Marketing automation: Hootsuite or Buffer

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In our article on automation in digital marketing, we wrote that this term refers to online tools whose purpose is to implement processes and tasks in the marketing sector, as well as analytics and reporting. They are designed to make the work of marketers easier, especially those who work in the digital world. Among the various types of these applications, we can single out those intended for working on social networks. The biggest battle in this category is between Hootsuite and Buffer .

marketing automation

What are Hootsuite and Buffer?
These are SaaS ( Software as a Service ) online tools that facilitate and automate social media work. They perform various tasks, such as:

posting on different accounts and different social networks
scheduling posts,
corrections to posts,
hashtag tracking,
communication with followers,
monitoring trends in certain industries,
analytics,
reporting.
What's so convenient about using them? As we've already said, you can monitor whatsapp number events and interactions on various profiles and networks from one platform, all at the same time. All you need to do is open an account on one of these 2 platforms, connect the profiles you want to manage, and start posting!

Comparison
Although both of these tools are intended for the same thing - managing content on social networks, there is no difference in the actual use. Both have applications for Android and iOS, as well as an extension for the Chrome browser, and the same 6 social networks are represented: Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Google+ , LinkedIn and Pinterest .

There are, however, some differences that will later determine which of these two you decide on. The criteria by which we will compare Hootsuite and Buffer are:

ease of use,
integration,
education,
service packages and prices.
In terms of ease of use , Buffer's advantage is that it automatically shortens links when you post them and loads the photo from the site, while with Hootsuite you have to request the link shortening and upload the photo separately. This increases the time it takes to prepare a post, and we know that time is money.

Buffer interface

Buffer interface

When it comes to integration with other tools, Hootsuite is far better. In addition to publishing and scheduling posts on social networks, it provides you with more than 150 free and paid plugins that you can manage from a basic platform, such as: Blogger, MailChimp, YouTube, Tumblr, WordPress, and many others. It also allows you to monitor posts from all the home pages of your social media profiles, respond to messages, and all that centrally ! There is also an option to send you performance reports on your profiles/analytics via email, as often as you specify. Buffer, on the other hand, also has an integration option, but you can't track events on other networks with it. That's its drawback, and it's reduced to just a post scheduling tool .

Hootsuite

What should be highlighted as a great feature of Buffer is that you can choose how your links are shortened. In addition to its buff.ly extension, it offers bit.ly and j.mp , while Hootsuite only offers ow.ly , with no further options. This is especially important for later monitoring.

Buffer link shortening

Both platforms offer a knowledge base , but HootSuite takes it to the next level by offering courses on social media marketing. Some are free, some are not, but they certainly can't hurt, especially if you're a beginner. Buffer offers its own blog and a curated selection of webinars to help you improve your knowledge.

You're probably wondering how much this pleasure will cost you. Both platforms offer their own free plans , with limited features, that you can use indefinitely. This is ideal for those who are just starting out, or those who are well-versed in social media marketing but want to see what these tools have to offer.

Of course, there is an option to upgrade the package because over time, having access to a small number of accounts (3–4 social networks with the free package) will not be enough. Prices are similar for both platforms, so you will pay $100 per year for the package intended for teams/small businesses , in both cases.