Social media, while a necessary part of small businesses marketing, can be frustrating.  It seems like no sooner that you get the hang of it, trends and techniques to manage your social media change!

You’re not alone in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of social media; I, too, have spent a significant amount of time exploring the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms to promote my small business. On my journey, I have discovered a number of tools and apps that simplify the process of getting fresh content to your audience.

Finding the right social media apps can be time-consuming, but I am here to help with my top tools to create content, engage with your ideal audience, and schedule posts on social media.

1. Tools to Schedule Your Social Media: Later, Buffer, Hootsuite

Scheduling tools are necessary to plan your content and keep your small business social media accounts full and happy. Your goals and budget will help determine which social media tools are right for your small business.

Later offers a Forever Free plan that allows you to schedule photos on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Their paid accounts offer more posting options and analytic tools. Later also gives you the ability to choose from 24 filters based on Instagram’s settings.

Buffer is another great social media scheduling tool that makes queuing up your content a snap. Their Free Plan allows for up to three social media accounts, and includes both photo and video posting. On their paid plans, you even have the ability to schedule content for your Facebook groups. Their monthly subscriptions start at just $15.

Hootsuite is a well-known “go to” for social media scheduling, and has been in existence for over 10 years. Hootsuite offers a free 30 day trial, and then a starting plan for $29 a month. You can also easily manage your audience engagement within their dashboard.

2. Tool to Find Hashtags: “Hashtag” Application on Android and Apple 

A strong hashtag strategy is crucial for building your audience and attracting prospective clients through social media. Luckily, the “Hashtag” app makes adding relevant hashtags to your social media posts a breeze. You can easily research industry-specific terms, create custom copy-and-paste hashtag blocks, and discover new ways to research your target audience.

3. Sites to Find Royalty-Free Stock Photos: Pexel, Unsplash, HauteStock

Creating fresh content can be tedious, but thankfully there are a number of free stock photo websites that offer high-quality images and video completely free of charge. I personally recommend Pexel.com, Unsplash.com, and HauteStock.com. From food pics to lifestyle shots, these websites have a little something for everyone!

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Managing your social media can be less of a chore with the right tools and a content schedule in place. My above recommended apps and tools can take off the pressure of keeping your content on track and fresh. I suggest developing a content strategy, researching your hashtags, sourcing the photos and videos with the links above, and then queuing up the content in a social media scheduling program.

If you found this information useful and want to get your social media on track, schedule a call with me to discuss a fresh content strategy! I can help you build a plan to grow your audience, create consistent content, and convert your audience into paying customers. We can also review your current apps and tools to find the best solutions for your small business needs and budget.