Let’s discuss Social Media Scheduling Tools 🤩 .
Are you tired of spending countless hours manually posting to your social media accounts? Do you wish there was an easier way to manage your social media strategy without the constant stress of keeping up with posting schedules?
Well, you’re in luck!
Social media scheduling tools are your new best friend in the fast-paced world of digital marketing.
What are Social Media Scheduling Tools?
Imagine having a superhero sidekick for your social media game—always ready, always on time, and never missing a beat. That’s exactly what social media scheduling tools are 👏!
These magical helpers 💪 let you plan, create, and schedule your posts in advance, so you can focus on the fun part: creating awesome content and engaging with your audience.
Picture this: You’re sipping your morning coffee, and instead of frantically posting across all your social media platforms, you’re chill because your trusty scheduling tool has got it all covered. It’s like having a personal assistant who works 24/7, ensuring your posts go live exactly when your audience is most active.
But wait, there’s more! These tools don’t just schedule—they give you powerful insights too. Track your performance, see what works best, and refine your strategy without breaking a sweat.
With social media scheduling tools, you can:
- Plan Like a Pro: Map out your content calendar and never worry about last-minute scrambles.
- Stay Consistent: Keep your brand voice consistent and active, even when you’re off the grid.
- Engage Smarter: Free up time to interact with your followers, build relationships, and grow your community.
- Analyze and Optimize: Get detailed analytics to see which posts are your superstars and which need a little tweak.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the top 20 social media scheduling tools that can transform how you manage your online presence. From feature-packed giants to niche-specific gems, we’ll cover everything you need to know to choose the perfect tool for your needs.
So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let’s explore the social media scheduling tools that will save you time and elevate your social media game
1. Buffer:
Ah! Buffer – the OG of social media scheduling.
This user-friendly tool lets you schedule posts for multiple accounts across various platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. The free plan offers a decent set of features, while the paid plans start at $6/month and unlock goodies like advanced analytics and team collaboration.
Buffer’s intuitive interface makes it easy to schedule posts and manage your social media calendar. It also offers basic analytics and a browser extension for easy sharing.
- Pricing: Free plan available, Essential ($6/month), and Team ($12/month) plans available
- Features: Schedule posts, analyze engagement, and collaborate with team members
- Pros: Intuitive, affordable, and fantastic customer support, super easy to use, free plan available, clean interface
- Cons: Limited free version features, offers basic analytics
2. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is like the Swiss Army knife of social media management. It is a veteran in the social media scheduling world and for good reasons. This robust platform not only allows for scheduling posts across 35+ networks but also offers monitoring, analytics, and team collaboration features.
One of its standout features is its robust analytics, which helps you measure the performance of your posts and adjust your strategy accordingly
With no free plan, the paid plans start at $19/month and opens up a world of advanced features like custom analytics reports and ad management.
- Pricing: Pro ($19/month), and Business ($129/month) plans available.
- Features: Schedule posts, track engagement, and monitor analytics across multiple platforms
- Pros: Comprehensive and scalable, supports multiple platforms, robust analytics, user-friendly interface, great customer support.
- Cons: No free plan, can be expensive for large teams, interface can be a bit overwhelming for newbies.
3. Sprout Social
If you’re a social media pro with a team to manage, Sprout Social is your new best friend.
It lets you schedule posts across all major platforms, monitor brand mentions, and analyze performance – all from a single dashboard. With Sprout Social, it is easy to collaborate with your team and get approval workflows rolling.
This all-in-one platform boasts advanced scheduling, analytics, and collaboration features tailored for agencies and enterprises. Pricing starts at $249/month, which might be steep for solopreneurs, but the features are hard to beat.
- Pricing: Standard ($249/month), Pro ($399/month), and Advanced ($499/month) plans are available.
- Features: Schedule posts, monitor analytics, and engage with audiences across multiple platforms
- Pros: Comprehensive features, excellent customer support, robust analytics, and a sleek interface
- Cons: Steeper learning curve, pricey for small businesses
4. Later
For all you visual marketers out there, Later is a dream come true.
Later stands out with its visual content calendar, which is perfect for Instagram and Pinterest users. It allows you to drag and drop images into your calendar, making scheduling a breeze. Plan your feed’s aesthetics, analyze performance, and leverage Later’s handy link-in-bio tool.
Later also offers Instagram analytics and a media library for easy content management. This Instagram-focused scheduling tool makes planning and scheduling your feed and stories a breeze.
The paid plans start at $25/month and unlock features like hashtag suggestions, analytics, and multi-account management.
- Pricing: Paid Starter plans start at $25/month.
- Pros: Excellent for visual planning, affordable pricing, and strong Instagram features.
- Cons: Limited analytics on lower-tier plans, no support for LinkedIn.
5. SocialPilot
If managing multiple clients or brands is your jam, SocialPilot might just become your new sidekick.
