Social media platforms provide a great opportunity to grow your digital presence and reach your audience. With nearly 4 billion users, more than half the world’s population now uses social media.
Image via We Are Social
As a result, a good section of your target audience is likely to be present on these platforms as well. However, to build a social media community and manage it, you need to use community management tools.
But why?
These tools can help you not only get followers for your brand but can also help you engage with them.
What’s more?
You can leverage them to manage your clients’ social media accounts as well if you’re an agency owner.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best community management tools you should be using in 2021.
Disclosure: This content has a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).
Best Community Management Tools
To grow and manage an online community, you need to leverage community management tools. Here are the best ones that you should be using.
1. Combin Growth and Combin Scheduler
Combin is a powerful community management tool that’s specifically designed for those who are looking to grow their presence on Instagram. This tool has two main sub-sections — Growth and Scheduler.
While Combin Growth deals with Instagram audience management, Combin Scheduler lets you schedule posts and Instagram Stories. The best part about this social media management tool is that you can download it and start preparing your content even while you’re on the move.
Key Features
- In-depth growth and performance statistics.
- Advanced search for profiles and publications.
- Detailed demographic targeting.
- Analyze low-quality accounts through machine learning.
- Action automation.
- Post and Stories scheduling.
- Bulk Stories uploading and automated publishing.
Pros
- Free plan available for Combin Growth.
- Combin Scheduler is completely free to use.
- Simple to use its powerful features.
- Ability to see who doesn’t follow you back.
- Saves time spent uploading Stories.
Cons
- Requires downloading.
- Need the Business pack to manage more than 1 account.
Tool Level
Beginner
Pricing
Free version of Combin Growth is available while the Scheduler is free to use for all.
Personal: $15/month
Business: $30/month
Image via Combin
Pro Tip: Look for popular posts by following hashtags and discover influencers in your niche with Combin.
2. Qoob Stories
When it comes to Instagram Stories, no tool comes close to Qoob Stories. This community management tool is specifically designed for Stories and it lets you view and save Stories from public accounts on Instagram.
What’s more?
You can also save Highlights, photos, and videos using this tool. You can also add some Instagram accounts to your favorites and the tool will start downloading their latest posts and Stories automatically.
Key Features
- Ability to view and save Stories.
- Can download photos and videos from Instagram posts.
- Possible to download the captions along with the posts.
- Automatic content downloader.
Pros
- Can set Stories downloading on autopilot mode.
- Possible to download the captions directly.
- Makes it easy to see Instagram Stories anonymously.
- Possible to see private Instagram Stories of friends.
- Free version available.
Cons
- Stories download is not supported in the free version.
Tool Level
Beginner
Pricing
Qoob Stories offers a free version. The paid plans are priced as below:
Personal: $7/month
Professional: $25/month
Image via Qoob Stories
Pro Tip: Add your favorite accounts to download their posts and Stories automatically.
3. Lalal.ai
One of the best community management tools is one that doesn’t directly do anything on social media. Lalal.ai is a powerful AI-powered audio tool that helps you extract music and vocals from any audio.
And how does it help?
This tool can come in handy when you want to create unique music to accompany your blog posts or social media posts. All you have to do is separate the music from the vocals and you’ve got yourself an instrumental track.
Key Features
- AI-powered vocals and instrumentals splitting.
- Ability to select processing levels.
- Quick processing of audio files.
Pros
- Free plan available.
- High-quality output audio files.
- Gives the processing level control to you.
- Easy to use with a drag-and-drop functionality.
Cons
- The free version only allows up to 3 tracks and 10 minutes of audio time.
Tool Level
Beginner
Pricing
Lalal.ai has a free version. The paid plans are:
10 tracks or 90 minutes: $10
30 tracks or 500 minutes: $30
Custom plans are available as well.
Image via Lalal.ai
Pro Tip: Select high-quality processing for the best results possible from Lalal.ai.
4. 4K Video Downloader
Yet another powerful community management tool is the 4K Video Downloader. As more social media platforms move towards video content, it’s become increasingly important to be able to view them with ease.
