Here’s our rundown of the best social media management tools to help you with everything from video editing to data analysis.
Much has been said about the influence of social media on how people interact with a brand. A social media post can completely change the image of a brand. As much as popularity on social media is about luck, it’s also about strategy. For this reason, more and more companies are hiring social media managers.
Social media spending increased by a massive 74% between February and June 2020, at the start of the pandemic, according to a survey. So, if you’ve decided on a career as a social media manager, we’ll recap some of the key tools you’ll need to master it, focusing on what your job description typically includes:
1. Analyzing data
Frustrated with social media’s poor performance despite significant investments, companies have poured their money into data analytics software solutions to understand their audience. In fact, by 2022, about 37% of companies in the US will have started investing in data analytics.
As an in-house or freelance social media manager, you must own and use social media analytics tools. Finally, they need to monitor brand performance and strategize accordingly. Some tools you can use are:
- HowSociable – a free tool that examines metrics across 12 social media platforms.
- HootSuite – a paid tool that consolidates multiple networks.
- Google Analytics – a free tool that tracks a brand’s website traffic.
2. Tracking online trends
A crucial part of a social media manager’s job is to keep up with trends. All in all, the success of your social media strategy depends on it. No doubt you don’t want your brand to be caught off guard when a new trend emerges.
To make sure you’re always up to date with the latest trends, use social media listening tools. Some examples are:
- Mention – a paid tool that tracks online conversations in real time.
- HootSuite Insights – a free tool that analyzes conversations on social media.
- Google Alerts – a free tool that provides real-time notifications of new online content.
3. Create content
After tracking the trends and analyzing the company’s performance, you will also be responsible for creating engaging content for various platform features, from Instagram reels to Twitter posts. This is where photo and video editing tools come into play.
If you are familiar with this, you should consider using platforms such as Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Darkroom or Final Cut Pro. However, if you’re trying to stick to a budget or are just starting out, you might want to use more beginner-friendly and free apps like Canva, iMovie, or Pablo.
Besides graphics tools, you may also need access to artificial intelligence (AI) driven copywriting tools to create captions, blog posts and the like. These tools can save you time and help you create quality content. Some popular AI-powered copywriting tools are:
- Jasper – Starter plan costs around $49 per month.
- Copy AI – offers a free version with 2,000 words per month.
- QuillBot – offers a free version with limited features.
4. Plan and schedule content
The ability to plan social media content and plan in bulk is an essential skill for any social media manager. It saves you time from manually posting every day and allows you to take a step back to analyze how your posts are performing.
Most importantly, it helps you be more strategic with your content, especially when you consider budget and timeliness. To do this, you can use social media scheduling tools like Buffer for scheduling, ContentCal for scheduling, or even Google Calendar to set reminders!
5. Interaction with followers
No social media strategy is complete without a focus on engagement. As a social media manager, your job is to engage and build relationships with your brand’s followers. The best way to do this is to actively monitor all comments, DMs, and mentions. This way you can quickly jump in and engage with anyone who has something to say about your brand.
Of course, this can be a lot to consider, which is why you might want to use social media management tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Buffer. In the future, you could even use AI to automate your digital communications, allowing you more time to yourself—a luxury for those working in the social media space.
6. Working with your team
Unless you’re an island, you probably need to work with a team of social media experts who specialize in different skills. For example, you might have a copywriter on your team who creates the captions for your posts while you focus on creating the visuals. In any case, it is important to be able to work well with others and to be able to share files easily. This is where project management tools come into play. Some popular options are Asana, Trello, Notion, and Slack.
7. Reporting Your Results
Last but not least, as a social media manager, you are also responsible for reporting the results of your efforts to your boss or clients. This is where data visualization tools come into play. With them, you can turn all the numbers and metrics you’ve collected into easy-to-understand visual representations. This allows you to show the impact of your work quickly and effectively. Some popular data visualization tools are Tableau, Google Data Studio, and Microsoft Power BI.
After all, as a social media manager, you need a “can-do spirit” and a willingness to constantly learn. Social media is always changing, which means there are always new platforms, new features, and new trends to learn about. So if you love your hashtags, memes and all things social media then this job is definitely for you.