This powerful tool allows for scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration across all major social networks. It’s designed to help businesses manage their social media presence effectively and efficiently. Pricing starts at $30/month, which is quite reasonable for the range of features on offer.
- Pricing: Professional ($30/month), Small Team ($50/month), and Agency ($100/month) plans available
- Features: Schedule posts, track analytics, and collaborate with team members
- Pros: Bulk scheduling, client management, and extensive customization options
- Cons: No free plan, the interface could use a little more polish.
6. CoSchedule
CoSchedule is more than just a scheduling tool—it’s a full-fledged marketing calendar. This scheduling tool integrates seamlessly with your content calendar, allowing you to plan, publish, and analyze your social media posts in one place.
CoSchedule also offers robust analytics and integrates with other marketing tools.
This all-in-one marketing calendar starts at $29/month and is ideal for content planning and collaboration.
- Pricing: Free plan available; solo ($29/month), and Agency plan ($49/month)plans available.
- Pros: Integrates with other marketing tools, user-friendly interface, comprehensive content calendar.
- Cons: Steep learning curve, limited features on the free plan.
7. MeetEdgar
MeetEdgar specializes in content recycling, automatically rescheduling your evergreen content. This tool is perfect for businesses looking to maximize the lifespan of their content. It also offers category-based scheduling and basic analytics.
- Pricing: Paid plans start at $29.99/month.
- Pros: Automates content recycling, easy to use, great for evergreen content.
- Cons: Expensive, no free plan, limited platform support.
8. Sendible
Don’t just schedule social media posts, schedule blog posts too!
Sendible lets you manage content across various platforms, including social media, blogs, and even review sites.
Sendible is a powerful tool for scheduling posts, monitoring social media, and analyzing performance. It also offers content curation tools and team collaboration features, making it a solid choice for agencies.
It’s perfect for those managing a comprehensive online presence.
- Price: Starter ($29/month), Pro ($89/month), and Business ($240/month) plans available.
- Pros: Manages social media and other content, good value, various platform integrations.
- Cons: Expensive, no free plan.
9. SocialBee
This user-friendly tool boasts a clean interface and allows you to schedule posts across various platforms. SocialBee also offers features like social media monitoring and content suggestion tools to keep your inspiration flowing.
SocialBee offers category-based scheduling and content recycling, making it easy to keep your social media feeds active. It also provides basic analytics and audience targeting features.
- Price: Paid Bootstrap plans start at $29/month.
- Pros: User-friendly interface, content suggestion tool, great for content recycling, user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, free plan available.
- Cons: Limited features in the free plan, newer player in the market, limited platform support, basic analytics
10. Zoho Social
Part of the Zoho suite of business applications, Zoho Social offers a robust social media scheduling platform at a competitive price. Schedule posts, analyze performance, and collaborate with your team, all within the Zoho ecosystem.
It offers multi-channel scheduling, social media analytics, team collaboration, and CRM integration and is a great choice for businesses already using Zoho’s other products.
- Price: Standard paid plans start at $15/month.
- Pros: Affordable, integrates with other Zoho apps, good value for features.
- Cons: Interface might feel slightly dated, free plan limitations.
11. Agorapulse
Looking for in-depth social media analytics alongside your scheduling? Agorapulse delivers!
Track your social media performance across various metrics, schedule posts, and even identify your top-performing content. Iconosquare offers comprehensive inbox and CRM features Price: Starts at €69/month (ouch again!), but the analytics are top-notch.
- Pricing: Paid plans start at $69/month.
- Pros: Comprehensive features, excellent customer support, strong analytics.
- Cons: Expensive, no free plan.
12. Crowdfire
Crowdfire is ideal for small businesses, freelancers, and individuals who want a user-friendly and efficient way to manage their social media presence and keep their audience engaged. It also allows users to plan, schedule, and publish content across multiple social media platforms effortlessly.
- Pricing: Free plan available. Plus plan for solopreneurs($10/month), and Premium ($50/month) plans available
- Pros: Easy to use, affordable pricing, strong collaboration features.
- Cons: Limited platform support, limited free version features, and basic analytics.
13. eClincher
eClincher is a robust content scheduling tool designed to streamline and enhance your social media management efforts. With eClincher, you can easily plan, schedule, and publish posts across multiple social media platforms from a single, user-friendly dashboard. It also offers a range of features that make content scheduling a breeze
- Pricing: Paid plans start at $65/month.
- Pros: Comprehensive features, excellent customer support, strong analytics.
- Cons: Expensive, no free plan.
14. Publer
Publer is a versatile scheduling tool that supports multi-channel scheduling, content calendar, analytics, and bulk scheduling. It’s designed for bulk scheduling and content curation, starts at $12/month, great for power users.
- Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $10/month.
- Pros: Affordable pricing, comprehensive features, easy to use.
- Cons: Limited features on the free plan, basic analytics.
15. Sked Social
Sked Social is a visual planner designed for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, analytics, and a media library. Sked Social makes it easy to plan and schedule your visual content.
