Social media is dominating marketing. With 4.55 billion global users, platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become vital for reaching audiences. But posting alone isn't enough. Specialized tools provide the analytics, automation, and optimization that take social media efforts to the next level.
This post will explore some of the top apps and software for supercharging your social media marketing efforts in 2024. Whether you need to schedule content, monitor brand mentions, identify influencers, or go in-depth with analytics, there are fantastic options to fit every need and budget.
I'll provide an overview of key features, limitations, and ideal use cases across three main categories:
With your stack's right social media tools, you'll be well-equipped to elevate your strategy and results. Let's dive in!
Social Listening Tools
Sprout Social
Paid
Sprout Social offers deep listening capabilities across social platforms, tracking mentions of brands, keywords, phrases, and hashtags.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Comprehensive listening and monitoring, sentiment analysis, competitive tracking, alerts, and reporting.
- Limitations: High-end pricing may not suit all budgets.
- Use Case: Ideal for travel brands to monitor relevant conversations and trends.
Brandwatch
Paid
Brandwatch provides AI-powered insights, including sentiment analysis and visual brand monitoring.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Consumer intelligence, data visualization, image and video analysis.
- Limitations: Advanced features may overwhelm beginners.
- Use Case: Allow e-commerce brands to monitor sentiment.
BuzzSumo
Freemium
BuzzSumo helps discover the most shared content and key influencers in your industry.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Viral content discovery, influencer identification, content research.
- Limitations: Some data accuracy concerns were reported.
- Use Case: Allow digital marketers to research high-performing content ideas.
Mention
Freemium
Mention allows brands to track mentions across social media, news, and websites. It offers real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, and competitive tracking.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Brand monitoring, alerts, sentiment analysis.
- Limitations: The free trial has limited features, and paid plans can be expensive.
- Use Case: Monitor brand reputation and industry trends.
Talkwalker
Paid
Talkwalker provides social listening, analytics, and reporting across social networks, news, blogs, and more.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Cross-platform listening, in-depth analytics, easy reporting.
- Limitations: Potentially overwhelming interface, expensive for small businesses.
- Use Case: Measure the impact of social media and PR campaigns.
Google Alerts
Free
Google Alerts monitors the web for new content around specified topics and keywords.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Customizable web alerts, email notifications, and search term monitoring.
- Limitations: Limited to web content, no social media monitoring or analytics.
- Use Case: Track online mentions and news for small businesses.
Brand24
Freemium
Brand24 offers real-time monitoring and analytics for keyword mentions.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, customizable reports.
- Limitations: Limited capabilities in the free version.
- Use Case: Restaurants can monitor online reviews and respond quickly.
YouScan
Paid
YouScan provides visual content recognition, sentiment analysis, and trend detection across social media.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Image recognition, data visualization, historical data.
- Limitations: Potentially cost-prohibitive for smaller budgets.
- Use Case: Fashion brands can identify trends through user-generated images.
Exolyt
Freemium
Exolyt focuses on in-depth TikTok analytics and insights.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Hashtag tracking, audience demographics, competitor benchmarking.
- Limitations: Specific to TikTok, lacks support for other platforms.
- Use Case: Influencers can analyze TikTok performance and audience.
Analisa
Freemium
Analisa offers Instagram and TikTok analytics tools providing engagement metrics, audience demographics, and competitor benchmarking.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: In-depth analytics for Instagram and TikTok, demographic data, benchmarking.
- Limitations: Core features are limited in the free version.
- Use Case: Identify influencer collaborations based on audience fit.
Answer the Public
Freemium
Discover search trends and content ideas based on current user questions submitted online with AnswerThePublic.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Question and search data, content suggestions, keyword research.
- Limitations: Data is not real-time.
- Use Case: Fuel content strategy with trending user questions.
User-Generated Content (UGC) Tools
Nosto
Paid
Nosto offers AI-powered UGC curation, rights management, and shoppable galleries to integrate UGC across digital properties.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Content aggregation, curation and publishing tools, asset management.
- Limitations: Focus on UGC management lacks broader marketing capabilities.
- Use Case: Allow e-commerce brands to create shoppable UGC galleries.
Yotpo
Freemium
Yotpo provides UGC collection, display, review management, and visual marketing tools.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: UGC content aggregation, review management, content widgets.
- Limitations: Core features are limited in the free version.
- Use Case: Display content like reviews and photos on e-commerce sites.
Tint
Paid
Tint allows brands to collect, curate, and display user-generated content (UGC) across marketing channels, including websites, ads, email, and social media.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: UGC aggregation, display tools, visual marketing options.
- Limitations: Potential learning curve due to a wide range of features.
- Use Case: Display photos of products on e-commerce sites.
Social Native
Paid
Social Native is an integrated influencer marketing and UGC platform enabling brands to discover content creators, activate campaigns, source UGC, and manage workflows.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Influencer discovery, UGC curation, campaign management.
