Hootsuite vs Buffer Overview
In this article, Hootsuite vs Buffer, we will compare which is the better tool for managing social media platforms.
The 21st century is the age for netizens, digital nomads, and any other term you could use to describe people scouring through the web. It does not matter if you are targeting kids, teenagers, adults, even older people. The internet is one sure way to reach your target audience.
That is why most businesses have decided to take their marketing strategies online through websites, online storefronts, and social media marketing campaigns. But with the ever-changing trends on most social media channels, it can be hard to keep up with them all. It becomes even more challenging because you have a business to run.
Luckily, there are social media management tools that can help you keep up with the trends. We will take a look at two of the biggest social media management apps, which are Buffer and Hootsuite. These two popular social media management tools serve as an excellent solution for many types of businesses. So let’s take a close look at both applications.
Hootsuite Vs Buffer
Hootsuite
The goal of social media has always been to connect different individuals to achieve amazing things. Hootsuite is a social media management app that dedicates its work to bridging people and communities together. Since its humble beginning in 2008, Hootsuite has become one of the fastest-growing social media management tools.
In fact, they quickly rose to become a global leader in social media management, with over 18 million customers and employees. Hootsuite has helped brands reach their target market using their unparalleled expertise, open ecosystem, and rich consumer insights. They also utilize powerful tools such as Salesforce, Marketo, Adobe, and so much more.
Buffer
Compared to its contender, Buffer is a powerful social media management tool with a smaller reach of around 73,000 customers in fifteen countries. Admittedly, Buffer may not seem as globally competitive as Hootsuite. However, it definitely has its own unique way of helping businesses grow on social media.
Buffer is widely recognized for delivering meaningful engagement to all of its clients. In fact, despite a smaller customer base, they were featured in the 2020 Top 20 Social Media Management Software. They are also well-equipped to serve all kinds of businesses, including startup teams, mid-stage companies, non-profits, and many more.
Hootsuite Vs Buffer: Which is Better?
Based on its client’s feedback, you can pretty much expect the same kind of services from two of the most popular social media management apps. They both offer a simple and efficient management system. You can easily manage your posts and how it performs in terms of your social media marketing campaign goals.
However, one factor that could set these two popular tools apart is the type of audience that they appeal to. We will discuss them further as we move along. But, first, let us place our two contenders in a head-to-head comparison to see how each performs in different aspects. We will include the app features, dashboard experience, team management, and many more.
Content Curation
Of course, what’s a social media page without some quality content? Scouring the web for dozens of articles just to find one particular topic can be taxing. However, with Buffer and Hootsuite, you can easily find posts, articles, photos, videos, and other relevant content that you can share with your audience.
For Buffer, you can find this tool called the Content Inbox, which lets you add RSS feeds to the dashboard. You can find articles and easily add them to your queue. Buffer also enables you to add messages for easy notation. However, only higher-priced plans offer the Content Inbox, as well as its related features.
Hootsuite, on the other hand, has more tools that can help you find relevant content. For instance, the app lets you create columns with particular keywords or hashtag searches on either Twitter or Instagram. Overall, it has more flexible tools compared to what Buffer has to offer. However, it does lack RSS feed monitoring, which is also an important tool.
While both apps provide a good content curation tool, it does differ when it comes to RSS feeds and social searches. If you want to focus on RSS feeds, then Buffer should be a great option. However, if you prioritize content on social media channels like Twitter lists and trending topics, then Hootsuite is your best bet.
Dashboard
Your application’s dashboard has to be neat with a straightforward layout. This serves as the main panel that includes all the essential information. From schedules posts, timelines followed accounts, and many more–your dashboard should be able to help you keep track of them all.
If you open the dashboard on both apps, you will see a clear difference in layout and design. While Buffer has an elegant and clean way of presenting information, Hootsuite leans toward a more outdated look. However, it does compensate for the lack of aesthetic appeal with its valuable features.
Hootsuite still provides a usable dashboard. You can view essential data, such as Twitter timeline accounts, Instagram Hashtags, or Facebook Page mentions. On the other hand, Buffer limits the information display to only the list of scheduled social media posts. It also lets you manage replies to your posts.
With those details in mind, it is still hard to declare a winner. It depends on what you would see fit for your business needs. If your concern centers around managing scheduled posts and replies, then Buffer should do just fine, especially with its cute and minimalistic interface. It is also pretty simple to maneuver. Even beginners can quickly learn their way around.
For brands that want to focus more on socials, especially Twitter and Instagram, Hootsuite lets you do just that. Their dashboard lets you see a direct overview of several tabs with two or more columns for all your social media networks. While it doesn’t show your scheduled posts by default, you can customize your dashboard to display your preferred data.
Scheduled Posting
It’s basically a common rule for all social media management apps to include a scheduled posting feature. But what sets all these tools apart is how they deliver a seamless and user-friendly experience to their clients. For instance, Buffer and Hootsuite let you post and schedule multiple posts in advance for your socials, but with an added set of tools.
