2024’s 7 Best Social Media Analytics Tools Reviewed

The Best Social Media Analytics Tools

To achieve the best social media marketing results, you need effective social media analytics tools. We compared seven leading analytics software tools in terms of pricing, features, and usability to help you choose the right one for your business.

Understanding what each option offers will enable you to expertly use this type of tool to enhance your social media strategy.

SKIP AHEAD:

1. Arrow.AI ($9/month) – Best for small businesses
2. Hootsuite ($99/month) 
3. Sprout Social ($249/month)
4. Zoho Social ($14/month)
5. Buffer ($6/month/channel)
6. IZEA ($130/month)
7. BuzzSumo ($249/month)

Our Top Pick: Arrow.AI

Famed for its automated content creation and distribution, Arrow.AI transforms blogs and industry news into social media posts and offers insights that can bolster your social media strategy.

Best Social Media Analytics Tools

Below, you’ll find our complete reviews for Arrow.AI and the other six top social media analytics tools. This detailed look should help you choose the right tool for refining your social media marketing efforts.

1. Arrow.AI

Arrow.AI excels in converting blogs, news, and online stores into engaging social media content — an essential precursor to robust analytics.

Notable Features

• Automated Content Creation: Arrow Connect turns blogs, news, and reviews into weekly or daily social media posts.
• Diverse Content Types: Includes promotional, educational, and industry updates.
• 100% Done for You: Manages it all — from onboarding to post creation and distribution.

Pricing

• Solo Flyer Plan ($9/month): Includes one post per week, unlimited support, and a dedicated social media expert.
• Arrow Co-Pilot Plan ($29/month): Includes three posts per week, enhanced support, and expert guidance.
• Arrow Pilot Plan ($79/month): Includes daily posts, multiple content sources, and comprehensive support.

Pros:

• Enhances content strategies, leading to more actionable analytics.
• Includes dedicated social media expert support.
• Provides versatile content creation.

Cons:

• It’s not a primary tool for analytics.
• Its advanced features only come at higher plan tiers.

User Breakdown

Support

Arrow.AI provides unlimited online support, complementing its service with human expertise to fine-tune content strategies.

User Testimonial

Anthony Ciotti appreciates Arrow.AI: "Jason got me up and running in 10 minutes. Now Arrow posts every day, simplifying my content strategy."

Reliability

Trusted by various companies, Arrow.AI has a good reputation for reliability in content distribution.

Summary

While not a standalone analytics tool, Arrow.AI enriches social media analytics tools by improving a user’s content quality and distribution. It’s a strategic addition to any comprehensive analytics approach.

2. Hootsuite

Hootsuite positions itself as a comprehensive, social media analytics tools hub. It provides an all-encompassing platform from which businesses can manage, schedule, and analyze their social media content. 

With plans that scale to meet the needs of different business sizes and types, Hootsuite equips its users with tools to drive more nuanced and strategic social media engagements.

Notable Features

• Unified Social Media Management: Enables users to manage and schedule unlimited posts across multiple social media accounts from a centralized hub.
• Ad Management and Analytics: Provides insights on ad performance, including analytics and reporting, with varied monthly ad spend limits.
• Team Collaboration: Offers enhanced features for team assignments and collaborations (available with the Team and Enterprise plans).
• Customizable Reports: Empowers users to tailor their analytics reports to glean insights specific to their business goals.

Pricing

• Professional Plan ($99/month): Offers individual users unlimited posts, scheduling, and analytics for up to 10 social media accounts.
• Team Plan ($249/month): Scales up to include three users and 20 social media accounts with added team collaboration features.
• Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): Targets larger teams with advanced features, including social ad management and analytics, employee advocacy, and more.

Pros

• Its versatile plans cater to solo users, teams, and larger enterprises with scalable features.
• Its advanced analytics power customizable reports and insights with advanced features available in its higher-tier plans.
• Its 30-day, free trial provides a risk-free period for users to explore and experience the platform’s offerings.

Cons

• It charges add-on fees for some features, such as social listening and advanced analytics.
• It has monthly ad spend limits for content boosting with options to upgrade plans for increased limits.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

Anchored in accessibility, Hootsuite’s support offers responsive service to ensure users maximize the utility of their social media analytics tools.

User Testimonial

An enterprise user reflects, “Hootsuite has simplified our social media strategy by providing tools to schedule posts in advance and monitor all activity from a central location.”

Reliability

With more than 22 million users across 175+ countries, Hootsuite’s reliability is globally recognized.

