If you're like most business owners, you are probably stretched thin trying to manage all aspects of your company. This is especially true when it comes to social media - being on social media is an obligation these days if you want to get found online, but staying on top of it all is a logistical nightmare.
Enter ✨ social media scheduling software ✨! In this blog post, I'll dive into the best social media schedulers and how they can help you save a heap of time and energy in your social media efforts.
It's a goal of mine to step up my social game and be more active on my channels, so this quest for the best social media posting tool is personal. I hope you find the results of my search helpful too!
Before we dive in: what is social media scheduling software?
Social media scheduling software lets you plan and schedule your social media posts in advance. This can be a lifesaver for business owners and digital marketers who are already wearing too many hats!
Why do you need social media scheduling software?
The best reason to use social media scheduling software is that it can help you save time and energy. By connecting your social accounts and planning your posts in advance, you can batch your content creation and save hours each week.
Another great reason to use a social media scheduler tool is that it can help you be more consistent with posting on your social channels. If you're inconsistent with your posting, you're likely to see a dip in engagement and reach.
But social media scheduling tools aren't just for businesses - they can be helpful for personal users too. If you're someone who likes to plan ahead, a scheduler can help you make sure that you are posting the content you want, when you want.
To summarize, a good social media scheduling tool can help you:
- Connect all multiple social media accounts to a single dashboard
- Easily share your social media content
- Save time by letting you batch your posts together and schedule ahead
- Stay organized by giving you an overview of your social media calendar
- Strategize and plan your social media campaigns
- Make sure you're always posting at the optimal time for engagement
- Automatically post to social media platforms for you
- Monitor brand mentions
- Give you insights and improve your social media strategy with social media analytics
There are a lot of great social media tools on the market, so how do you know which one is right for you? Let's take a look at some of the best social media scheduling software.
SocialPilot
Best overall social media marketing software
SocialPilot is a social media scheduling tool that lets you schedule posts for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and many more social networks. It also offers a robust suite of other features, including:
- A social media calendar that lets you see your social media content at a glance
- Automated posting to multiple platforms
- A team feature that lets you assign tasks and collaborate with others
- Client management for agencies
- In-depth analytics so you can track your performance
SocialPilot Pros:
- Lets you post to a huge selection of social networks
- One of the most robust feature sets among the apps on this list
- Team features, client management features, and white label options make it ideal for scaling social media agencies
- Social media inbox feature makes it easy for you (or your team) to manage all your messages and comments in one place
- Easy to use web software
- Multiple accounts included in every plan
- Mobile apps for iPhone and Android
SocialPilot Cons:
- No free plan
- Mobile apps have a limited feature set
- Some features are gated to higher-tier plans
Who is SocialPilot for?
SocialPilot is for small business owners, agencies, and digital marketers who are looking for a big set of features to help them manage their social presence. Out of all the social media scheduling software on this list, this one impressed me the most with just how much it could do.
People who are looking for a free social media poster for personal use may want to look elsewhere, but for everyone else, SocialPilot is an excellent choice.
With its robust suite of features, SocialPilot can help business owners be more consistent with their postings, automate their postings across multiple platforms, and track their performance. Additionally, the team feature makes it easy for collaboration between coworkers. If you're an agency, you'll love the client management features as well.
Buffer
Best free social media management tool
Buffer offers a great balance of features and a reasonable price, and they have a rock-solid free plan too! For folks just starting out with social media, Buffer is a great choice.
It offers the usual set of features that you'll find with most social media management tools:
- A social media calendar that lets you see your posts and schedules at a glance
- Automated posting to multiple platforms
- A team feature that lets you assign tasks and collaborate with others
- Client management for agencies
- Social media engagement analytics
Another neat feature that they offer is the Buffer start page, which gives you a killer-looking Instagram bio link landing page. If you're working with an agency, you can also use this as your Instagram marketing campaign's landing page. Overall Buffer has everything a business needs to start managing their own content.