It should be helpful to note that Buffer and Hootsuite take on two entirely different approaches when it comes to scheduled content. First, Buffer lets you build a custom schedule that controls the posting time. So, for instance, if your scheduled slots are one post at 10 a.m. and one at 3 p.m., your posts will automatically go up at these times, respectively.
Buffer lets you create a schedule, which you still manually adjust, depending on your preference. In comparison, Hootsuite enables you to use its AutoSchedule function, which works just as much as you would expect from its name. The app picks the best time for your post to go live, so you don’t have much control over the posting time.
Hootsuite takes control of your submitted posts and sometimes changes the order of your scheduled posts. This is great if you are not keen on the sequence of particular materials. It is also a great option if you want one less thing to worry about. However, if you want a stress-free but hands-on approach, then you should definitely opt for Buffer on this one.
Team Management
To put it simply, Buffer is built to cater to smaller teams from startups or small to medium-sized businesses. So, if you are running a large enterprise with multiple teams to handle, then you should go for Hootsuite. The deciding factor for this round definitely depends on your marketing team’s size.
Buffer lets your team access any social media account based on your decision. You get to decide which team member should work on which account. You also get complete control over their posting rights by enabling request approval. These tools should be enough for organizations handling smaller teams.
However, Buffer does not precisely let you accomplish much if you are running big enterprises. That is why Hootsuite is more suitable. First, it lets you group your employees into different brackets, members, teams, and teams. As a result, this wide-scale team management enables you to execute more extensive marketing operations.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, Hootsuite is currently the only social media platform with ad services. While Buffer definitely did a great job competing in terms of content curation, dashboard organization, and other factors, it has yet to integrate ad management solutions. Regardless, let us take a look at Hootsuite’s well-built platform.
As a business aiming to boost your sales, sometimes a paid advertisement is an excellent way of reaching your marketing goals. Most social media channels are fantastic at distributing paid ads. Luckily, Hootsuite lets you make and manage your own ad campaign on several social media platforms.
Analytics
The secret to a successful social media marketing campaign is engaging content. While you can go over the moon trying different social media strategies, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know which ones stick. Knowing which materials were able to generate engagement is the key to creating an effective campaign.
Hootsuite and Buffer help you achieve just that by providing data and analytics. These apps offer powerful tools that can analyze your audience’s response to each of your posts. For example, you can track your follower count and receive an overview report of engagement rates. The metrics can also include age groups and demographics.
While Hootsuite offers basic reports in its free version, Buffer only lets you access this useful feature in their higher-priced plans. Cheaper subscriptions from Buffer only let you see a post report without any detailed metrics. However, its premium analytics feature allows you to see an overview of essential data and the freedom to export it into a CSV file.
Similarly, Hootsuite also offers better metrics in its Professional Plan, which is also quite pricy. However, it includes valuable statistics on age groups, demographics, and data on your teams’ responses. Overall, Buffer’s advanced plan is cheaper and suitable for large business needs, while Hootsuite’s premium prices are not as budget-friendly.
Hootsuite Vs Buffer: Pricing
Both Buffer and Hootsuite have a similar structure when it comes to their pricing plan. They let you add three social media accounts on their free version, including particular basic features. However, the deciding factor boils down to the actual price. So let’s get an overview of both Buffer and Hootsuite’s premium prices.
Buffer
Like we previously mentioned, Buffer offers a free plan that offers three social media accounts and basic features. However, the prices start at the Essentials Plan priced at $15 a month. This lets you add unlimited channels at $6 each. It also comes with upgraded features. Unfortunately, it still has limited features when it comes to scheduled posts and others.
However, higher pricing plans suitable for business range from $99 to $399 a month, depending on the size of your company. The three-tier business plan lets you manage around 25 social media accounts at low and 150 on higher-tier prices. You also get to schedule 2,000 posts per social media account, plus advanced social analytics on each campaign.
Hootsuite
If we are going to compare Hootsuite vs buffer in terms of basic plans, you will notice that Hootsuite definitely has more to offer with its low-priced subscription. Aside from its free version, you can enjoy an upgraded set of features, including ten social accounts and unlimited scheduled posts. This is through Hootsuite’s Professional Plan at only $19 a month.
Higher-tier prices are at $99 and $399 respectively for Team and Business plans. The lower end lets you enjoy three user seats with twenty social accounts and everything else included in the Professional version. On the other hand, the Business Plan contains five or more users with 35 social accounts and upgraded metrics.
Summary
Overall, if you take a look at Buffer and Hootsuite, they both have a lot to offer. Admittedly, it is challenging to compare the two when it comes to performance and result guarantees because they have unique approaches. Instead, you can compare and contrast Buffer and Hootsuite in terms of your business’s needs.
While Buffer is more suited for smaller businesses, it does have a pretty decent set of premium features in its Business Plans. It is also a lot cheaper compared to Hootsuite’s Business subscriptions. However, if you are running a large enterprise that needs robust and globally competitive resources, Hootsuite is a fantastic option.
We hope that this article was able to help you compare Hootsuite Vs Buffer and choose which is better for you.
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