Summary

Hootsuite distinguishes itself as a multifaceted platform for both social media management and analytics. With an emphasis on flexibility, it caters to a diverse audience — from individuals and small teams to expansive enterprises. 

Its customizable and comprehensive analytics tools equip businesses to navigate the social media landscape with data-backed confidence. 

The company’s 30-day, free trial accentuates its user-centric approach, inviting users to try a hands-on experience of transformative social media analytics.

Explore a world in which social media management and analytics converge seamlessly with Hootsuite.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social offers a scalable, adaptable solution with a comprehensive suite of features. 

Engineered for businesses of all sizes, it helps users elevate their social media strategies with actionable insights and robust analytics. 

A 30-day, free trial offers an immersive experience of this tool’s diverse capabilities.

Notable Features

• Comprehensive Analytics: Dives deep into social media data with tailored reporting and actionable insights.
• AI Enhancements: Provides optimal post suggestions and automated enhancements via its AI Assist and Enhance by AI Assist offerings.
• Multilevel Reporting: Delivers insights at the group, profile, and post levels.
• Social Listening: Reveals trends and actionable insights for informed marketing and competitive strategies (available as a premium add-on).

Pricing

• Standard Plan ($249/month): Offers an all-in-one social inbox, AI-based suggestions, and tasking tools, among other features.
• Professional Plan ($399/month): Extends the offerings of the Standard plan, adding competitive reports, custom workflows, and trend analysis.
• Advanced Plan ($499/month): Incorporates automation tools, sentiment analysis, and advanced reporting functionalities.
• Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): Offers a tailored plan with prioritized support, premier consulting, and customized implementation.

Pros

• Its adaptive features scale to fit diverse business needs and sizes.
• Its intuitive interface allows for the seamless management of social media analytics.
• Its free, 30-day trial provides a comprehensive experience of its robust features.

Cons

• Its price points might seem steep for smaller businesses.
• Some essential features, such as social listening, come as premium add-ons.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

Sprout Social’s 24/5 prioritized support ensures users never get left in the dark, facilitating optimal use of its social media analytics tools.

User Testimonial

Andrew Rosch of Trek values the platform’s progressive approach: “Moving to a platform that is consistently expanding has been really nice — unlike our previous publishing solution that was stagnating.”

Reliability

With 30,000 satisfied customers, Sprout Social’s unquestionable reliability comes backed by a suite of comprehensive, evolving features.

Summary

Sprout Social stands out as a comprehensive, scalable social media analytics tool. Its diverse plans — enhanced by AI and premium add-ons like social listening and premium analytics — make it a dynamic solution for businesses aiming for refined, data-driven social media strategies. 

The 30-day, free trial underscores Sprout Social’s confidence in delivering unmatched value in social media analytics.

Unlock a world of refined, actionable insights with Sprout Social’s adaptive analytics solutions.

4. Zoho Social

Zoho Social stands out among other social media analytics tools based on its user-friendly interface and robust set of features designed to enhance social media marketing for businesses of all sizes. With a focus on ease of use and efficiency, Zoho Social offers a 15-day, free trial that gives users a comprehensive view of its capabilities.

Notable Features

• Multichannel Publishing: Streamlines content scheduling and publishing across a variety of social media platforms.
• Content Approvals and Workflow: Enhances team collaboration with features for content approval processes and workflow management (available with the Premium plan).
• Custom Reports: Offers detailed analytics and customizable reporting to enable users to gain actionable insights into their social media performance.
• Integration with Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk: Enhances lead generation and customer service by integrating with other Zoho offerings (available with the Premium plan).

Pricing

• Standard Plan ($10/month): Offers multichannel publishing, content scheduling, basic analytics, and more — an ideal option for small businesses.
• Professional Plan ($30/month): Adds features like bulk scheduling, post insights, a monitoring dashboard, and the ability to pause and resume content creation and posting.
• Premium Plan ($40/month): Expands on the Professional plan with content approvals and workflow processes, custom reports, and integrations with the Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk offerings.

Pros

• Its affordable plans offer a variety of features that cater to different business sizes and budgets.
• Its user-friendly interface facilitates seamless navigation and operation.
• Its 15-day, free trial allows users to explore the platform’s features with no risks.

Cons

• It charges additional fees to add extra brands and team members.
• It provides limited, 24/5 email support and lacks 24/7 customer service.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

Zoho Social provides 24/5 email support to help its users make the most of its platform.