- Limitations: It does not offer a free version.
- Use Case: Food brands can leverage influencers and UGC for branded content creation.
Bazaarvoice
Paid
Bazaarvoice is an in-depth UGC platform with content curation, publishing, and analytics tools.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: UGC curation, social publishing, advanced reporting.
- Limitations: Potentially expensive for smaller businesses.
- Use Case: Display photos and reviews on product pages.
Pixlee
Paid
Pixlee offers UGC aggregation along with influencer marketing tools.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: UGC curation, rights management, influencer discovery.
- Limitations: No free version is available.
- Use Case: Identify influencers based on UGC and audience fit.
Tagbox
Freemium
Tagbox enables UGC collection, curation, rights management, and publishing across digital channels.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Content aggregation, moderation tools, multi-channel publishing.
- Limitations: Limited capabilities in the free version.
- Use Case: Create social media feeds of event content.
Taggshop
Paid
Taggshop provides UGC collection, management, and display tools to drive engagement.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Content aggregation, review management, content widgets.
- Limitations: Potentially expensive pricing plans.
- Use Case: Display guest reviews on hotel websites.
Billo
Paid
Billo connects brands with top-rated creators to obtain high-quality video reviews and UGC.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Video UGC, creator marketplace, campaign management.
- Limitations: Focused solely on video content.
- Use Case: Tech brands can obtain user video reviews.
Collabstr
Paid
Collabstr connects brands with influencers for content collaborations and influencer marketing campaigns.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Influencer marketplace, campaign management, analytics.
- Limitations: Focused solely on influencer marketing.
- Use Case: Obtain branded workout content from influencers.
Social Media Management Platforms
Hootsuite
Freemium
Hootsuite is an integrated social media management platform with listening, publishing, analytics, and team collaboration features.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Unified social media management, custom analytics, content library.
- Limitations: The interface is less intuitive than some tools.
- Use Case: Schedule, monitor, and report on social media from one dashboard.
Buffer
Freemium
Buffer focuses on social media scheduling, content analytics, and team collaboration features.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Content scheduling, engagement analytics, team workflows.
- Limitations: Post and account limits in the free version.
- Use Case: Schedule and analyze social content while maintaining a consistent presence.
Planoly
Freemium
Planoly specializes in Instagram planning, scheduling, and visual content optimization.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Instagram content planner, shoppable posts, drag-and-drop collaboration.
- Limitations: Made for Instagram, so there is limited support for other platforms.
- Use Case: Streamline Instagram content workflows for individuals or teams.
VistaSocial
Paid
VistaSocial offers scheduling, monitoring, content creation, and competitive analysis for streamlined social media management.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Content creation, monitoring brand reputation, post scheduling.
- Limitations: Lack of a free version may limit adoption for some.
- Use Case: Comprehensive tool for managing social presence across platforms.
Awario: Freemium
Freemium
Awario offers real-time social monitoring, sentiment analysis, and influencer identification across key channels.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Monitoring dashboards, influencer tracking, and alerting.
- Limitations: Limited capabilities in the free version, interface not as user-friendly.
- Use Case: Monitor brand mentions and identify key influencers.
Sotrender
Paid
Sotrender: Paid
Sotrender is an AI-powered social media analytics tool providing data on brand performance, competitors, influencers, and trends.
Features, Limitations, and Use Cases
- Key Features: Competitive benchmarking, personalized insights, easy reporting.
- Limitations: Focus on analytics lacks content creation or engagement capabilities.
- Use Case: Gain actionable data to optimize social media marketing strategies.
Final Thoughts
With the massive growth of social media, marketers now have a robust and ever-expanding suite of tools to enhance their efforts. While the options may seem overwhelming at first, identifying your specific goals, audiences, and budget will help determine the solutions that are the best fit.
Platforms like Sprout Social, Brandwatch, and Talkwalker provide powerful but premium capabilities for listening to brand mentions and industry conversations. More affordable alternatives like Awario, Brand24, and Mention also offer solid monitoring and sentiment analysis.
If user-generated content is crucial, dedicated UGC tools like Stackla, Yotpo, and Tint enable curation at scale. But for smaller budgets, options like Tagbox and Billo can still help activate content.
All-in-one social media management platforms like Hootsuite and VistaSocial connect the dots across scheduling, analytics, monitoring, and publishing. But those with simpler needs may get by with more specialized tools like Buffer for scheduling and Planoly for visual Instagram planning.
At the end of the day, there are fantastic options for all team sizes and budgets. Don't aim for the full suite of tools right away - start small with a few solutions that address your biggest needs. As your social media marketing matures over time, you can always expand your stack. With the right tools in place, you'll be well-equipped to manage workflows, extract insights, and take your efforts to the next level.
