Are your clients' social media campaigns struggling to gain traction — complete with lackluster clicks, stagnant follower counts, and underwhelming engagement? Or perhaps your team is spending more time chasing approvals than actually creating content that moves the needle?
With social media trends evolving at breakneck speed, agencies need more than just willpower and caffeine to thrive. They require the right tools to cut through the noise, amplify their productivity, and deliver exceptional results.
Stop wasting time and money on a tech stack that doesn’t deliver. Here’s a roundup of the 9 best social media tools for agencies.
What Types of Social Media Tools Do Agencies Need?
1. Social media scheduling tools
Still juggling multiple logins and scrambling to meet deadlines? Imagine a world where you can plan, schedule, and publish content across all your clients' social media accounts without breaking a sweat.
That's the magic of social media scheduling and management platforms — think of them as your agency's control center, allowing you to queue up posts in advance and monitor engagement.
2. Social listening and monitoring tools
The social media landscape is a bustling ecosystem of conversations, opinions, and trends. Social listening and monitoring tools give your agency the power to tap into this wealth of information. You can track mentions of your clients' brands (or even their competitors), gauge sentiment, and identify influencers — all in real-time.
But social listening isn't just about eavesdropping; it's about safeguarding your clients' reputations and fueling their growth. With the right tools, you can turn every mention, comment, and conversation into a strategic advantage, helping your clients remain in the spotlight for all the right reasons.
3. Analytics and reporting tools
Numbers don't lie, especially in the world of social media. After all, your clients aren't investing in this marketing strategy for warm fuzzy feelings; they want to see tangible results.
Analytics and reporting tools go beyond basic platform metrics, offering deep dives into your campaigns' performance. Track metrics like engagement rates, click-throughs, and conversions, then generate eye-catching reports that showcase your agency's prowess.
4. Collaboration and approval tools
Miscommunication, missed deadlines, and version control hiccups — these are the mishaps that can derail even the most promising social media campaign.
Collaboration and approval tools can save the day by fostering seamless communication between creatives, strategists, clients, and stakeholders. Use them to consolidate feedback, centralize communication, and keep everyone on the same page.
Best Social Media Scheduling Tools for Agencies
Postpone
As an agency, your time is your most valuable asset. Every minute spent on manual tasks and redundant processes is a minute stolen from strategic planning, brainstorming, and, of course, creating.
Postpone (disclaimer: this is my tool) helps your agency work smarter, not harder, so you can scale up your social media efforts without sacrificing quality. Bulk scheduling, for example, lets you plan weeks or even months of content in advance, while the content library keeps your visuals organized.
Postpone supports a wide range of platforms, including those niche ones your clients’ followers love: Tumblr, Bluesky, Mastodon, and more. (Other social media schedulers tend to focus only on bigger players like Facebook and Instagram, but we know that true social media success lies in reaching your audience wherever they are).
Most importantly, we know agencies juggle a lot, which is why we created Postpone's client manager. Say goodbye to the chaos of multi-account management — with Postpone, you can onboard clients, assign social accounts, and customize your dashboard to keep everyone’s campaigns running like clockwork.
Key features
- Bulk social media scheduling: Effortlessly upload and schedule months’ worth of content across multiple platforms in a few clicks.
- Content library: Your clients' visual assets deserve more than a scattered mess of folders. Postpone's content library keeps all your images, videos, and GIFS organized, accessible, and ready for posting.
- Client manager: Empower your team to collaborate effectively and maintain brand consistency across multiple client accounts.
- Unified social inbox: No more jumping between platforms to manage conversations. Postpone's unified inbox brings all your clients' messages and comments into one place, so nothing ever falls through the cracks.
- Powerful analytics: Data is your agency's superpower. Postpone's analytics tools give you the insights you need to track performance, identify winning content, and prove ROI to clients.
- Best time to post recommendations: Stop guessing when your audience is online. Postpone's AI-powered recommendations pinpoint the optimal posting times for each platform so you can maximize your clients' reach and engagement.
- AI-assisted creation: Feeling a little burnt out? Use Postpone's AI assistant to generate creative captions, brainstorm fresh content ideas, and even translate posts for a global audience.