Buffer Pros
- Did I mention: free plan? You can get access to most of Buffer's feature set and upgrade when you need to
- One of the most affordable social media schedulers on this list
- Team features, client management features, and white label options make it ideal for scaling social media agencies managing multiple social platforms
- Content calendar makes it easy to see upcoming posts at a glance
- Overall ease of use and onboarding were top notch
- Outstanding educational resources to teach folks how to grow their social media presence
- The ability to publish to TikTok and Instagram Reels
- Mobile apps for iPhone and Android
Buffer Cons
- Free plan is limited to only 10 posts per social channel
- Pricing is based on the number of social channels that you connect to buffer, so if you're trying to establish a presence on a lot of platforms, another app may be a better value
- A smaller selection of social networks compared to some of the other social media management tools on this list
- Mobile apps have a limited feature set
Who is Buffer for?
In a word: everyone. Buffer is for business owners, agencies, and digital marketers who are looking for an affordable social media scheduler with a good range of features.
The free plan is great for businesses just starting out with social media, and the team features make it easy to collaborate with coworkers. If you're running an agency, Buffer's client management features will come in handy as you grow.
While Buffer may not have the most extensive list of features or social networks out of the apps on this list, I was impressed with their free plan, and the value that you get from their paid plans.
Canva
Best all-in-one social post scheduler and graphic design app
Here's one that was surprising to me when reviewing my options for social media tools: Canva now includes a social post scheduler, so you can design and schedule posts ahead from right within the app.
Canva has been a popular online graphic design tool for a while now, and with the addition of a social media post scheduler and content calendar, they've become a one-stop-shop for all your social needs.
Canva's social media scheduler is a fairly recent addition, but it already offers some great features. You can schedule posts to multiple social media platforms simultaneously, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also include images, videos, and GIFs in your posts, and Canva lets you resize your designs for each platform.
Canva Pros
- Canva has a massive selection of gorgeous templates, so your posts will stand out visually on social
- Has all the basic publishing tools that you need to schedule content
- Reduces the need for other tools
- The convenience of having a graphic design app and social post scheduler all in one place can't be understated
- Overall, Canva is a really great value for personal brands and folks who are just starting out and only need to schedule content
Canva Cons
- Missing a lot of nice to have social media software features, such as a social messages inbox, engagement metrics, etc.
- Isn't set up to manage multiple accounts for different brands
- Limited selection of social networks that you can post to.
Who is Canva for?
Canva is a great all-in-one tool for creating social posts and scheduling them. In addition to its social post scheduler, Canva also offers powerful graphic design tools that can help you create professional-looking visuals for your social media posts.
If you're looking for an easy way to create and schedule social media posts, or if you're just starting out with social media and don't want to invest in a more robust tool yet, Canva is a great option.
Paid plans start at $12.99 per month, but you can get a discount if you sign up for a yearly plan.
PromoRepublic
Best software for all-in-one social media and local SEO
If you're looking for social media software that can do it all, PromoRepublic is another great option. This platform lets you create content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and it even offers templates and graphics to make your job easier.
One of the best things about PromoRepublic is that it offers a library of over 100,000 stock photos and social post templates that you can use for your posts. This is a great way to save time and energy if you're not a professional designer!
PromoRepublic also offers detailed analytics so you can see how your posts are performing. This is valuable information that can help you adjust your strategy and improve social media performance over time.
Overall, the tool has everything a large business needs to manage its social media campaigns successfully.
PromoRepublic Pros
- Provides an all-in-one social media and local SEO tool
- Massive library of stock photos and social post templates
- With just a few clicks, you can create great-looking posts
- Great analytics and reporting tools
- Best value for businesses looking to share posts and improve their local SEO
- Solid selection of social media channels
- Great value for marketing teams that want a huge selection of templates
PromoRepublic Cons
- No free plan
- May be too complex for beginners
- More expensive than some of the other options on this list
Who is PromoRepublic for?