User Testimonial

Users applaud Zoho Social for its intuitive design, stating: “The platform’s ease of use and comprehensive features make social media management a breeze.”

Reliability

Known for reliability, Zoho Social is a favorite among businesses seeking a balance of simplicity and comprehensive features in a social media analytics tool.

Summary

Characterized by its simplicity, affordability, and robust set of features, Zoho Social offers diverse plans designed to cater to various business needs. It also provides a versatile tool for social media management and analytics. 

Zoho Social’s 15-day, free trial underscores the company’s commitment to user satisfaction by offering a no-risk introduction to its comprehensive social media analytics solution.

Elevate your social media strategy with the intuitive and feature-rich Zoho Social platform.

5. Buffer

Buffer offers flexible, adaptive social media analytics and management tools. With a tiered pricing structure that caters to individuals, small businesses,  professional marketers, and large agencies, Buffer helps users enhance their social media strategies with a focus on ease of use, collaborative features, and actionable insights.

Notable Features

• Tailored Posting: Offers distinct solutions for different social media platforms, ensuring optimal post design and engagement.
• Buffer AI Assistant: Provides AI-powered insights and suggestions in this beta feature to bolster social media content strategies.
• Engagement Tools and Analytic Reports: Offers detailed insights and facilitates interactions with the target audience (available with higher-tier plans).

Pricing

• Free Plan ($0): Targets individuals and small businesses with up to three channels, offering basic planning and publishing tools.
• Essentials Plan ($6/month for one channel): Enhances the Free plan with engagement tools and analytic reports designed for professionals who need a more in-depth analysis.
• Team Plan ($12/month for one channel): Offers unlimited team members and advanced draft and approval workflows for organizations with collaborative social media departments.
• Agency Plan ($120/month for 10 channels): Targets large-scale operations with custom access, permissions, and agency-friendly pricing.

Pros

• Its diverse plans suit a variety of needs and budgets.
• Its AI Assistant beta feature facilitates an enhanced content strategy through AI-driven insights.
• The collaborative features in its Team and Agency plans provide tools designed for seamless collaboration and workflow management.

Cons

• Its channel-based pricing in the Essentials and Team plans might increase costs for businesses with multiple channels.
• While useful, its Free plan comes with limited features and channels.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

Buffer ensures users have access to a self-service knowledge base and social media support, which offer guidance and assistance to maximize the platform’s utility.

User Testimonial

Many customers appreciate Buffer’s ease of use and flexibility: “Buffer makes scheduling and analyzing posts across multiple platforms seamless.”

Reliability

With a reputation for reliability, Buffer delivers consistent performance and a set of tools that empower businesses to enhance their social media presence.

Summary

Buffer epitomizes adaptability and inclusivity in the social media management tools space. Its tiered plans and diverse features ensure businesses of all sizes can optimize their social media strategies. 

Its AI Assistant and collaborative features further enrich the user experience, making Buffer a noteworthy contender for individuals and businesses aiming to elevate their social media game.

Boost your social media strategy, engagement, and analytics with Buffer's powerful suite of intuitive tools.

6. IZEA

IZEA isn't solely a social media analytics tool, but rather a comprehensive influencer marketing platform. While its core strength lies in connecting brands with content creators, it does have an underlying analytics element that helps businesses measure the impact of their influencer marketing campaigns. 

This subtle integration of analytics is instrumental in evaluating the reach, engagement, and overall effectiveness of social media campaigns conducted through IZEA.

Notable Features

• Influencer Discovery: Enables brands to easily search for and connect with influencers that fit their social media campaign needs.
• Campaign Management: Allows businesses to streamline the management of influencer campaigns, tracking every step from creation to completion.
• Engagement Data: Provides essential data on content engagement — although this isn’t a primary function of the offering — that allows brands to assess their campaign performance.

Pricing

• IZEA Flex Plan (starting at $130/month): Offers a platform for brands and agencies to access and manage their influencer marketing campaigns.
• The Creator Marketplace Plan (free to access with Pro plans starting at $6/month): Targets collaborations between marketers and influencers.
• Managed Services (starting at $100,000): Offers fully managed influencer marketing services, including strategic planning, execution, and measurement solutions.

Pros

• Its user-friendly platform makes the process of finding and collaborating with influencers straightforward.
• Its range of pricing options enable businesses of all sizes to leverage IZEA’s features.
• While not an analytics tool per se, IZEA offers valuable data on influencer campaign performance.