Pros
- Wide range of supported platforms: Postpone supports 11 (and counting!) social media platforms — rest assured knowing you’re equipped to reach your clients' audiences wherever they are.
- Comprehensive features: Postpone supports your team from the initial brainstorming session all the way to the final destination: measurable results.
- Affordability: Whether you’re a two-person boutique agency or a powerhouse managing dozens of brands, Postpone offers flexible pricing plans for you to scale your agency without breaking the bank.
- Built for agencies: Postpone isn't just another social media scheduler; it's built with agencies in mind. From secure client onboarding to granular team permissions, we've got the features you need to streamline collaboration, maintain control, and impress your clients.
Cons
- Growing integrations: As a relatively new platform, Postpone's integration options are still expanding. However, our Zapier integration allows for custom automations, connecting Postpone to thousands of other apps.
Best for
Boutique and mid-sized agencies championing underdog brands and niche communities. If your clients crave a unique voice on platforms beyond the usual suspects, Postpone is the best social media management tool for your agency to deliver the results you promised.
Ready to try out a tool as agile and adaptable as your team? Try Postpone for free today.
Best Social Listening and Monitoring Tools for Agencies
Hootsuite
Feeling like you’re missing out on key conversations around your clients? When your to-do list is pages long, it’s hard to justify spending hours scrolling through every social media channel to keep tabs on brand mentions and potential PR crises.
Hootsuite, a seasoned veteran in the social media management space, promises to be your agency's eyes and ears on social media. With its feature-rich monitoring and analytics tools, the tool helps you navigate the complexities of social conversations, protect your clients' reputations, and seize every opportunity for engagement.
Key features
- Multi-platform monitoring: Hootsuite’s all-in-one dashboard gives you a 360-degree view of the social media landscape, so you can hear every whisper, track every mention, and spot every trending topic that matters to your clients.
- Real-time alerts: Be the first to know when your clients' brands are making waves — or when a crisis is brewing.
- Sentiment analysis: Hootsuite's sentiment analysis does the heavy lifting for you, instantly revealing how your audience feels about your clients' brands.
- Customizable reports: Transform your social media efforts into tangible proof of your agency's value, allowing you to impress clients and justify your rates.
Pros
- Actionable insights: Hootsuite doesn't just give you data; it gives you all the insights, sentiments, and trends you need to craft campaigns that truly resonate.
- Collaboration made easy: Hootsuite’s shared streams, assignments, and approval workflows bring your team and clients together in one workspace.
Cons
- Learning curve: Hootsuite is packed with features, so there's quite a large learning curve, which can be especially intimidating for new hires and agencies.
- Pricing: Hootsuite's pricing plans can be a major barrier for smaller agencies, especially those eyeing more advanced features or having to connect a large number of accounts.
Best for
Agencies handling complex social media strategies for high-profile clients. Hootsuite’s comprehensive features and scalability make it the perfect fit for those who need a sophisticated social media management tool that can handle the demands of enterprise-level social listening and engagement.
Sprout Social
When your clients demand results, Sprout Social delivers. With roots dating back to 2010, this seasoned platform has earned the trust of agencies worldwide, helping them turn social data into strategic wins.
Like Hootsuite, Sprout Social empowers agencies to go beyond surface-level metrics and truly understand their audience's needs, desires, and pain points. It’s a comprehensive social listening and engagement platform that helps you uncover valuable insights, track brand health, and build meaningful relationships with your clients' customers.
Key features
- Advanced listening: Forget basic keyword monitoring; Sprout Social lets you dive deep into the social conversation. Keep tabs on specific topics, hashtags, and what your clients' competitors are up to.
- Sentiment analysis: Is the online chatter about your clients positive, negative, or just lukewarm? Sprout Social helps you take the pulse of the conversation, so you can address any brewing storms and amplify the good vibes.
- Unified social inbox: Sprout Social consolidates all your clients' social messages, mentions, and comments into one inbox.
- Trend reporting: Don't just follow trends; set them. Sprout Social's trend identification tools help you spot emerging topics before they explode, giving your clients a chance to lead the conversation and showcase their thought leadership.