Something that sets PromoRepublic apart is their focus on helping you to improve your local SEO in tandem with your social media efforts. If you're a local business, PromoRepublic could be a perfect fit for you.
The downside of PromoRepublic is that it's not the cheapest option on the market. However, if you're looking for an all-in-one solution for your social media and local SEO needs, this platform is definitely worth considering.
Tailwind
Best social media marketing tool for scheduling to Instagram and Pinterest
If you're looking for a social media marketing tool that is specifically designed for Instagram and Pinterest, Tailwind is a great option. This tool lets you share posts for both platforms, and it offers detailed analytics so that you can track your social media performance over time.
One of the best things about Tailwind is that they have a free forever account, so if you're starting small and primarily focusing on Instagram and Pinterest, you can get started for free.
The downside of Tailwind is that it doesn't offer as many features as some of the other social media publishing software on this list. However, if you're primarily focused on Instagram and Pinterest, this tool is definitely worth considering. You will be able to keep a running tally on posts published, pins pinned, comments, etc., all in just a few clicks.
Tailwind Pros
- Great value free forever plan
- Tailwind communities help you to get your content in front of interested audiences
- Laser-focus on Instagram and Pinterest means that it has more robust features for those platforms
- Great community for support and helping their customers succeed
Tailwind Cons
- Limited selection of social accounts
- Fewer features for Facebook accounts than available in other tools
- If you anticipate needing access to another social media platform, such as Twitter or LinkedIn, you will need another app or to schedule those posts separately
Who is Tailwind for?
Tailwind is for social media managers who are looking for a tool to help them share posts primarily to Instagram and Pinterest. If you're only focused on those two platforms, this tool is an excellent choice as it offers features that are tailored exclusively for those two platforms.
Individuals and small businesses looking for more of an all-rounder app for Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. may want to look at another software instead.
Iconosquare
Best social media analytics software
Iconosquare is a social media analytics software that helps you make data-driven decisions. With features like social post scheduling, reporting, and in-depth analytics, you'll be able to maximize your social media campaigns' impact with ease.
Whether you're managing a brand or an agency, Iconosquare is a solid choice if analytics and reporting is a high priority. You can share posts, monitor conversations, measure brand authority and get an accurate sense of what messages are converting into views and sales.
Iconosquare Pros
- Great value for brands that place a high priority on actionable analytics
- Gorgeous branded reporting features for agencies
- Beautiful interface and mobile apps
- Did I mention it's easy on the eyes? ✨
Iconsquare Cons
- Smaller selection of social platforms that you can post to
- Pricing starts higher than other tools on this list
- Only a good value if you place a high emphasis on social media analytics and reporting
Who is Iconosquare for?
Iconosquare is for brands and agencies that want the convenience of having a social post scheduler and a social media analytics software all-in-one.
If you're working with clients to plan your brand's digital strategy, Iconosquare would be a great addition to your marketing toolkit.
If you're managing a small business or a personal brand that's just starting out, there are other social posting apps that would be a better fit for you.
Hootsuite
The OG social media scheduling platform
Hootsuite is the OG social media management tool — I remember using Hootsuite when I was working as an intern back in the day.
Because they've been on the scene for a long time, Hootsuite is a very popular social media management platform. It offers the usual hootsuite of features, including:
- Automated posting to all your accounts
- Content calendar to help you plan your content marketing efforts
- A team feature that lets you assign tasks and collaborate with others
- In-depth social analytics
- Analytics so you can track your performance
- Mobile apps for iPhone and Android
Hootsuite also offers a free to start plan for individuals and small businesses.
Hootsuite Pros:
- A free to start plan! Something surprisingly rare among social media scheduling tools
- All the expected and important features in a social media tool
- Extensive documentation and robust support
- They've been in the game for a long time, so they're not going anywhere anytime soon
Hootsuite Cons:
- The paid plans are expensive compared to some of the other options out there
- Feature for feature, you're not getting a more robust set of features than some of the other social media management apps on this list - you're paying for the Hootsuite brand
Who is Hootsuite for?
