Top 10 Best Free Social Media Tools for Marketers

 

We all know that one person at the office who complains about the amount of work they have to do and the long hours. If you’re part of the marketing field, then you aren’t the complainer. You aren’t that person because your workload became visibly easier after the discovery of free social media tools. If you already know all about free social media tools, then read on to know about the newest trends in social media. If you don’t know what that is, then that’s okay; we’ll let you know everything there is to know about free social media tools.

Social media is the most important and essential factor of the virtual world; there is no person who does not have a social media account. You’ll find that all kinds of businesses, from start-up to conglomerate, benefit from social media to gain exposure and attract clients. Despite that, most people depend on social media to interact with people all over the world and express their interests publicly. You’ll find that almost everyone you ever met is using social media, one way or another. This shows the necessity of social media marketing and the tools used for it.

Free social media tools are tools that help make your social media accounts easier and more organized. You’ll find below a list of the best free social media tools that will manage any social media account you have. We suggest you take a look and find the best free social media tools that suit you.

What are Free Social Media Tools?

Before we give you a list of the best free social media tools of 2018, we would like to give you a quick definition of free social media tools. You should also know the importance of free social media tools, so you’ll be able to use the tools efficiently. This will give you a main idea of the social media management tools that will facilitate your social media business platform.

Free social media tools are social media tools that will help you manage, monitor and record all of your virtual movements. It consists of tools that manage your accounts and keeps your social media platforms organized. There are free social media tools such as: monitoring tools, management tools, scheduling tools, planning tools and publishing tools. Social media monitoring tools are a part of free social media tools, observing all of your posts and keeping an eye on them; it is also known as social aggregators. There are also free publishing tools that publish posts and images for you; this gives you round the clock exposure, without the long hours to endure.

Another common free social media tool would be media planning tools, where software plans a social media strategy for you. This is automated software that aids you in establishing a social media plan with minimal risk of failure. We suggest that if you decide to start a campaign through social media, you should use free social media tools.

Here’s a compiled list of the best free social media tools to help you get started!

Major Free Social Media Tool Categories:

Content Creation:

Brief Overview: These tools help you create engaging and visually appealing content for your social media platforms.

Key Features/Capabilities:

• Image & Video Editing: Edit photos, videos, and create graphics with user-friendly interfaces and pre-designed templates.
• Animation & Design: Create animated GIFs, motion graphics, and eye-catching visuals.
• Storytelling Tools: Craft compelling stories using interactive elements and engaging formats.
• Content Management: Organize and schedule your content calendar across different platforms.

Benefits:

• Increased Engagement: Visually appealing content attracts more attention and boosts audience interaction.
• Improved Brand Image: High-quality content reflects professionalism and helps you build a strong brand identity.
• Time Efficiency: Save time by creating and scheduling content in one place.

Examples: Canva, Adobe Spark, Crello, Lumen5, Kapwing

Community Management:

Brief Overview: These tools help you manage your online communities effectively, engage with your audience, and build deeper relationships.

Key Features/Capabilities:

• Social Listening: Monitor social media conversations and track brand mentions.
• Social CRM: Manage interactions with followers, respond to comments and messages, and provide customer support.
• Social Media Analytics: Track key metrics like follower growth, engagement rates, and demographics to measure performance.
• Content Calendar & Scheduling: Schedule posts, stories, and other content across different platforms.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Audience Engagement: Respond to inquiries promptly, address concerns, and foster meaningful connections.
• Brand Reputation Management: Monitor online conversations and proactively address negative feedback.
• Improved Social Media Strategy: Gain insights from analytics to optimize your content and engagement strategies.

Examples: Sprout Social, Zoho Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Sendible

Social Advertising:

Brief Overview: These tools help you create and manage paid social media advertising campaigns to reach targeted audiences and achieve specific goals.

Key Features/Capabilities:

• Campaign Targeting: Define specific audience demographics and interests to reach the right people.
• Ad Creation & Management: Design eye-catching ads in various formats (images, videos, carousel ads, etc.).
• Budget Management: Set budgets for your campaigns and track ad spend.
• Performance Tracking & Optimization: Analyze campaign results and optimize your targeting and ad creatives for better performance.

Benefits:

• Increased Brand Awareness: Reach a wider audience and build brand recognition.
• Generate Leads & Drive Sales: Target potential customers and drive them to your desired action (website visits, product purchases, etc.).
• Trackable & Measurable Results: Monitor the performance of your campaigns and adjust your strategy based on data-driven insights.

Examples: Facebook Ads Manager, Instagram Ads Manager, Twitter Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Pinterest Ads

Analytics & Reporting:

Brief Overview: These tools provide insights into your social media performance and help you measure the impact of your efforts.

