7 Time-Saving Social Media Scheduling Tools

In this blog post we’ll go through the pros and cons of 7 Social Media Scheduling Tools:

1. Hootsuite

Pros

• There’s a free plan. Their blog also gives you access to a massive library of valuable and educational content.
• Since it is a web-based tool, there is no need to download Hootsuite however, there are mobile apps for IOS and Android available.
• Hootsuite has the ability to create search streams, this allows you to focus on important conversations and opportunities to engage with customers.

Cons

• You are forced to use Owly short links, this may interfere with tracking analytics.
• There is no way to post multiple images on an Instagram post and overall does not integrate well with Instagram.
• Social Media profiles need to be reauthenticated at least once a year.

2. Buffer

Pros

• There’s a free plan however, it’s important to consider your needs in a scheduling tool.
• Clean and user friendly dashboard.
• As a part of the Buffer family, Pablo is a free image creation tool that can help create social media images “in under 30 seconds.”

Cons

• In terms of coverage, Buffer is not as robust when it comes to scheduling posts on different social media platforms. They only support: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.
• You are forced to use Buff.ly links, this may interfere with tracking analytics.
• It only offers analytics of the posts you’ve published via the platform.

3. Post Planner

Pros

• For 3 social media accounts, 300 scheduled posts and 1 user you only pay $3/month. Although there is no free plan, their starter option is extremely affordable.
• With their “Find” feature you can browse images and text statuses other Faebook pages have posted that have been proven to perform. Post Planner also makes it easy for you to re-share the post.
• You have the ability to view your entire content calendar and change the times easily.

Cons

• Posting is limited to Facebook and Twitter.
• They have poor customer service and support team practices.
• You are unable to monitor all feeds, mentions, and social media accounts from one dashboard.

4. Sendible

Pros

• Sendible supports all major Social Media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, Pinterest, and YouTube.
• This platform is constantly evolving and introducing new features.
• You have the ability to integrate Canva, making creating graphics much easier and efficient.

Cons

• There is no free plan however, they do have a 30-day free trial available. The most cost sensitive plan starts at $29/month.
• It does not integrate well with instagram.
• Geographic keyword monitoring isn’t always accurate.

5. SmartQueue

Pros

• They offer an excellent amount of features (like a drag and drop content calendar) without being overwhelming.
• There is a content library for repeating posts. This can save you time when it comes to evergreen content.
• SmartQueue allows you to find social content by user, keyword, or content type. 

Cons

• There is no free plan however, they do have a 30-day free trial available. The most cost sensitive plan starts at $13.99/month.
• It does not auto schedule, meaning it won’t pick the best time to send your posts.
• You can’t upload videos directly into the platform however, you can post links to videos.

6. Loomly 

Pros

• Fast customer service.
• The desktop and mobile platform are both user friendly, easy to learn, and navigate.
• You can set up your account to receive email and mobile notifications about your upcoming posts.

Cons

• There is no free plan however, they do have a 15-day free trial available. The most cost sensitive plan starts at $25/month.
• You have to renew connections to Social Media profiles quite often.
• You can not schedule posts directly to Instagram, but it is the #1 most requested feature so we may see it in the future.

7. Sprout Social

Pros

• Provides robust analytics and different types of reports across all Social Media platforms (performance over a period of time, number of posts, increase in followers, changes in engagements, link clicks, etc.)
• If you have more than one person with their hands in Digital Marketing or Social Media Management, you have the ability to manage messages, open, and assign tasks.
• Sprout Social has capabilities like: chatbot creation, private messaging, Facebook page management, and more.

Cons

• There is no free plan however, they do have a 30-day free trial available. The most cost sensitive plan starts at $99/month.
• It does not support the management of Facebook groups, Linkedin groups, or Pinterest.
• Android capabilities are not as strong compared to iOS.

CONCLUSION:

Scheduling Social Media content enhances your ability to work smarter.

Before deciding on which scheduling tool you want to utilize, it’s important to get clear on your Digital Marketing strategy.

Understand what you need in a scheduling tool and make sure to do your research.

Bottom line, automating your Social Media content is essential for your Digital Marketing Strategy.

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