Busy people and bustling, growing companies need a social media presence that is constantly updated and fresh.
However, you may not have the time it takes to put in the work to keep your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts active every day with new and interesting content. And responding to clients and customers becomes a real chore when you have to go from site to site.
There are several types of social management platforms out there to help you out, but two of the most popular are Hootsuite and Buffer.
You may already be on Hootsuite and wonder if Buffer has more benefits. Should you switch your social pages to Buffer and get more features? We've compared these two to see which one comes out on top.
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Buffer does support Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but Hootsuite actually offers a bit more flexibility. Hootsuite helps you manage WordPress, Foursquare, and Mixi as well as Facebook and Twitter for even more social media support.
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Buffer is useful for scheduling future updates to your social media sites, which Hootsuite also does. Buffer makes it easy to plan posts ahead and allows them to upload whenever you think the best time will be to grab consumer attention.
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Both Buffer and Hootsuite offer user-friendly mobile versions of their tools and management features.
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Both websites offer a free version, and even if you choose to purchase the paid version for more benefits, the price tag is fairly low and affordable.
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Buffer offers multiple ways to use the mobile version with built-in applications like Flipboard that automatically use the service.
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One main difference between Hootsuite and Buffer is that the premium Hootsuite service allows you to create up to 200 tweets and schedule when to send them for the ultimate in convenience — Buffer doesn't allow bulk scheduling for posts.
Some social media management experts recommend combining the benefits of Buffer and Hootsuite. Since each tool offers some different features and each site has its own strengths, combining the two tools creates a customized and helpful social media management system.
Both sites are affordable to use and easy to navigate, and since Hootsuite offers more support options than Buffer does, it can pick up some of the slack for Buffer. However, you can still get the most out of what Buffer has to offer. Experts recommend downloading the free version of each and trying it out before you commit to the monthly fee of either social media website. Pick one or both to fit your needs.
There are several other social media management tools out there in addition to Buffer and Hootsuite. Skip the labor-intense part and make it easy with a social media management application to help you delegate the work and keep up with everything at the same time. Take a look at each one and see which one best complements your schedule and business.
Be sure to check out our blogs on Hootsuite vs. SocialOomph, Sprout Social, SocialFlow vs. Buffer and Hootsuite.