Key Features/Capabilities:

• Track Key Metrics: Monitor follower growth, engagement rates, reach, impressions, website clicks, and other relevant metrics.
• Benchmarking: Compare your performance against industry averages and competitors.
• Custom Reports: Generate custom reports tailored to your specific needs and goals.
• Social Media Insights: Gain deeper insights into audience demographics, interests, and behavior.

Benefits:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Make informed decisions about your social media strategy based on real data.
• Identify Opportunities for Improvement: Analyze your performance and identify areas where you can improve your social media marketing.
• Track ROI: Measure the return on investment of your social media efforts and justify your budget.

Examples: Hootsuite Analytics, Buffer Analyze, Sprout Social Reports, Google Analytics with UTM parameters, Brand24

Scheduling & Automation:

Brief Overview: These tools help you automate repetitive tasks and schedule your social media content in advance, saving you time and effort.

Key Features/Capabilities:

• Content Scheduling: Schedule posts, stories, and other content across different platforms at specific times.
• Auto-posting: Connect your social media accounts and automatically post content based on rules and triggers.
• Social Media Queues: Pre-schedule your content in advance and have it automatically published at set intervals.
• Social Media Recaps: Create automated reports summarizing your social media activity for a specific period.

Benefits:

• Increased Efficiency: Save valuable time by automating repetitive social media tasks.
• Consistent Posting: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
• Streamlined Workflow: Simplify your social media management and focus on creating high-quality content.

Examples: Hootsuite Scheduler, Buffer Publish, Sprout Social Queue

Top Seven Free Social Media Tools that You Should Try

Before you get into it, you should first give yourself a few lessons about the ins and outs of social media marketing. You should also understand your audience; this can be done by tracking the most used social media platforms. Examples of the top social media sites would be: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Once you get acquainted with the field of social media marketing, here are seven free social media tools that you should try out and make your life easier.

HootSuite

HootSuite is the current trending free social media tool for Twitter; it makes sure to keep your Twitter profile neat and tidy. HootSuite offers management of more than one Twitter account at the same and it schedules up to thirty posts in advance. This means that you can handle more than one Twitter account for more than one client. You can also schedule posts that will automatically upload to Twitter, in advance. No more sleepless nights for you!  HootSuite also provides you with statistics and reports on followers’ growth and analytics.

Social Pilot

Social Pilot is defined exactly as it is called; it pilots your social media accounts. It acts as a medium between you, your social media platforms and your clients. You’ll find Social Pilot efficient because of its multiple uses up its sleeve. This free social media tool allows you to access multiple social media profiles at the same time and bulk schedule posts. This means that you’ll be able to work on several accounts at the same time; you won’t have to worry about missing a post deadline. You can also cooperate with members of your team, keep your clients happy and utilize any browser extensions. Social Pilot does all the work for you!

Zoho Social

Zoho Social resembles the abovementioned free social media tools, but there’s a catch. There’s always a catch; it’s what makes each free social media tool special from the rest. Zoho Social offers bulk schedule posts, access to clients’ databases and statistics on every social media account. However, Zoho Social works for only one brand, so you won’t be able to manage multiple accounts. Despite that drawback, Zoho Social gives extensive access to every social media tool from planning to publishing.

BuzzSumo

Buzzsumo is an essential free social media tool when it comes to research content. It revolves around Facebook, along with analyzing and keeping track of your pages. Buzzsumo will help you understand which content works best for your audience; it can even predict the best day to post content to achieve the best results. You will also be able to track which of your content is attaining the best feedback from your viewers; that’s not something you see every day. Buzzsumo gives you tips on the length of your posts that will be most desirable; it also offers monthly statistics on how well your Facebook page is running.

BoardReader

Although it’s a rare form of social media, forums and board messages are a part of the social media family too! There are many people all over the world who rely on forums and board messages for information and helpful tips. BoardReader offers search engine optimization of specific keywords through a wide range of forums all over the Internet. This gives you a chance to see the opinions of viewers on your content or your social media account. This free social media tool allows you to generate charts about your brand, giving you the inside scoop on what people really think of your brand.

Mention

Mention is a free social media tool that monitors millions of sources in multiple languages. This aids you in staying updated on any mention of your brand on any source on the Internet. Sources include: social media platforms, news sites, forums, board messages, and blogs…basically any web page! Mention also keeps you organized with your team. You can track your team’s progress, distribute work tasks and generate reports about any mention of your brand. This free social media tool revolves around your brand name and helping the person behind the social media accounts.

