Our Top 10 Social Media Analysis Tools In 2019

• Date: 6 Aug 2019
• reading time: 7 Minutes
• Blogger: Francisca Zimmermann
• E-mail: [email protected]

Besides a lot of strategy and creativity, social media management requires careful analysis. Without this, you will simply have no idea if you are on the right track and what you can improve to perform better.

Carefully studying your analytics can save you time, give you new ideas, and assure you that you are doing well. We love seeing more and more new tools appear that give us detailed insights into the behavior of our followers and target market on social media.

In this blog, we will share our 10 favorite social media analysis tools with you. From free in-app analysis to AL-driven social listening tools, you will find them all in the below list.

1. Hootsuite

After testing out different tools, we have decided to work with Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a social media scheduling tool that not only helps you organize your posting calendar but also offers detailed analytics.

One of our favorite things about Hootsuite is the fact that the tool is incredibly user-friendly. Unlike some other tools, everyone can use Hoot Suite and read the analytics, without any pre-knowledge or practice.

The analytics are separated by social media channel, but 'total' results are visible too. Hootsuite is available in different packages, from free plan to entreprise plan for € 599 / month.

2. Keyhole (account and hashtag tracking)

Keyhole is probably one of the most well-known brands when it comes to hashtag, mention, and sentiment tracking.

The tool's account analysis function gives the user basic information about the performance of a social media post and the characteristics of the target market. The analytics are useful, but our favorite features of Keyhole are the hashtag tracking function and the sentiment analysis.

Especially for larger brands or influencers, knowing who is talking about you can be essential. It can help you learn what's going on among your followers and what your brand needs to do to keep them happy.

Are you looking for ways to reach your target market and find followers? Then knowing which hashtags perform best is essential.

Keyhole is available in different pricing plans, between $26 and $999.

3. Brandwatch

A great tool that mainly focuses on mentions and 'social listening' is Brandwatch.

Besides reporting on what is happening on social media around your brand (who is talking about you? What do they talk about?), this tool is very helpful during your target market research.

It offers AL powered consumer research and a lot of details about your following, including examples of topics they are interested in.

4. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is, again, a scheduling tool for social media posts. In many ways, Sprout is very similar to Hootsuite. However, there are a few differences too.

We like the analysis function of Sprout a lot. It is complete, precise, and easy to read. The scheduling tool works well too, and has a few excellent team features similar to those in Hootsuite.

The main reason why we prefer working with Hootsuite ourselves is the price of the tool, and the fact that Hootsuite is very user-friendly.

Sprout offers 3 different packages, with prices between $99 and $249+. This is a relatively high price for the cheapest package, which makes the tool less accessible for start-ups and small businesses.

5. Brand24

Another social media monitoring tool we really like is Brand24. This app is specifically designed to monitor online mentions of brands, keywords, hashtags, and influencers.

The main functions of the tool are similar to those of Keyhole and Brandwatch, but we think the hashtag feature of Brand24 stands out.

Are you, for instance, interested in finding trending hashtags to use on Instagram? Brand24 can help you with these.

Are you interested in learning how to find the right Instagram hashtags with Brand24? Take a look at the below video, starting at minute 2.20.

Brand24 is in packages of $49 and $399.

6. Tailwind (Instagram and Pinterest)

Tailwind is a great Pinterest scheduling tool that now also offers the possibility to schedule Instagram posts.

Besides making Pinterest scheduling really easy with a very user-friendly posting system, their analytics are extensive and easy to use too. You can see how your profile is performing, how each individual Pinterest board is doing, and which Pins are getting the most engagement.

If you are using Pinterest, we think Tailwind is a must-have. Are you not using Pinterest? Then we believe Tailwind is not necessary to use. Although their Instagram feature is nice too, the same can be done with other scheduling systems.

Tailwind is available in packages between $9,99 and $799+.

7. Followerwonk (Twitter)

If you are using Twitter, Followerwonk can help you understand what is happening on your profile. With Followerwonk you can find out where your followers are located, what they are interested in, who they follow, and way more.

A feature of Followerwonk that we really like is the detailed overview of times when followers are most active on Twitter. Scheduling posts at these times can result in a significant rise of your engagement rate.

Followerwonk is available for free, with limited search options. For more options, you can also choose a package for $29, or one for $79+.

8. IconoSquare (Facebook and Instagram)

IconoSquare is another social media scheduling tool, which mainly focuses on Facebook and Instagram.

The difference between Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and IconoSquare is that IconoSquare has fewer scheduling features than both other tools, but does excellent on the analytics side. The main differences are clearly listed in the below graph by Capterra.

If you are looking for a simple scheduling tool that offers detailed analytics, IconoSquare could be the perfect tool for you.

Just like Followerwonk, IconoSquare maps out when followers are most active. This is an important feature to have, to be able to set a posting schedule accordingly.

IconoSqure’s is available for $29 or $59+ per month, based on the number of profiles and team members you need.

9. Buzzsumo

Although less focused on the performance of your social profiles specifically, Buzzsumo still deserves a spot in our list. With Buzzsumo you can find out what content and which topics your audience is interested in.

By analyzing the most shared content, you can find great inspiration for topics to attract your target market with. And sharing the right content usually leads to a significant increase in your engagement rate.

You simply enter a keyword into the tool, and you will see a list of articles or videos that are ‘buzzing’ on the internet. Including the number of shares, on each social platform.

Buzzsumo is available in different packages, for between $79 and $499+.

10. In-app analytics

Although this is not necessarily a tool, we feel like we need to mention the in-app Insights functions of our social media channels too.

Every social media website or app has an Insights tab or an Analytics function. Here you can see the basic analysis regarding the performance of your profile. Think of, for instance, the number of views, clicks, shares, likes, and comments on your posts.

Most social media platforms also offer an overview of the characteristics of your audience. Think of country, city, age, or interests.

If you are not looking for very in-dept analytics, a careful study of the in-app analysis may be a great place to start.

Are you looking for help?

Although they are incredibly important, all these analytics can seem overwhelming. If you are looking for help optimizing your social media marketing, we would love to help you. We specialize in social media marketing, social media advertising, and online sales funnels. Over the past years, we have gained a lot of experience helping businesses take a big step forward.

If you are interested in discussing what we could help you with, feel free to contact us for a FREE strategy call.

For those who would like to spend some time on self-study, take a look at our Social Media Gids Community. Here you can join the conversation with all our social media students and experts, and learn from the social media training material we upload regularly. Maybe a Social Marketing class can help you forward? Or what about a Social Selling class?

Want to post a comment? Join the conversation in our community.

• Blogger: Francisca Zimmermann
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Social media manager & content creator at Social Media Gids
• Francisca Zimmermann is a social media expert with a background in research and a love for learning new things. She travels the world looking for beautiful places and interesting cultures, while she dives into the world of her clients to be able to write about them and their interests as a real 'insider'.
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