Social media: the emporium of cat videos, political rants and thousands of baby photos. Likes, shares, tweets, filters and memes - but what is it good for? Social media isn’t just a one-trick pony, friends. When used properly, it can be an effective tool for marketers looking to get a leg up on the competition. Don’t believe us? Statistics don’t lie. 92% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses.
Social media can dramatically improve your revenue picture, and work wonders to improve the overall customer experience. So, if you’re looking for an affordable, immediate option to spruce up your marketing strategy and make that paper, check out media management tools that can make your social marketing as simple (and fun!!) as using Kimojis and dog filters.
1. SocialOomph
SocialOomph accesses all your social media platforms to take a peek at your online presence, while also looking at your customers’ social media activities. It’ll track keywords, schedule tweets and even purge your direct message inbox. A premium account features keyword searches, sorting lists and even specific tools for each social media platform. It takes the guesswork out of managing all of your social media. And really, who has the time or patience for guesswork?
2. LikeableHub
The free option of this tool will give you literally thousands of post ideas if you can’t seem to dream up something creative and attention-grabbing. It also has a scheduling tool, so no need to worry if you forget to hit that share button. LikeableHub’s premium options can also help you with social listening, strategy and lead generation. As a bonus, you can create mobile-friendly websites and landing pages which makes this social media tool a jack of all trades.
3. MavSocial
Have a diverse audience and you’re not quite sure how to reach them via social media? MavSocial has an option to post to your social media in a variety of languages, which is one of its most unique features. It also has a dashboard that allows you to monitor all social media activity in one place. You can even edit photos on MavSocial - but no Valencia filter included.
4. HubSpot Social
The one-stop shop for your social media needs. HubSpot Social is pretty remarkable in that it monitors keywords of your contacts and because this tool is so smart, it’s even able to send an email triggered when a contact mentions your business or a related keyword. HubSpot’s scheduling and auto-publishing tool gives you freedom to monitor and analyze instead of focusing on getting the content published. This all-in-one marketing tool gives you deep information about the people that interact with your brand, and provides real time social data that you can use to drive significant social ROI.
5. Buffer
With over 3 million users, Buffer is quickly moving in on the big dogs of social media management. Buffer does better online stalking than an Ex - it follows your followers to identify the best posting times so more potential (and current) clients will be reached. Fully customizable, you’re able to let Buffer know how many times per day or week you’d like it to post for you, so no over-sharing risk. Leave that to the moms and cat-lovers.
6. Sprout Social
Love running your business, but have limited time to really connect with your customers? Let Sprout Social do the legwork for you. Part of delivering a premium customer experience is understanding what your customers really want and delighting them over and over again. Being able to quickly respond to questions and resolve any issues keeps customers coming back for more. Sprout Social also keeps up with the trends and patterns that are present within your customers’ social media use, which will help you connect with them on a more personal level.
7. Hootsuite
Perhaps the reigning king of free social media management tools, Hootsuite is incredibly user-friendly, allowing you to add all of your accounts and toggle between platforms as you choose what to post, where. Live and breathe data? Hootsuite also provides analysis of all posts and serves up some pretty valuable and insightful information.
So what’s next? Well, if you’re not “doing social” for your business, it’s time to start. Don’t be that company who thinks “their audience doesn’t care about social media.” That line of reasoning is like a one way ticket to irrelevancy!
Now, for all you social novices, mavens or begrudging adopters, start using these tools for better results and ROI from the social effort you’re making! And remember, social media is a marketing channel valuable for many reasons. You can use it to reach your specific marketing goal, so don’t just phone it in. Start with an action plan that considers what you’re actually trying to achieve through social.
Interested in solidifying your brand? Is lead generation your top priority? Trying to grow your fan/follower base? More concerned with positioning yourself as a thought leader in your space? Do you fall into the “All of the Above” category? Social media is a powerful way to do all of it - so use it to your advantage! And hey, if you want to post a cat photo in the process, we won’t judge you.
But what if a complete lack of time, resources or patience to fully adopt and optimize social media as part of your marketing plan is the reality you face? Should you postpone incorporating it into your marketing strategy? Should you avoid it all together? We wouldn't recommmend either of those options if you want your company to remain relevant and competitive. Instead, you may consider working with a marketing agency to do it for you. A qualified agency can build your social media presence the right way and help you use it as a vehicle for revenue and growth. If getting support from an agency sounds like a plan that could work for you, download this guide for tips on hiring the right one!