Cons

• It’s not analytics-centric. If you primarily want in-depth analytics, IZEA may not be the best choice because it’s more focused on influencer marketing.
• Its fully managed services come with a significant cost, making it potentially out of reach for smaller businesses.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

IZEA offers support and assistance throughout the usage of its platform, ensuring its clients can effectively navigate and use the features for optimal influencer marketing campaigns.

User Testimonial

Alex Charles commented: “IZEA is an influencer marketing solution that is giving amazing services and dragging me toward success. The platform handles all aspects of influencer marketing, such as social media influencer finding, collaboration, distribution, payments, and campaign effectiveness tracking.”

Reliability

IZEA offers a highly reliable core offering: influencer marketing. The added benefit of campaign data adds a layer of analytics that, while not comprehensive, contributes valuable insights for campaign assessment.

Summary

IZEA stands strong as an influencer marketing platform, offering businesses opportunities to connect with content creators efficiently. Though not exhaustive, the platform’s embedded analytics provide essential insights into campaign performance, reach, and engagement. 

For brands prioritizing influencer marketing with a dash of analytics insight, IZEA could make a significant addition to their toolkit. However, businesses seeking in-depth analytics should consider pairing IZEA with a dedicated social media analytics tool.

Harness the dual power of effective influencer marketing and insightful campaign data with IZEA, and take a step toward enhancing your brand’s visibility and engagement.

7. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo provides a formidable asset to individuals and businesses seeking in-depth insights and data analytics to supercharge their content creation and marketing strategies. 

BuzzSumo’s rich analytics feature set, including a content analyzer and trending feeds, provides actionable insights that empower marketers to craft content that’ll resonate with their target audience and maximizes engagement.

Notable Features

• Content Analyzer: Allows users to delve deeply into content performance metrics to identify what content resonates with their target audiences.
• Trending Feeds: Offers real-time insights on trending content across various niches, empowering marketers to stay ahead of the curve.
• Media Database and Outreach: Provides a comprehensive feature that enables agencies to monitor coverage and engage with journalists effectively.

Pricing

• Content Creation Plan ($199/month): Targets marketers and agencies focused on elevating their content, offering unlimited searches and two alerts.
• PR & Comms Plan ($299/month): Provides comprehensive coverage monitoring and outreach with unlimited searches and five alerts.
• Suite Plan ($499/month): Bundles features from the Content Creation and PR & Comms plans with added functionalities like a YouTube analyzer, making it a popular choice for large teams.
• Enterprise Plan ($999/month): Offers an ultimate package with no-holds-barred access to all BuzzSumo features, targeting household-name brands and agencies.

Pros

• It offers extensive data and insights, helping users craft content strategies that align with target audience preferences.
• Its varied pricing plans cater to a wide range of users — from individual marketers to large enterprises.
• Its ability to provide real-time data ensures users stay informed about the latest trends and their content’s performance.

Cons

• Its comprehensive features come at a price, which might be a consideration for small businesses or individual users.
• While BuzzSumo offers rich insights, businesses solely focused on social media analytics might need to pair it with other dedicated tools for a complete view.

User Breakdown

Customer Service

Known for its responsive customer service, BuzzSumo ensures its users can effectively leverage its comprehensive features to derive maximum value.

User Testimonial

Users often praise BuzzSumo for its intuitive interface and in-depth insights, with one noting, “The real-time insights provided by BuzzSumo enable us to craft content strategies that align perfectly with market trends.”

Reliability

The platform’s consistent performance and up-to-date, accurate data make it a reliable tool for content creators, marketers, and agencies alike.

Summary

BuzzSumo carves its niche in the world of social media analytics tools with a focus on content analytics and trend monitoring. Its comprehensive insights are instrumental in informing content creation, public relations campaigns, and communications strategies. 

While it’s a powerhouse for content insights, businesses focusing strictly on social media analytics might consider pairing BuzzSumo with other specialized tools to gain a holistic view of their social media performance.

Navigate the dynamic digital content landscape with BuzzSumo — your companion for data-driven content strategies and informed decision-making.

More Reviews

For those seeking even more social media tools to broaden their understanding of the available options and their functionalities, check out our other comprehensive review articles:

• 5 Best Social Media Management Tools: Start with an extensive review of the top tools that streamline social media management, offering functionalities that range from scheduling to analytics.
• Best Social Media Content Distribution Software: Then, explore the pinnacle of content distribution platforms that enable businesses to disseminate content effectively across various social media platforms.
• 5 Best AI Tools for Social Media Management: Next, learn about the AI-powered tools currently revolutionizing social media management. They offer automation, insights, and enhanced engagement strategies.
• Arrow.AI Review: Finally, read a detailed analysis of Arrow.AI with insights about its features, functionalities, and how it stands out in the crowded landscape of social media management tools.