Free Social Media Tools: The Good and the Bad

Now that you know all about the best seven free social media tools, we suggest you find out why you should use these tools. You probably already think that it’s a good idea to use these free social media tools, right? Yes, you are right. But, we also suggest that you read about the advantages and disadvantages of free social media tools. This way, you can be fully informed about what you’re getting yourself into. That is why we are also offering you the benefits and drawbacks of getting involved with free social media tools.

The Benefits of Free Social Media Tools: The Good

There are a lot of benefits when it comes to free social media tools; social media platforms have become an integral part of the Internet. When you use free social media tools, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time and effort; you won’t need to worry about late scheduling posts and missing any deadlines. Free social media tools give you the option to monitor your progress on social media; it also offers you statistics on your viewers and how well your audience is receiving your content. Browser extensions like Kleo LinkedIn Chrome extension further enhance LinkedIn user experiences and engagement. Free social media tools make sure that you stay on top of your virtual presence, even allowing you to look into your competitor’s progress.

A key advantage to free social media tools is the ability to work on multiple social media accounts at once. You won’t have to constantly log-in to look through your account or confuse different brands due to the workload. You’ll be able to work in a way where you are organized and in constant contact with your team members, thanks to free social media tools.

However, you will find that there are drawbacks to free social media tools that you need to pay attention to.

The Disadvantages of Free Social Media Tools: The Bad

You won’t find a lot of drawbacks when it comes to free social media tools. There are relatively few of them, but they exist nonetheless. One of the main drawbacks to free social media tools is that you’ll need to experiment on all of the tools before you find the right one for you. You will have to go through a trial and error multiple times, before you find the right free social media tool that fits you.

Another disadvantage is that you’ll find it hard for you to control your social media accounts. Social media platforms are a curse because it is up to the viewers to decide whether the content is good or bad. This means that you should prepare yourself for any negative feedback from your audience. Free social media tools allow you to know which content displeases your audience. However, it also offers you a way to develop your content.

Overview: Now That You Know

Now that you know all that there is to free social media tools, we suggest you start your way into making life easier for you. You’ll be able to be on top of your workload and get a good night’s sleep, thanks to free social media tools. We find that a good deal to take, especially that you won’t have to spend a dime! Free social media tools exist so that it will automatically take the pressure off of your shoulders and put your mind at ease. We suggest that you try all the free social media tools mentioned above; that way, you’ll be able to know which one is the right tool for you!

We understand that this all sounds too good to be true and that you could be hesitant to try it out. However, free social media tools are user-friendly and are very easy to use. So, if you don’t believe us, click on one of the links above and try it for yourself. We suggest that you start with one free social media tool and you’ll find yourself delving into the social media world all on your own. You should also research through all of the free social media tools to save yourself some time. We have offered you the genie’s lamp and it is up to you to grant your three wishes!

Top Free Social Media Tools Comparison:

Content Creation:

Tool	Overview	Strengths	Weaknesses
Canva	User-friendly interface, vast pre-designed templates, strong brand recognition	Easy to use, beginner-friendly, high-quality templates	Limited advanced features, paid features required for some functionalities
Adobe Spark	Powerful features, integration with other Adobe products, strong brand recognition	Rich features, suitable for advanced users, mobile app available	Limited free templates, learning curve for advanced features
Crello	Extensive library of templates, affordable paid plans, good customer support	Large template library, budget-friendly, good customer service	Limited features compared to Canva and Adobe Spark
Lumen5	Video creation tool with built-in templates and music library	Easy video creation, good for beginners, free video exports	Limited video length in the free plan, watermark on free videos
Kapwing	Free online video editor with basic editing tools and meme creation capabilities	Easy to use, no installation required, meme creation tools	Limited editing features, watermark on exported videos

Community Management:

Tool	Overview	Strengths	Weaknesses
Sprout Social	Powerful suite of tools for managing multiple social media accounts	Comprehensive features, strong analytics, collaboration tools	Steep learning curve, free plan limitations
Zoho Social	Affordable paid plans, good for small businesses and solopreneurs	Budget-friendly, easy to use, social listening features	Limited features compared to Sprout Social, limited free plan capabilities
Hootsuite	Popular platform for scheduling and managing social media accounts	Well-known brand, user-friendly interface, mobile app available	Free plan limitations, limited analytics
Buffer	Simple and user-friendly interface, ideal for individual users and small teams	Easy to use, good for basic social media management, affordable paid plans	Free plan limitations, limited features for larger teams
Sendible	Flexible platform for managing social media and collaborating with clients	Customizable dashboards, client management features, strong reporting tools	Free plan limitations, learning curve for advanced features

Social Advertising:

