At Strella Social Media, managing nearly 75 social media accounts is certainly challenging, 
but there are some tools that make it a little easier for us to keep track of it all. And while these tools certainly make our job a lot easier, these tools can also help individual users manage their various social media accounts with ease.
For example, there are dozens of programs available for scheduling your messages ahead of time. Even Facebook recently enhanced its offerings to allow scheduling from within its site. To help you determine the best program for your needs, I’ve compiled some information about some of the most popular free and low-cost social media scheduling platforms.
Background and Channels Supported:
TweetDeck was originally created for Twitter, but at one point expanded to integrate with Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz and Foursquare. However, like a lot of things related to social media, another change occurred. As of June 2012, TweetDeck is limited to Twitter and Facebook updates.
Fees:
There are no fees for using this service. However, TweetDeck does not offer any analytics, which could be crucial if you’re looking to measure efforts.
Background and Channels Supported:
Sendible is the software that I use, primarily because I can manage and house all of my client data in one place. There are advantages for the small business owner, too. With Sendible, you can manage up to eight accounts including: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and blogs. You can use Sendible to monitor and respond to multiple social channels within the service.
Fees:
Sendible is $9.99 a month for up to eight social accounts. The service provides detailed analytics and reporting to help you track your efforts.
Background and Channels Supported:
One of the most popular scheduling sites, Hootsuite, currently supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare and WordPress.
I’ve used Hootsuite off-and-on for several years and recommend it to clients who are looking for a free scheduling site. Recently, I have found limitations while scheduling photos within the site. But, if you don’t have a personal Facebook page or Twitter handle, it means either an extra account to set up or limitations with posting photos. For those who already have one of these accounts, it’s not a big deal.
Fees:
Hootsuite is free for up to five social profiles and does offer basic reporting. For $9.99 a month, you can have unlimited social profiles and enhanced analytics.
Background and Channels Supported:
There is one more tool called MarketMeSuite. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about this tool, but have not used personally. MarketMeSuite integrates with the three major media – Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – for free. Users rave about the analytic tools, mainly because the software extracts data from your social accounts and designs campaigns for optimal times and channels. Currently, developers are enhancing MarketMeSuite to accommodate a greater number of accounts and even better analytics.
Fees:
Formerly a paid service, MarketMeSuite is now free thanks to the upcoming launch of a separate product.
Have you used any of these tools? Are there others that you would add to this list?