These reviews offer insights for all major social media networks, enabling individuals and businesses to make informed decisions tailored to their specific social media management and analytics needs.

What Is a Social Media Analytics Tool?

A social media analytics tool is a comprehensive solution designed to offer detailed insights and analysis of social media efforts across major social media platforms. This type of tool is essential for social media managers tasked with optimizing the online presence and engagement levels of businesses and brands.

Geared toward transforming raw data into actionable insights, these tools sift through the vast data landscape of social platforms and extract valuable information that helps businesses gauge the effectiveness of their social media efforts. 

This means that, beyond just managing content and engagements, social media managers can conduct in-depth competitive analyses, identify trends, and craft strategies that resonate with their target audiences.

Here are three core functions provided by a robust social media analytics tool:

• Insightful Analytics: These tools offer a granular view of engagement metrics, audience demographics, and content performance. This enables social media managers to track and measure the return on investment (ROI) of their social media campaigns and efforts effectively.
• Competitive Analysis: Armed with a social media analytics tool, businesses can keep an eye on the competition. Analyzing competitors' engagement strategies, content performance, and audience preferences becomes a seamless process that reveals insights to help businesses refine and enhance their own social media efforts.
• Comprehensive Reporting: These tools often include an embedded feature that offers customized reporting. These custom reports visualize data, making it easier for stakeholders to understand trends, measure campaign performance, and identify areas for improvement.

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, where trends on major social media platforms shift at lightning speed, a dynamic social media analytics tool is a clear necessity. 

This type of tool empowers social media managers to stay at the forefront of digital innovations, enabling real-time decision-making and strategy optimization. It also can help them ensure their social media efforts remain aligned with the prevailing trends and audience expectations.

In essence, a social media analytics tool transcends the conventional boundaries of social media management. It combines data-driven insights, competitive analysis, and real-time reporting in order to offer businesses a strategic advantage in their social media efforts by enabling them to optimize each post, campaign, and interaction for maximum impact and engagement.

How To Use Social Media Analytics Tools

Using a social media analytics tool can transform your digital strategy, offering deep insights into audience behavior, content performance, and the competitive landscape. 

However, you need to know how to leverage these tools effectively. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use social media analytics tools to enhance your social media strategies:

1. Set clear objectives. Before diving into analytics, identify your goals. Are you looking to increase engagement, boost your brand awareness, or drive traffic to your website? Having clear objectives allows you to focus on specific metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goals.
2. Choose the right tool. Select a social media analytics tool that caters to your needs. Consider features, supported social media platforms, and reporting capabilities. Ensure the tool can analyze performance across major social media platforms to provide a holistic view of your online presence.
3. Connect your social media accounts. Integrate all of your social media accounts with the analytics tool. This step is crucial to ensure you collect data from different platforms in order to gain insights on your overall social media efforts.
4. Monitor key metrics. Focus on metrics that align with your objectives. These could include engagement rates, audience demographics, reach, and impressions. Use the analytics tool to track these metrics over time, revealing insights on trends as well as performance patterns.
5. Conduct a competitive analysis. Use the analytics tool to analyze competitors’ social media strategies. Examine their content, engagement rates, and audience demographics. This analysis will provide valuable insights to help you refine your own strategies and identify opportunities for differentiation.
6. Generate reports. Leverage the social media reporting tool feature to generate detailed reports. Customize these reports to focus on key metrics and insights significant to your objectives. Regular reporting aids in tracking progress toward goals and making informed decisions.
7. Optimize your strategy. Use the insights gleaned from the analytics tool to optimize your social media strategy. Identify what works and what doesn’t, and then make necessary adjustments to enhance engagement, reach, and overall performance.
8. Review and adjust regularly. Because the digital landscape is dynamic, you’ll need to regularly review the insights and data provided by the analytics tool. Adjust your social media strategies to align with emerging trends, evolving audience preferences, and performance insights to ensure your social media efforts remain effective and engaging.

A social media analytics tool not only gathers data, but also uncovers actionable insights you can use to enhance your social media efforts. By following the steps above, you can transform social media performance data into strategic actions that’ll boost your presence across major social media platforms, optimize engagement, and drive your brand's success.

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