- Pricing: Paid plans start at $59/month.
- Pros: Excellent visual planning tools, user-friendly interface, strong analytics.
- Cons: Limited platform support, expensive
16. Statusbrew
Statusbrew is a comprehensive social media management platform designed to streamline your content scheduling and publishing processes. It supports multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google My Business, making it a versatile choice for businesses managing various accounts.
- Pricing: Statusbrew offers various pricing plans, starting from lite packages ($69/month) for small teams to standard options ($129/month) for larger enterprises, with a free trial available to test its features.
- Features: Unified publishing, optimal timing, content calendar, team collaboration, analytics and reporting
- Pros: Supports a wide range of social media platforms, offers robust collaboration and approval features, and provides detailed analytics and reporting.
- Cons: May have a learning curve for beginners, and higher-tier plans can be costly for small businesses.
Other social media content scheduling tools you may wish to explore include
- Planable: Collaborative approval workflow, free plan available, basic plan starts at $13/month, great for team collaboration.
- Tailwind: Pinterest and Instagram scheduling, starts at $9.99/month, visual-centric.
- Postfity: All-in-one platform, no free plan, affordable paid plans starting at $49/month.
- SocialOomph: Advanced scheduling features, free plan available, paid plans start at $15/month.
Phew!
That was quite the social media scheduling tool marathon!
But don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
Whether you’re a solopreneur, a social media manager, or leading a team of marketing rockstars, there’s bound to be a tool (or more) on this list that’ll fit your needs and budget like a glove.
What should you look for in a social media scheduling tool?
With so many options available, how do you choose the right one🤔?
Let’s dive into five crucial features to look for in a scheduling tool to ensure you make the best choice for your needs.
1. Multiplatform support
One of the most essential features of a scheduling tool is its ability to support multiple platforms. Whether you’re managing accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, you need a tool that can handle all your profiles in one place. This not only saves you time but also ensures consistency across your social media channels.
Why It Matters
- Efficiency: No need to switch between different tools for each platform.
- Consistency: Maintain a cohesive brand voice across all channels.
- Convenience: Schedule posts for all platforms from a single dashboard.
Example: Hootsuite and Buffer are excellent examples of social media scheduling tools that support multiple social media platforms, allowing you to manage your entire social media presence from one place.
2. Scheduling Flexibility
The ability to schedule posts in advance is a fundamental feature, but the best tools offer more than just a basic scheduling function. Look for a social media scheduling tool that allows you to schedule posts at optimal times for engagement, supports bulk scheduling, and provides a visual content calendar to keep track of your posts.
Why It Matters:
- Optimal Timing: Post when your audience is most active to increase engagement.
- Bulk Scheduling: Save time by scheduling multiple posts at once.
- Content Calendar: Visualize your posting schedule to ensure consistent content delivery.
Example: Later offers a drag-and-drop content calendar and optimal posting times, making it easy to plan and schedule your social media content effectively.
3. Analytics and Reporting
Understanding the performance of your social media posts is crucial for refining your strategy. A good scheduling tool should provide robust analytics and reporting features, helping you track key metrics such as engagement, reach, clicks, and conversions. This data allows you to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Why It Matters:
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use insights to refine your social media strategy.
- Measure ROI: Understand the impact of your social media efforts.
- Performance Tracking: Identify top-performing content and replicate its success.
Example: Sprout Social provides comprehensive analytics and reporting, enabling you to gain valuable insights into your social media performance.
4. Team Collaboration Features
If you’re working with a team, collaboration features are essential. Look for a tool that allows multiple users to access and manage the account, assign tasks, and approve content before it goes live. This also ensures smooth communication and coordination among team members.
Why It Matters:
- Collaboration: Enhance teamwork and streamline workflows.
- Content Approval: Maintain quality control with content approval processes.
- Task Management: Assign roles and responsibilities within the tool.
Example: CoSchedule offers excellent team collaboration features, including task assignments, content approval workflows, and shared calendars.
5. Customer Support and Training
Finally, consider the level of customer support and training provided by the scheduling tool. Look for tools that offer comprehensive support, including tutorials, webinars, and a responsive customer service team. This is especially important if you’re new to social media scheduling or if the tool has a steep learning curve.
Why It Matters:
- Quick Issue Resolution: Get help when you encounter problems.
- Learning Resources: Access tutorials and training to maximize the tool’s potential.
- Customer Satisfaction: Ensure you have support to make the most of your investment.
Example: Agorapulse is known for its excellent customer support and extensive training resources, helping users get the most out of the tool.
Remember, the key to mastering social media is consistency, and these social media scheduling tools are like your trusty sidekicks, freeing up your time and energy to focus on creating killer content and engaging with your audience. So, go forth, schedule your posts with ease, and watch your online presence flourish!
And if you’re still feeling overwhelmed, just take a deep breath, grab a snack (we won’t judge), and give these tools a whirl.
Your future stress-free, productive self will thank you🤗!