Social Media Management Tools for Small Businesses

With so many social media platforms available, choosing the right ones for your business and managing all of the accounts takes time. What's more, for your accounts to be effective at driving traffic and interest, you have to know when to post and what kinds of content to share. Sound like a lot to handle? Fortunately, you don't have to do it alone, even if your small business doesn't have dedicated social-media team. These social media management tools allow you to work on marketing when you want and still get the results you're after:

SproutSocial

SproutSocial aggregates your small business's social media activity into one easy-to-understand management platform. This tool lets you post, plan, track and analyze to better utilize social media.

No matter what platforms your company is on, you want to get your name out there and build an active community. With everything else your small business has to take care of, streamlining the social side of your marketing efforts ensures you spend time on achieving your next goals, not signing in to post.

You can also use Sprout to put out content during high-traffic times when your followers are most likely to see it. Don't let your content go to waste.

Price
Prices range from $59 to $500 a month depending on the size of your business, what features you want and how many users you'll have.

Feedly

Social-media marketing isn't just about promoting your own company. Users are more likely to trust and follow your pages if you share third-party content, like industry news. Keep track of all of your favorite sources and share relevant content on your social channels by using Feedly, an RSS aggregator that makes building your social media presence easier.

Feedly also lets you keep tabs on what others are saying about your company. The tool will send you alerts when your company is mentioned on social media, allowing you to stay up to date on your own growing reputation. Further integrate your social media with the rest of your business by using Feedly in conjunction with other tools.

Price
Feedly Basic is free, but for more advanced tools or users, you can purchase Pro for $5.41 or Team for $18 a month.

ManageFlitter

A time-saver for both individuals and businesses, ManageFlitter makes running a Twitter account a breeze. From allowing you to perform bulk actions to getting you connected with other users, ManageFlitter helps companies make the most of social media. Businesses can also track analytics. To get the best results in your numbers, use this tool to schedule posts during times and days when your audience is most engaged.

Other helpful features this tool offers include alerts when other users mention set keywords and the ability to see who unfollowed you.

Price
ManageFlitter ranges from free (for limited tools) to $49 a month for companies.

Commun.it

Part of running a successful business is maintaining an engaged community, which is why social media is so important. However, you have to be active for your community to thrive. Commun.it helps you do that by allowing you to respond to tweets, identify users who interact with you the most, find others to follow and more. This tool is all about creating strong online relationships that'll help your business grow.

Commun.it is available on major social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, with Instagram and Pinterest versions to be released soon.

Between the in-depth reporting, user information and scheduling capabilities, Commun.it will save you time and evolve your company's social media presence.

Price
You can create a free account, or choose from a variety of plans geared toward businesses. The top tier runs $139 per month and allows up to 18 users.

Buffer

Social media is a must for most businesses, but it also requires a serious time commitment. Buffer allows you to schedule, publish and analyze all of your social media posts, helping you stay on schedule and make the most of your social channels.

Additionally, Buffer allows users to coordinate with their teams to stay on top of their cohesive social-media strategy. Use the analytics reporting to make smarter marketing decisions and reach your target market.

Price
Small companies can purchase a subscription to Buffer for $10 a month. However, for more users and features, check out the Business and Enterprise plans, which cost $99-$399 and $898 a month, respectively.

From scheduling posts to watching industry news to tracking analytics, these tools help you make the most of social media. Use them to grow your marketing strategy and drive new business to your company, not to mention build a loyal following of existing customers.