Tool	Overview	Strengths	Weaknesses
Facebook Ads Manager	Built-in advertising platform for Facebook and Instagram	Extensive targeting options, large user base, integration with Facebook Pixel	Complex interface, requires some advertising knowledge
Instagram Ads Manager	Built-in advertising platform for Instagram	Large user base, influencer marketing opportunities, visual ad formats	Limited targeting options compared to Facebook Ads Manager
Twitter Ads	Advertising platform for Twitter	Highly targeted advertising based on interests and demographics, real-time campaign insights	Limited ad formats compared to Facebook and Instagram
LinkedIn Ads	Professional networking platform with targeted advertising options	B2B focus, reach decision-makers and professionals, strong lead generation potential	Limited free trial, learning curve for ad creation
Pinterest Ads	Visual discovery platform with strong engagement potential	Highly targeted advertising based on user interests and behavior, rich ad formats	Limited reach compared to other platforms

Analytics & Reporting:

Tool	Overview	Strengths	Weaknesses
Hootsuite Analytics	Comprehensive social media analytics platform	Customizable dashboards, extensive data points, integrates with Hootsuite scheduler	Complex interface, requires some analytics knowledge
Buffer Analyze	Easy-to-use social media analytics tool	Simple interface, good for beginners, affordable paid plans	Limited data points compared to Hootsuite Analytics, limited free plan capabilities
Sprout Social Reports	Powerful reporting tool for social media data	Customizable reports, deep insights, collaboration features	Steep learning curve, free plan limitations
Google Analytics with UTM parameters	Free and powerful analytics platform with social media integration	Extensive data points, customizable reports, free to use	Requires UTM parameter setup, complex interface for beginners
Brand24	Social media listening and monitoring tool	Tracks brand mentions and analyzes online sentiment, provides competitor analysis	Limited features in the free plan, can be expensive for larger businesses

Scheduling & Automation:

Tool	Overview	Strengths	Weaknesses
Hootsuite Scheduler	Powerful scheduling tool for multiple platforms	Queues content for bulk publishing, integrates with Hootsuite analytics	Complex interface, requires some scheduling experience
Buffer Publish	Simple and user-friendly scheduling tool	Easy to use, ideal for individual users and small teams, affordable paid plans	Limited scheduling features compared to Hootsuite Scheduler, limited free plan capabilities
Sprout Social Queue	Flexible scheduling tool with advanced features	Queues content for bulk publishing, customizable schedules, collaboration features	Steep learning curve, free plan limitations
Kontentino	Collaborative social media management platform with scheduling features	Good for teams, approval workflows, content calendar	Limited free plan capabilities, can be expensive for large teams

FAQ:

Q: What are the benefits of using free social media tools?

A: Free social media tools offer many benefits, including:

• Cost-effectiveness: Save money on social media marketing by using free tools instead of paid subscriptions.
• Increased efficiency: Automate tasks and manage multiple social media accounts from one platform.
• Improved engagement: Create visually appealing content and engage with your audience more effectively.
• Data-driven insights: Track your performance and gain valuable insights to optimize your social media strategy.
• Accessibility: Start using social media tools without any investment, making them a great option for beginners and small businesses.

Q: What factors should I consider when choosing free social media tools?

A: When choosing free social media tools, consider the following factors:

• Your needs and goals: What are you trying to achieve with your social media presence?
• The platforms you use: Choose tools that integrate with the social media platforms you are active on.
• Ease of use: Look for tools that are user-friendly and have intuitive interfaces.
• Features: Choose tools that offer the features you need to manage your social media accounts effectively.
• Free plan limitations: Be aware of the limitations of free plans and upgrade to a paid plan if necessary.

Q: Are there any risks associated with using free social media tools?

A: While free social media tools offer many benefits, there are also some potential risks to consider:

• Limited features: Free plans may have limited features compared to paid plans.
• Data privacy concerns: Some free tools may collect and use your data without your knowledge or consent.
• Security risks: Free tools may be more vulnerable to security breaches.
• Limited support: Free plans may offer less customer support than paid plans.

Q: Where can I learn more about using free social media tools?

A: There are many resources available online where you can learn more about using free social media tools, including:

• Tool websites: Most tool websites offer tutorials, guides, and other resources to help you get started.
• Social media blogs: Many social media blogs publish articles and tips on using free social media tools.
• Online courses: Several online courses teach you how to use specific free social media tools.

Conclusion:

Free social media tools can be a valuable asset for businesses and individuals alike. By choosing the right tools and using them effectively, you can improve your social media presence, engage with your audience, and achieve your social media goals.

Remember to research different tools, consider your needs and budget, and experiment with different features to find the best fit for you. Start leveraging the power of free social media tools today and take your social media marketing to the next level.

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