But how does 4K Video Downloader help with that?
Using this tool, you can seamlessly download videos from platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Vimeo. You can then view them offline and analyze your competitors’ content.
Key Features
- Supports major social media platforms.
- Allows you to download YouTube playlists.
- Ability to extract YouTube subtitles.
- Can download 8K videos as well.
- Private YouTube content download possible.
- 3D video download support.
Pros
- Free to use.
- Possible to save audio files as well.
- In-app proxy setup allowed.
- Allows 360-degree video downloading.
- Smart Mode to allow quick video and audio downloads.
Cons
- Needs to be downloaded.
Tool Level
Beginner
Pricing
4K Video Downloader is completely free to use. However, they offer premium versions too.
Personal: $15
Pro: $45
4K Bundle: $25
Image via 4K Video Downloader
Pro Tip: You can create slideshows by downloading photos from Instagram and process them as videos.
5. Hootsuite
When it comes to the best community management tools, no list is complete without Hootsuite. It’s one of the most popular and comprehensive social media tools out there.
What does it do?
You can leverage Hootsuite to schedule and publish posts on major social media platforms. Additionally, it makes social media management easy as you can engage with your customers through it and even get a detailed look at the analytics.
Key Features
- Scheduling and publishing content on major social media platforms.
- Ability to respond to comments and messages.
- Real-time audience insights.
- Social media monitoring by integrating monitoring tools.
- Create and manage social media and search ads.
- Detailed analytics of all social media platforms.
Pros
- Gives an overview of your social media performance.
- Easy to use.
- Packs a wide range of features.
- Provides numerous integrations, including CRMs.
Cons
- Free version not available.
- Multiple features would mean that there’s a slight learning curve.
Tool Level
Beginner/Intermediate
Pricing
Hootsuite offers a 30-day free trial. After that, you can choose from the paid plans below:
Professional: $19/month
Team: $99/month
Business: $599/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing. Get in touch with them for details.
Image via Hootsuite
Pro Tip: Route messages to appropriate departments by connecting with a CRM and deliver better engagement and service.
6. Buffer
Buffer is one of the finest social media management software solutions out there. It helps with a wide range of tasks such as scheduling posts and engaging with your audience.
What’s more?
This tool also gives you detailed analytics on all your posts and helps you understand the impact of your content on social media.
Key Features
- Possible to publish and schedule posts for social media platforms.
- Detailed analytics reports.
- Ability to create performance reports.
- Engage with comments on your posts from the platform.
Pros
- Free version available.
- Possible to schedule posts for multiple platforms in a single go.
- Easy to use interface.
- Provides useful information on performance metrics.
- Can schedule Instagram Stories.
Cons
- Doesn’t show direct messages.
- The free version allows only 10 scheduled posts.
Tool Level
Beginner
Pricing
Free version and 14-day trial available. Paid plans are as below:
Publishing –
Pro: $15/month
Premium: $65/month
Business: $99/month
Analytics –
Pro: $35/month
Premium: $50/month
Image via Buffer
Pro Tip: You can include a first comment while scheduling the posts to push your engagement.
7. Agorapulse
Social media community management can be a challenging task. There are just so many things that you need to do — create content, publish it regularly, engage with your audience, and even listen to them.
What’s more?
You also need to understand how you’re currently faring to figure out what needs to be done to improve your current marketing strategy. Agorapulse is a great tool that helps you achieve it all.
Key Features
- Reply to messages across all social media platforms.
- Ability to reply to comments on Instagram and Facebook.
- Scheduling and publishing posts on major social platforms.
- Brand monitoring and social listening features.
- Detailed analytics and ability to make reports.
- Powerful audience insights.
- Can create and share calendars with clients.
Pros
- Offers many free tools.
- Single dashboard to monitor your brand.
- Easy to collaborate with your team members.
- Makes it easy to share information with clients.
- Single inbox for all messages.
- Helps segment your audience with ease.
Cons
- Quite expensive for starters.
- Has a slight learning curve to it.
