Social media marketing will always be an essential part of a company’s growth strategy. With that in mind, social media management and marketing tools have bloomed. HootSuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social are a few of the many names that are changing the industry.
As a company, to boost your Instagram presence and gain real Instagram followers, you will need proper social media management and marketing. With growing size, your responsibilities will grow. Soon, managing your accounts will become too much trouble on your own. That’s where these social media management and marketing tools come in handy. Being an effective social media manager requires a particular set of skills and knowledge. Pro tip: Visit this post to learn a few tips of the trade.
Now, since options of social media management and marketing tools are potentially infinite, we have compared two particularly famous names in this article: HootSuite and Sprout Social.
The Good
Let’s start with the positive aspects of both of these tools:
HootSuite
HootSuite is perhaps the most well-known name in the field of social media management. Its wide array of integrations with social networks is still unmatched. Combine that with more than a hundred apps specifically designed for it only, and you get an unparalleled experience.
Those who have used it before also know about its remarkable analytics section. In simpler terms, HootSuite is the most powerful and versatile website we’ve used, and we can always recommend it without too much retrospection.
Sprout Social
The most important unique selling point (USP) here is the interface. Sprout Social has an incredibly intuitive and user-friendly interface that is unmatched in terms of aesthetics. Further, Sprout Social is the better choice if you’re looking to collaborate and automate your job. It is one of the best tool for social media growth available online.
I am particularly fond of the modern and easy-on-the-eyes look and feel of their website, something I felt lacking in HootSuite. If you dislike clutter, you will love Sprout Social.
The Bad
HootSuite
Zilch is the answer if you’re looking for perfection. And HootSuite is no exception to this rule. Despite its vast user-base, HootSuite is not very evolved when it comes to free plans. Although one free plan exists but lies deep down on their webpage. What’s worse is the fact that you must go through three pages before you reach the signup page.
The homepage, then the free plan description page, and finally, a splash screen stating you would like the professional plan better. Nope. That’s not how it should work, and that’s not how it works. This makes me think twice about their agenda.
And one more reason to not choose HootSuite is its limited collaboration and automation tools.
Sprout Social
Reason numero uno to disregard Sprout Social is its limited YouTube integration. And then comes its cost. There is no free plan with Sprout Social, and the prices quickly add up as you upgrade to higher tiers.
That said, this is still a smaller section of cons than what I wrote for HootSuite, so I’ll give it the win here.
The “who?” factor
A crucial reason why it’s hard to recommend a product is that needs vary, and with them varies the right choice. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and vice versa is applicable as well. Thus, it is important to know what your use case and scenario are before you decide.
Choose Sprout Social if…
And only if you are not a freelancer, startup, or a small business. Sprout Social has, in the simplest possible terms, an enchantingly beautiful user experience. But it comes at an equally thrilling cost.
The lowest tier starts at a ridiculous $99/month! That’s a lot of money. However, medium, or large businesses that may be regarded as enterprises can never go wrong with Sprout Social. There are powerful collaboration tools for when your social media marketing and management team spans several employees, and the analytics and reporting are equally incredible.
Choose HootSuite if…
You’re pretty much anyone. The strongest point to consider is HootSuite’s pricing. The free plan here is limited, but the costs in higher tiers are significantly lower than Sprout Social.
HootSuite is that jack of all trades type of software which will always remain the perfect choice for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Our choice
If cost weren’t a factor, I would, even when blindfolded, choose Sprout Social. There are just too many factors going in its favor if you ignore that one hiccup. The user experience is flawless, modern, and beautiful. Despite its enterprise-like feel, the website isn’t bloated and cluttered. There are even prepopulated and automated responses for your direct messages.
Then again, HootSuite is cheaper. If you want to choose, weigh in on whether you can afford such exorbitant rates.
Quick Tip: If you can buy something twice comfortably, you can afford it. On the other hand, if buying it once or twice leaves you feeling light and robbed, it probably isn’t in your range.
Conclusion
Do you think Sprout Social’s rates are justified by its feature set and interface? Or is HootSuite simply the better choice? You decide.