What is a social media management software?

Social media is one channel used extensively by marketers to reach and connect with their target audience. As there are different platforms in this domain (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn), a tool becomes necessary in managing all assets and activities in one place for a unified on-brand approach.

In a nutshell, a social media management software allows users to:

• Maintain active social feeds
• Engage with followers and customers
• Analyze content and promotions

Consumer brands including those in online retail significantly benefit in social media marketing. E-commerce businesses generally make use of it to multiply awareness and build organic communities. Some also use said channel for conversion and customer support. A social media management software assists in executing pertinent strategies with less time and effort.

Price to get started:

Freemium versions are common in this tool category, and they are mainly for new marketers to learn the ropes. For e-commerce businesses seeking to establish presence in multiple social media platforms, paid plans are available to support regular posting for as low as 15 USD per month. Trials are offered for as long as 30 days.

Benefits of using a social media management software

Streamlines content creation. Maintaining activity across multiple social media platforms can be difficult without a tool that brings all the brand’s accounts together. With a social media management tool, marketers are able to standardize content and posting times. It simplifies the process of updating different profiles with a click of a button.

Builds rapport with the target audience. Social media management tools allow marketers to tune in to trending topics and know when their brand is being talked about. It presents opportunities for e-commerce businesses to speak with customers at the right time may it be for positive reinforcement or reputation management. With the option to manage social media inboxes in these tools, customer service could be strengthened as well.

Measures share of voice. Aside from monitoring the company’s brand per se, social media management tools let e-commerce businesses peek into the activity of competitors. It would also be possible to track its industry as a whole. With this kind of data, owners and marketers can strategize to boost its influence in the digital space.

Features to check when comparing social media management software

1. Standard features to review

Multi-platform support. It is ideal for the tool to support all the platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest) in which the business is active. That way, it would be very easy for the marketer to manage crossposting. With a social media management tool, the user can simply load content in one place, and it can be published to all accounts instantly.

Content scheduler. Continuous posting is key to achieving success in social media marketing. To minimize the burden and increase efficiency on the side of the marketer, a social media management tool can allow scheduling of content. That means that a marketer can strategize on what content to release and when exactly it should go out.

Social listening. A social media management software can track account handles, hashtags, and locations among others. By pulling up content that includes these data, marketers are able to understand conversations around the brand and its industry. This also helps in initiating meaningful conversions with customers in real-time.

Campaign analytics. By using a social media management software, marketers are able to understand what type of content appeals best to its audience. At the very least, they should be able to see likes, comments, and clicks. This information may be translated to understand the people’s interest in specific products and promotions.

1. Additional features for next-level social media management

Social inbox. For most e-commerce businesses, its target market is very active on social media. To improve customer experience, some brands also use this channel for customers to get support. In that case, a social media management tool can consolidate all messages received across platforms, so that response can be made faster.

Hashtag planner. Hashtags play an integral part in gaining visibility on social media. In a number of tools, there are instant suggestions on what hashtags to use given the brand’s category, products, and content. It is also able to report on the effectiveness of previously used general, niche and branded hashtags. This helps in crafting next campaigns accordingly.

Content curator. This feature allows social media marketers to gain insight on what topics are gaining traction on the internet. It provides ideas and information to be used in new posts. In some tools, it is also possible to easily publish third-party and user-generated content, so brands can participate in discussions and conduct comarketing with relevant influencers.

Advertisement manager. Having the capability to boost effective posts in the same tool makes life easy for marketers. After tracking organic engagements, carrying content over as advertisements makes a good cost-effective strategy for e-commerce businesses. Easy to set up integrations also make it possible to track campaigns arranged in native advertising platforms.

Cost of setting up a social media management software

It is typically required to get a subscription to use social media management tools. Pricing is heavily based on the number of social media profiles, but some also set plan limitations based on the number of posts. Billing is usually every month, and can be terminated at any time. For long-term users, annual plans offer up to 20 percent savings.

Paid plans may start at 15 USD per month for 100 scheduled posts. Most businesses want to actively post in three platforms, and for the software to support that, it would roughly cost 50 USD per month. For e-commerce businesses with multiple brands in their portfolio, it may be necessary to get business accounts that support team collaboration for around 100 USD.

Free trials which may last for 14 to 30 days are available to test which software suits the business’ needs the most. There are normally no other requirements to setting this up, hence, costs are quite straightforward. Should there be needs to integrate advertising into the process (e.g. auto-boosting of posts), then budget may differ.

Considerations when choosing a social media management software

1. Business and process compatibility

An e-commerce business usually takes advantage of different digital marketing strategies to acquire customers. In the domain of social media alone, there are multiple platforms and campaigns involved. Using a specific tool to manage all social media accounts can significantly help marketers multitask and achieve success for the business.

Given that marketing takes up a significant chunk of the budget for e-commerce businesses, using a tool like this helps measure its impact. Owners may be able to see reports that include metrics influencing conversions and sales. It is then possible to allocate spending wisely based on historical data and industry benchmarks.

