What is Hootsuite?Hootsuite is a social media management platform designed to help businesses manage their social media presence across multiple platforms.  Whether your business has a presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or something else like LinkedIn, Pinterest, or YouTube, Hootsuite aims to improve how you connect with your customer base on social media. Benefits of HootsuiteOften considered to be one of the most useful and versatile social media tools on the market, Hootsuite allows you to manage, plan, and monitor your social media content by consolidating all of your profiles within its own platform.  In the modern world, which is placing more emphasis on social media content, businesses both large and small struggle to keep on top of their content output; Hootsuite makes all of this easier and gives you and your team more time to focus on other aspects of your business.  Hootsuite's FeaturesHootsuite offers a range of social media tools that are built to simplify your marketing, accelerate sales, and streamline customer service. Some of the features available on the platform are listed below: automatic post schedulingsocial media monitoringperformance analysis basic task management As well as the above, the platform also allows you to break down which staff members have access to which profiles, allowing them to focus only on what they need to. This also increases accountability within your team, with errors being easy to trace.  The simplicity Hootsuite offers with its integration is also a stand-out feature. With options to integrate with over 100 different applications, linking up your most effective social media platforms has never been easier.  Hootsuite's most useful feature, however, is the Hootsuite Academy, which offers a large range of courses that teach and coach businesses like yours on how to make the most of social media marketing. This is a great way to save money on training either yourself or your staff and further integrates your social media strategy with Hootsuite's system. How Much Does Hootsuite Cost?This is often the most important thing businesses want to know, especially ones that are just starting out. In the case of Hootsuite, the answer is nothing; at least not to begin with. At the time of writing, they offer a free 30-day trial for a lot of their packages and, after that, the amount you pay depends on what kind of features you need. The most limited subscription is the professional package, which gives you access to the basic features, and costs £89 per month. From there, it goes up steadily for the more advanced features. A team subscription is £249 per month and a business subscription is £660 per month.   The prices shown here were accurate in the summer of 2024 and, depending on when you're reading this, they may have changed. As ever, it's important to assess exactly what features you need before you commit to any subscription. Make the most of the free trial so you know how Hootsuite's features work for you. Is Hootsuite Good For Small Businesses?Hootsuite's innovative features make it a safe bet for any business looking to have more control over its social media marketing. By consolidating functionality and grouping data into its all-in-one system, it can quickly become an invaluable tool for a business.  While it does offer features designed for large businesses with big media teams, it also offers simpler and, perhaps more importantly, cheaper alternatives to suit smaller businesses with less to worry about in terms of their social media. So, if you have a smaller business and want to keep on top of your channels, Hootsuite can provide you with the solutions you need. 

What is Social Media Marketing?Social media marketing is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. It allows businesses to connect with their target audience, build relationships, and promote their products or services.  However, managing social media accounts can be time-consuming and challenging, especially for small businesses with limited resources. This is where social media tools can come in handy.The Best Social Media Tools for BusinessesSocial media tools can help businesses save time, increase efficiency, and improve their social media performance. They offer a variety of features, such as scheduling, analytics, and listening, making them an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. When choosing social media tools for your business, you need to consider your budget, social media platforms, features, and team size With this in mind, we've put together this list of five social media tools to consider for your business. How to Choose the Right Social Media Tools for Your BusinessWhen choosing social media tools for your business, there are a few things to keep in mind: Your budgetYour social media platformsYour team size Social media tools can range in price from free to hundreds of pounds per month, so you need to make sure you're choosing a tool that's affordable. You don't want to be paying for features that you don't need.  Equally, you don't want to choose a digital marketing platform that works best for a platform you don't really use, so you should carefully consider which platforms your business wants to use for its marketing and base your choice on that. The table below shows a general comparison of the four social media tools. The specific features and pricing may vary depending on the plan you choose.

What Is Digital Marketing?Digital marketing promotes your business using digital channels like social media, search engines, and even emails.  Billboards, newspapers, and the Yellow Pages were once the go-tos for marketers. Social media are today's newspapers, with a staggering 4.7 billion users all waiting to see what your business has to offer them. Search engines are just a much faster version of the Yellow Pages, with Google processing 8.5 billion searches every single day. And billboards... Well, billboards are still here, but they are now using digital technology to broadcast your business to the masses. Still not convinced? Well, here are five ways that your business can benefit from a properly utilised digital marketing strategy.