Hootsuite has been a pioneer in social media management for over ten years. As the world's first platform of its kind, Hootsuite has helped businesses of all sizes to more effectively reach their customers across multiple platforms, improve customer service, and gain insights into consumer behavior.
With that said, just because they've been around for a long time, that doesn't mean they're the best. Because Hootsuite has a substantially higher cost for their paid plans when compared to social media apps with similar feature sets, I can only recommend Hootsuite for folks looking to use the free plan.
Wrapping up: how to choose the right social media scheduling software for your business
When it comes to choosing the right social media software for your business, there are a few things to consider. Here are a few tips:
What features do you need?
When you're looking for a social media scheduling software, make sure you find one that offers all the features you need. This way, you can easily manage your posts and get the most out of your scheduling tool.
Do you just want a low-frills scheduler for scheduling content? Or do you want help with creating the social posts themselves, with prebuilt templates?
What platforms do you want to share posts for?
Not all social media posting software offer support for all platforms, so make sure you choose one that supports the networks you want to use.
If you want to post to multiple platforms, look for a tool that offers support for all your social accounts. This way, you can easily manage your posts from one central location.
Make sure you choose a scheduler that integrates with the platforms you want to use.
Some schedulers only offer support for certain platforms, while others offer support for multiple platforms. So, make sure you choose a scheduler that integrates with the platforms you want to use.
This way, you can easily post content to all your social channels without having to leave the scheduler interface.
Try out a couple of different social media scheduling tools before you commit to one.
Most social media scheduling tools offer a free trial so you can try before you buy. Make sure you take advantage of this so you can test out the features and see if it's a good fit for your business.
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So, what social media scheduling software did you decide to use? Personally, I was most impressed with SocialPilot, Buffer, Canva and PromoRepublic.
Let me know which what you decided on Twitter by mentioning @collinbelt. I’d love to hear which one worked best for you and how it simplified your life (or didn’t!). Thanks for reading!
Frequently asked questions about social media scheduling tools
What is the best social media scheduling software?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as every business will have different needs. However, some social media scheduling tools are more versatile than others and offer more features.
What is social media scheduling software?
Social media scheduling software helps you share posts to your social media accounts.
It typically offers a variety of features, such as the ability to create and schedule posts to multiple social networks, upload images, and track analytics. Some social media schedulers also offer cross-platform support, so you can manage your posts from one central location.
What is the best free social media scheduling tool?
I think Buffer is the best free social media scheduling tool for a number of reasons.
- Buffer is very user-friendly and easy to navigate
- Buffer offers a wide range of features, including the ability to share posts, track analytics, and more.
- Buffer integrates with all the major social networks.
What is the easiest social media scheduler?
Canva is the easiest overall social media scheduler because you can design your posts and schedule them all from within one app.
Should you schedule social media posts?
Yes, you should schedule your social posts. Scheduling your posts ahead of time will help you save time, help you post consistently, and ensure your content is seen by as many people as possible.
What is a good social media posting schedule?
The best time to post on social media depends on your business and your audience, but most social media scheduling software includes analytics that will help you determine what time of day to post to get maximum engagement.
How do I schedule social media posts for free?
Buffer has a limited free to start plan that you can use to plan and schedule your social media posts in advance. It's a great value for small businesses and personal brands.
Which social media scheduler is best for Instagram?
Tailwind is the best social media scheduler for Instagram. It offers a variety of features, such as the ability to create and schedule posts, upload images, and track analytics.
Which social media scheduler is best for Instagram?
Tailwind is also the best social media scheduler for Pinterest. In particular, the Tailwinds community feature helps you to discover new pins for your boards and helps get your pins in front of people.