Tool Level
Intermediate
Pricing
Agorapulse offers a 30-day free trial. The paid plans are:
Pro: $79/month
Premium: $159/month
Image via Agorapulse
Pro Tip: Use audience insights to understand your audience and create paid promotions based on that.
8. Brand24
As a community manager, it always helps to have an ear to the ground. You may be publishing stellar content and might be engaging with your audience regularly too. However, you must understand if your community members truly like your content and brand or not.
That’s where Brand24 comes to the rescue. This reputation management tool offers social listening features that show you what your community members are saying about you.
Key Features
- Tracks social media mentions in real time.
- Allows you to engage in discussions about your brand.
- Shows if there’s a sudden change in the number of brand mentions.
- Displays an influence score to showcase your influence.
- Helps you identify the audience sentiment surrounding your brand.
- Instant alerts in email and apps.
- Possible to filter the mentions.
Pros
- Displays all brand mentions in real time.
- Alerts you for negative mentions.
- Helps maintain brand reputation by showcasing audience sentiment.
- Averts PR crisis by pointing out any increase in brand mentions.
- Offers a mobile app for easy access.
- Integrates with Slack.
- Helps with hashtag searches.
Cons
- Free version not available.
- Doesn’t allow tracking a lot of keywords.
Tool Level
Intermediate
Pricing
Brand24 offers a 14-day free trial. Once that’s over, you need to choose one of their paid plans. These are:
Plus: $49/month
Premium: $99/month
Max: $199/month
Custom: Contact their team.
Image via Brand24
Pro Tip: Use social listening to understand what needs to be done to improve your audience’s sentiment.
FAQs
Q1. What is online community management software?
A. Online community management software solutions give you brand management capabilities on social media. They can help you publish content, create online communities, communicate with them, create paid promotions, and so much more.
Q2. What is the top online community management software?
A. As a community manager, you’ll have loads of options. The most popular online community management software solutions are:
- Combin Growth and Combin Scheduler
- Qoob Stories
- Lalal.ai
- 4K Video Downloader
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
Q3. What is better than Hootsuite?
A. Hootsuite is one of the finest social media tools that lets you not only schedule posts but also allows you to engage with your audience. However, Buffer and Combin Growth and Combin Scheduler are both great alternatives to it. They are more affordable and packed with equally powerful features.
Q4. Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
A. Yes, Combin Growth and Combin Scheduler are both great free options as compared to Hootsuite. They help you perform the same functions as Hootsuite such as post scheduling, but are available for free instead.
Q5. Is Buffer good for Instagram?
A. Yes, Buffer is a great tool when it comes to Instagram. You can directly publish posts on Instagram through it. Additionally, it’s possible to schedule the posts in advance and the tool will publish them automatically. All you need to do is connect your account to Buffer.
Q6. Is there a free version of Buffer?
A. Yes, Buffer is a freemium tool and offers a free version. You can add up to 3 social channels and schedule up to 10 posts for free. However, the analytics are only available in the paid version.
Q7. What is the best Instagram scheduler?
A. The best Instagram scheduler is Combin Scheduler that’s specifically designed to schedule and publish posts on Instagram. Using it, you can also schedule and publish Instagram Stories, and that too in bulk.
Q8. What is the best Instagram planner?
A. The best Instagram planner is Combin Scheduler. It lets you plan your posts and Stories well in advance and you can schedule them for publishing with ease as well. What makes the tool even better is that it’s completely free to use.
Final Thoughts
Growing and managing an online community are both challenging tasks. You need to come up with great content ideas and then create and publish content regularly.
Additionally, you have to make sure that your audience members feel connected with you. For this, it’s critical to reply to their comments and messages as much as possible.
What’s more?
You should also consider running paid promotions and look at analytics to understand the impact of your content.
Community management tools are an integral part of a community management strategy and can help you with all of this and more. Be it Combin or Lalal.ai, each tool makes online community management easier for you.
Do you have any questions about the community management tools mentioned above? Ask them in the comments.
Disclosure: This content has a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).