A social media management tool can make a wise investment for the business given that content creation strategies are also in place. This is also assuming that the business’ target audience is very active on multiple channels, and thereby, can be reached by marketers through digital campaigns. In the hands of creative and knowledgeable users, it can for sure be utilized to ramp up growth.

1. Possible adoption concerns

Technicalities. There are various terminologies applicable to social media, and having a clear understanding of them is important in gathering insights from the software. The user also needs to be aware of how to format posts for every channel as they have different rules (e.g. varied image size ratios, character limits for captions, and customization for link previews). Other than that, navigating the tool itself should be very easy, especially when scheduling content.

Integrations. Connecting the social media management tool with platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be done in minutes. When getting onboarded, the software usually provides directions on how to set it up. There are also tools that are certified partners with specific software providers, and in those cases, integrations are much more seamless. Publishing content to groups and stories may not always be possible, so make sure to check this if it is important to the business.

Scalability. Social media management tools can fairly scale with businesses. When teams grow, and training needs intensify, software providers also offer assistance. They provide live onboarding sessions, quarterly checkups, and round the clock priority support. In premium plans, permissions can also be set up for when posting should require approval.

Frequently asked questions

1. Would an e-commerce business need a social media management tool?

Social media can be leveraged by e-commerce businesses to gain popularity and advocacy. A tool specifically for managing multiple social media accounts helps in optimizing activities from content publishing to customer interactions.

1. What can I do with a social media management tool?

E-commerce businesses can curate content and automatically queue them for future publishing with a social media management tool. This software can also determine when it is best to post and what type of campaigns work specifically for the brand.

1. How can a social media management software help my team?

Marketers can plan content calendars with a social media management software. They can draft posts in this tool for approval before actually publishing anything. Once permission is granted, putting content out in multiple platforms becomes as easy as one click of a button.

1. Can a social media management software help increase my sales or cut my costs?

Yes. A social media management software cuts the time spent in curating posts and in manually updating platforms with new content. By being able to log in to one tool instead of checking multiple accounts, responding to messages becomes faster as well. This way, billable hours are reduced, and the potential to achieve success with digital marketing improves.

1. Is there a free forever social media management tool?

Yes. For small businesses with only one social media account, it may be possible to use freemium tools exclusively. To reach a wider audience, it would be necessary to subscribe to a paid plan which enables integration with multiple platforms and bulk scheduling.

1. What is the best social media management software?

To find the best social media management software, it is important to identify the following:

• Social media platforms to manage
• Marketing plan
• Collaborators involved
• Budget

1. What social media management tool subscription should I get?

Choosing the right subscription for the business would be based on the marketing goals. Should it be the intention of the business to capture a huge audience, then getting a paid subscription that can support many accounts, unlimited posts, and advertisements should be studied.

1. Which features should I prioritize when choosing a social media management tool?

Scheduling content is a standard feature in a social media management software, and it allows marketers to launch timely campaigns. Coupled with built-in analytics, it becomes possible to measure every post’s impact and know what to improve in succeeding projects.

1. What reports can I generate using a social media management software?

A social media management software gathers data on when it is best to post based on previous engagements. It also reports on follower growth, likes on posts, and impressions for advertisements. Premium plans may also count social mentions and track branded hashtags.

1. How do I set up a social media management solution?

Social media management tools present easy steps to get accounts connected for pushing out scheduled content and pulling in engagement data. There is typically no coding required, so it can be done by practically anyone who has access to the social media profiles per se.

1. Can I plan my Instagram grid with a social media management tool?

Instagram feeds are mainly made up of images, so preparing content for this may need a different approach. Some software are equipped with visual planners where photos may be arranged so it fits nicely in a grid. Each asset can then be scheduled for publishing accordingly.

1. Would I be able to schedule stories with a social media management software?

Yes. There are tools that are able to schedule stories for future publishing as well. They may support Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat story formats, so just look for this feature when selecting a tool. Be reminded that some instead offer setting up alerts for pushing out stories manually, since this is a new type of content.

1. How can a social media management software help me fill up my content calendar?

Social media management tools are able to save multiple content for future publishing. Some apply categorization, so the tool can automatically put stored assets into the calendar depending on rules set by the user. That means that marketers can practically create a library of content, and the tool would do the rest of the work to keep social profiles updated.

1. Can a social media management software automate message responses?

Inbox management is a feature in select social media management solutions. With this, messages received in all connected accounts are consolidated. It may also be possible to program bots and canned responses to increase efficiency.

1. Can a social media management software help me with comments and reviews?

First comments are very important in some platforms to add hashtags and improve post visibility. In some tools, it is also possible to schedule this. Meanwhile, monitoring and responding to other people’s comments and page reviews should be made easy by a social media management tool as well.

Sources and related articles

Social Media For Ecommerce: A Quick Guide

9 E-commerce and Social Media Marketing Trends For 2020

Social Media Ecommerce: The Complete Guide To Social Shopping

Best Social Media Management Tools of 2020: Apps For Managing and Marketing