and blogs
- Sentiment analysis judges your brand’s perception on a negative/positive scale
- Demographics help you understand your audience and potential audiences
Downsides:
- Essentials plan may price out small businesses
- No competitor benchmarking in Essentials plan
22. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is one of the go-to tools for social listening thanks to its detailed analysis and beautiful reports. They set the standard as a social media CRM, making Sprout Social one of the best social media content management tools around.
Best for:
- Small businesses, enterprise, and agencies
- Travel and hospitality, retail, software and tech, and higher education
- Brands ready to invest the time and budget honing their social media presence
Top features:
- Advanced listening for brands, competitors, topics, industries, campaigns, and more
- Pulls data from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and the web
- Sentiment, demographics, and conversation analysis
Downsides:
- A basic plan may be costly for small businesses
- No competitive reports or trend analysis with the basic plan
Conclusion
In this guide, you’ll discover the best tools for managing your social media activities. The world of social media management tools can be confusing and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. I will recommend the best tools for managing Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more.