There are so many different social media management tools to choose from but, over the years, we’ve tried and tested many and here are some of our favourite (free to use!) tools…
Tweetdeck
It isn’t always convenient to post natively on a platform – you might want to schedule something to go out at a specific time on a specific day. There are various ways of doing this but we’re big fans of Tweetdeck if Twitter is your platform of choice.
As well as scheduling content, you can keep an eye on trending topics, set up specific searches (via keyword or hashtag) and pull your DMs through so you essentially have the entire platform on a web or desktop app (so it can be accessed offline too).
Tweetdeck is easy to use, has a really clean interface and has been around for a while so it’s a sure thing if you need a helping hand with your tweets. And it allows you to link unlimited Twitter accounts (perfect for those juggling multiple brands!).
Hootsuite
If you have more platforms to manage, Hootsuite is another brilliant scheduling tool. Rather than just focussing on Twitter, you can link your LinkedIn and Instagram pages too.
The free version is slightly restrictive in that you can only link three different social media accounts but usability is great. It’s only available online (there’s no supporting app) but you can pull through all of the key data you want to keep an eye on, as you can with Tweetdeck, so it gets a big thumbs up from us.
Canva
Canva is free design platform and is a fantastic resource if you want to add some creativity to your imagery and social media assets (and it’s super easy to use, even for non-design folk!). There’s a paid version which naturally gives you access to greater functionality but the free version is fab and can help you create social media headers and avatars in the right size and add logos or effects to images. It allows you to work with photo editing, design layout and more, all within an easy-to-use platform.
It’s absolutely not a replacement for experienced designers but is a good short term fix if you’re used to using the same old photography and want to refresh it a little.
There are loads of other tools at your disposal (some of which are free and some are paid for) but these are our go-to options for seamless social media support.