The Optimal Social Media Management Platform for Your Marketing Consulting Agency

As a marketing agency that advises 25+ clients, each with their own distinct campaigns and social objectives, our paramount goal was to find the ultimate management tool that could be customized to fulfill our clients’ requirements with unparalleled excellence.

And so began an extensive exploration into our quest for the optimal social media management tool that could cater to both our agency’s requirements and our clients’ needs. We conducted a thorough search (with the help of Google) to find a tool that could effectively address our clients’ demands while remaining within a reasonable budget. You may wonder why purchasing a management tool for your social platforms is necessary. Well, these tools offer the ability to schedule posts, track engagement, generate monthly metrics reports, and oversee the creation of cohesive social brands, all from a single platform, eliminating the need to navigate between multiple social sites. In the long run, this can save you, your company, and your clients valuable time and money. Now that we have captured your attention, let us present our top three recommendations…

Although Buffer.com (which we did not ultimately choose, but we’ll explain why later) ranked Sendible as the top social media management tool for advertising agencies with multiple clients, there are a few factors to consider. Sendible offers competitive pricing, starting at $29/month for personal management and escalating to approximately $249/month for business use. One notable feature of Sendible is the ability to create fully customizable dashboards tailored to each client’s specific requirements. However, upon reviewing their website, We found that their plans lack detailed information and some of the features that the other two options we will discuss possess. Nonetheless, Sendible does offer a 14-day free trial, allowing you to test their services before committing to a purchase, which has become a standard practice among such tools. Overall, we would rate Sendible at 7.1/10 for its affordability and value in managing multiple clients, while acknowledging the drawback of limited information about plan features.

Sprout Social stands out as a mid-range option in terms of pricing compared to other available plans, and it offers a compelling set of features for the cost. The “Standard plan” starts at approximately $249/month, while the “Advanced plan” begins at $499/month. Unfortunately, the Enterprise plan does not disclose its price, but it can be presumed to be in the range of $650+/month. One aspect that we found unfavorable about their pricing structure is the high cost associated with adding additional users to the accounts. For the “Advanced plan,” each additional user would incur an extra charge of $349/month for your business, which we found absurd.

On the positive side, we appreciated the level of detail provided in their plans, specifically, outlining the included features. Sprout Social excels in customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, offering chatbots with automation, analysis reports on response rate and time, as well as targeted boosts for specific posts and campaigns. An impressive feature of Sprout Social is the compilation of monthly reports into a single document, which ultimately saves time and money.

Taking everything into consideration, we would rate Sprout Social at 8.2/10. Its strengths lie in the consolidation of monthly reports and the resulting efficiency gains, but the significant cost increase for additional users is a notable drawback.

Among all the plans we examined, Hootsuite emerged as the standout choice due to its extensive range of features and plan options that can be tailored to individual needs. Naturally, with a greater number of features, the pricing is higher, starting at $99/month for the basic plan and extending to an unpriced plan that is negotiated based on the company’s requirements. Although we can only speculate, this unpriced plan likely falls within the range of $1000+/month. Hootsuite offers a generous 30-day free trial with any of their plans, allowing businesses to explore various features without any commitment.

There are several compelling reasons why Hootsuite caught our attention, particularly its capability to compile comprehensive monthly reports that encompass all the social platforms connected to the Hootsuite account (which typically includes all the platforms the client is present on). Additionally, Hootsuite enables ad development within the platform itself, eliminating the need for external sources, and providing the ability to schedule customizable posts across multiple platforms.

Considering its wide array of plans and customizable features, we would rate Hootsuite at 8.4/10. Its only drawback lies in the higher price tag associated with its advanced functionalities.

Buffer stands out as a social media management platform for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a free plan, which can be beneficial for personal accounts, although its features are quite limited. For businesses, Buffer provides more affordable pricing compared to other mentioned management tools. Their agency plan, as stated on their website, is priced at $120 per month for 10 channels.

However, there are a few drawbacks that position Buffer in the “Honorable Mentions” category. One notable drawback is the absence of a built-in feature for direct posting to Instagram, which can be burdensome for both agencies and clients. Additionally, Buffer’s advancement features are limited, lacking robust reporting tools and in-depth analytics. Another limitation is that Buffer primarily emphasizes larger social platforms on its website, omitting mention of niche platforms that companies may advertise on, which can create difficulties when posting and tracking content for specific clients.

Considering these factors, we would rate Buffer at 5.5/10. Its low pricing is a definite advantage, but the drawbacks, such as the absence of certain features, hinder its overall score. Improving reporting tools, adding the capability to post directly to Instagram, and expanding the range of supported advertising platforms would significantly enhance Buffer’s rating.

Again, Loomly presents itself as a more affordable option with three pricing plans starting at $29/month and increasing to $129/month. However, one drawback that led me to place Loomly in the “Honorable Mentions” category is the lack of detailed feature explanations on their website. Although they offer a free trial for all plans, there is no accompanying description provided, necessitating additional research through other sources and customer forums.

One positive aspect of Loomly is its collaboration features, allowing users to work together on posts and campaigns. Clients can provide direct feedback and comments within the platform, facilitating effective communication. Loomly also offers engagement features similar to other platforms, which is advantageous considering its price point.

There are, however, a few drawbacks to consider. Similar to Buffer, Loomly focuses primarily on larger social media platforms, leaving more niche platforms to be managed using alternative metrics and tools. Additionally, Loomly has limited reporting capabilities compared to other mentioned management platforms, which can pose challenges for agencies seeking in-depth analytics.

Considering these factors, we would rate Loomly at 5.3/10. Its low price point is a notable advantage, but the lack of advertised features and limited reporting capabilities significantly impact the score. Improving feature descriptions and enhancing reporting capabilities would significantly improve Loomly’s overall rating.

Inc., H. (n.d.). Hootsuite Plans & Pricing. Hootsuite. https://www.hootsuite.com/plans

Lua, A. (2023, April 4). The big list of 25 top Social Media Management Tools that’ll help you succeed on social media. Buffer Library. https://buffer.com/library/social-media-management-tools/

Loomly. (n.d.). Loomly. Loom.ly URL Shortener Powered By Loomly. https://loom.ly/

Social Media Management Pricing & Plans. Sendible. (n.d.-a). https://www.sendible.com/pricing

Social Media Management Tool for agencies & brands. Sendible. (n.d.). https://www.sendible.com/