Let’s face it, being active on social media is of utmost importance for engagement and building your brand. Whether you’re just starting out and looking to grow your following, or searching for a way to stay present online (even when you’re busy), having apps that do the work for you will make your life way easier, while keeping people interested and bringing them back to your sites.

(Photo by Oliver Owen)

Buffer

You’re busy. You don’t always have the time to write and share content on the go or in the moment. That’s why Buffer is an excellent social media tool—it allows you to schedule shares on your pages.

Buffer offers a variety of plans that can fit your needs. There’s a Free Plan: three social accounts and up to 10 posts, and Pro: eight accounts and 100 posts. There are also three Business Plans: Small ($99) with 25 accounts, five team members and 2000 shares; Medium ($199) with 50 accounts, 10 team members, and 2000 shares; and Large ($399) with 150 accounts, 25 team members, and 2000 shares.

Regardless of what plan you choose, Buffer has 7 or 14-day free trials, constant customer support, and allows you to upload a variety of content (like gifs and videos!) as well as publishing options through both web browsers and mobile apps.

The share links are shortened and tracked, giving you real-time social analytics for your pages. There is also a built-in calendar to schedule your posts at times that work for you. If you’re looking to stay organized and engage your audience in a way that is efficient and measurable, Buffer is the way to go.

Canva

Canva is an excellent tool for creating content that is engaging, unique, and on-brand.

Reposting images is effective, but being able to have content that is original and yours will help to set your page(s) apart. On social media, having consistent, user-friendly content will give people a sense of who you are as a creator and keep them coming back to your page. Canva allows you to do just that—make content that screams you.

Canva is a free service (with the option to upgrade). There are thousands of pre-made templates to choose from, or you can start from scratch. They have customizable layouts for pre-sized social media content (ex: Instagram posts, Facebook banners, email headers, etc.) They have a variety of fonts and images, as well as graphics/photos you can purchase for $1 or a combination of credits.

The program has a web browser and mobile app versions, allowing for easy creation and publishing on the go, and is always creating new layouts and ideas for holidays, etc.

If you want the ability to create content that defines you and your brand, open a Canva account—you won’t be disappointed.

LinkTr.ee

Ever get frustrated by your Instagram bio, and not having the ability to showcase more than one link or item? LinkTr.ee is an excellent app for Instagram that helps to organize your social media accounts all in one place.

With LinkTr.ee Free, you have the ability to showcase unlimited links, see the number of times each link was clicked, and pick from a variety of layout options. With LinkTr.ee Pro, you have all of the Free options, plus support, newsletter signup integration, more themes, the ability to remove LinkTr.ee branding, a breakdown of link traffic, customization of design and tiles, direct link retargeting to social media pages, and Google Analytics (+ more!).

If you want to push your Instagram users to different sites, links, and pages, LinkTr.ee is a tool you need.  

Preview

Preview is a simple app for Instagram, giving you the ability to view posts before they become live. If you are someone who likes to keep a consistent layout, brand, or color scheme, this app helps you visualize and organize content before sharing.

You also have the option to publish straight from the app, with custom captions and at pre-scheduled times—a no-brainer tool to make your life easier, while staying true to you.

SproutSocial

If you’re not afraid to pay, SproutSocial is a great app and social analytics tool to help you monitor your brand or page(s) traffic. With this software, you can see a calendar, schedule, and report (with custom URL tracking and logo branding) of how each share is doing.

If you have a larger brand or employees working under you, this suite gives you the option to integrate multiple users and generate reports based on links, traffic, sent messages, group, or individual social media pages, etc.

SproutSocial’s goal is to help solve strategic problems and streamline business processes—making for seamless social media sharing, scheduling, and tracking. If you’re not afraid to invest a little money into your business or social accounts, SproutSocial is top-of-the-line.