I am sure you can resonate with this when you are managing a small business. You are tight in budget, short of manpower and need to leverage the power of social media as soon as possible. You read a dozen (or more) posts on social media and you are 100% convinced that it is something that you absolutely need to make it in the challenging world. However, the cost of social media is something to seriously be concerned about. Manpower is one thing and using the right social media tools is another.
And if the above sounds familiar to you, you are in luck! In this post, you will find some of the powerful social media tools to use regardless if you are a small business, entrepreneur, blogger or even a solopreneur who want to make a mark in this challenging world.
Are you ready?
3 Powerful Social Media Tools To Use When You Have A Tight Budget
Buffer
Buffer is an awesome social media tool for small business owners. Buffer allows you to perform a lot of social media tasks without pulling a hair. More importantly, it is extremely easy to use and it is probably one of the most affordable social media tools you can ever find in the market.
I love Buffer because:
- Buffer is easy to use
- Easily manage multiple social media accounts under one roof
- Buffer has a low learning curve (especially easy for newbies)
- The cost of using Buffer is extremely low and suitable for any businesses in various nature
Apart from the above, there are many social media tasks that can be done using Buffer. For example, you can schedule posts on various social media platforms, checking analytics and even rescheduling similar posts that work best for your business. You can also use Buffer on smartphones and tablets as there are applications for such.
Buffer costs $10 per month and if you are hesitant on it, you can create a free account with Buffer with limited use. If you are looking for discounts, you can use signup for a full year and get approximately 10% discount off the entire invoice.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is also a power player in the industry. Compared to Buffer, Hootsuite is packed with slightly more features. Hootsuite serves as a social media tool for bloggers, entrepreneurs and even bigger companies.
What makes HootSuite different from the rest is because it works like a social media management tool. And make no mistake, Hootsuite has everything you need from managing a social media adverting plan, managing multiple social media accounts and to scheduling social media posts.
What makes HootSuite different from the rest is the ability to automatic schedule posts based on your audience. In automatic posting, HootSuite will automatically publish scheduled posts on your social media accounts based on:
- The time your followers are active
- The time where you will most probably get the most interaction
These ensure that your social media updates will reach to more people and eventually become a turning point for your social media marketing plans.
Hootsuite also comes with several other features such as:
- Real-time engagement
- Monitoring specific brand or keywords
- Workflow that allows you to map out your social media strategies
- Deep analytics to help you understand your audience
- Having numerous tools to help you gain an insight look of your audience’s interest and engagement level
- Creating social media reports for your companies or your clients
There is also a small learning curve in Hootsuite and therefore, it is extremely easy to use. You can create a free Hootsuite account and paid plans (called as Hootsuite Pro) start at $10 per month. Of course, Hootsuite Pro comes with enormous features which are extremely important for the success of your business on social media.
Post Planner
Do you log for more engagement on Facebook? If you do (just like me), then you need to use Post Planner. Post Planner is basically the social media tool that can power your Facebook account or page to a whole new level.
Here’s how Post Planner can be integrated into your social media marketing. With Post Planner, you are able to choose different types of viral posts to be republished on your Facebook account.
The logic behind this is pretty simple. There are many social media posts which are already gone viral and you can easily reuse these posts on your own Facebook pages.
Post Planner makes it easy to FIND, PLAN and POST content that is scientifically proven to increase social media engagement on Facebook & Twitter.
With Post Planner, you can discover powerful posts that can increase your engagement level on Facebook. When there are many engagements on your Facebook account, Facebook’s inbuilt algorithm will ensure that more posts of yours will be visible to more audience.
Don’t worry if you are feeling confused. This simply means that your posts will be visible to a bigger audience (without using paid advertisements) when your posts are generally getting more engagements.
If you are still not convinced, here are two powerful testimonials from top social media influencers:
“I use Post Planner on a daily basis and I love it! Honestly, I would have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in Facebook advertising costs to achieve the same results I get with Post Planner. Thank you Post Planner!” – Kim Garst
“The key to success on Facebook is posting a lot of great content consistently. Post Planner’s viral photo feature has generated popular posts on my Facebook Page. And, of course, I’m a fan of the Canva button integration to create an image and schedule it out at the optimal time.What’s not to love?” – Guy Kawasaki
Post Planner is probably the most affordable one compared to the above two as it can go as low as $5 per month (paid annually) or $15 for advance features.
Now it is your turn
You can still use social media tools even when you have a limited budget. All you need to consider is the requirements you need in a social media tool. As there are many tools that you can choose from, always take consideration of the features and how those features could be add-ons for your marketing strategy.
See also: 9 Best Social Media Automation Tools