Pros
- Comprehensive listening and engagement: Sprout Social isn't just a listening tool; it's a full-fledged social media management platform. From scheduling and publishing to engagement and analytics, it's got everything your agency needs to simplify its workflow and deliver top-notch results.
- Scalability: Whether you're a boutique agency or a global powerhouse, Sprout Social has a plan that fits. Scale your social media management effortlessly as your client roster grows without sacrificing the personalized touch that sets your agency apart.
Cons
- Pricing: Let's face it: Sprout Social isn't exactly pocket change — it's a premium platform with a price tag to match. If you're a smaller agency or bootstrapping your way to success, consider exploring some of the other tools on this list.
- Steep learning curve: Sprout Social is packed with awesome features, but it also means there's a learning curve. Don't expect to master it overnight. Be prepared to invest some time in training and exploration to truly harness its features.
Best for
Agencies with Fortune 1000 clients, where every social media move is under the microscope. It's not just about listening and engaging; Sprout Social helps you extract insights that inform strategy, mitigate risks, and propel your clients to the forefront of their industries.
Fedica
While Fedica might not be a household name like the other best social media management tools for agencies on this list, it's a hidden gem for those wanting to understand their clients' audiences and tap into the pulse of social conversations.
While Fedica was originally laser-focused on X (formerly Twitter) analytics, what makes Fedica unique today is its evolution into a full-fledged social listening and intelligence powerhouse that uses AI to deliver insights that go far beyond surface-level metrics.
Key features
- Comprehensive audience insights: Fedica doesn't just give you surface-level demographics; it digs deep into your clients' audience, revealing their hidden desires, interests, and behaviors.
- Advanced social listening and competitor analysis: Monitor brand mentions, track industry buzz, and peek at what your competitors are up to.
- Trend prediction: Tired of chasing trends after they've peaked? Fedica's AI-powered trend identification helps you anticipate the next big thing, so you can create timely, relevant content that grabs attention and sparks conversations.
- Campaign performance and ROI measurement: Forget about vanity metrics. Fedica's analytics tools track the stuff that truly matters: conversions, ROI, and the actual impact of your campaigns.
Pros
- Deep audience understanding: Fedica's AI-powered insights provide a level of audience understanding that few other tools can match. Armed with this info, craft hyper-targeted campaigns that speak directly to your clients' ideal customers.
Cons
- Learning curve: Fedica's packed with power, but it's not exactly plug-and-play. Be prepared to invest some time in learning the ropes to fully unlock its potential.
- Limited content performance metrics: While Fedica's audience insights are second to none, it lacks in-depth content performance metrics. If tracking the direct impact of your posts and campaigns is a top priority, you might need to supplement it with another tool.
- X (formerly Twitter) focus: While Fedica supports multiple platforms, its core strengths lie in its X capabilities. If your clients' primary focus is on other platforms, consider some of the other social media management tools for agencies on this list.
Best for
Agencies specializing in X marketing or catering to clients who demand a granular understanding of their audience.
Best Social Media Analytics and Reporting Tools for Agencies
Rival IQ
In the competitive world of social media, data is king. But sifting through mountains of metrics and deciphering insights can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned agencies.
Enter Rival IQ: the analytics and reporting powerhouse designed to transform raw data into actionable intelligence. The best part? Rival IQ's analytics engine is constantly evolving, so you're always armed with the freshest insights and can craft strategies that are ahead of the curve.
Key features
- Comprehensive social media analytics: Track key metrics like engagement rates, follower growth, and post reach across multiple platforms via intuitive dashboards and customizable reports.
- In-depth competitor analysis: Benchmark your clients' performance against their competitors, uncovering their strengths, weaknesses, and content strategies.
- Paid social insights: Uncover your competitors' paid advertising strategies, including ad spend, ad formats, and targeting tactics — and use them to guide your own campaigns.
- Customizable dashboards: Create custom dashboards for your clients that highlight key performance indicators and track progress towards goals.
Pros
- Easy data visualization: Say goodbye to spreadsheets that make your eyes glaze over. Rival IQ’s automated reporting tool transforms complex data into eye-catching charts and graphs that are easy for both your team and your clients to understand.
- Benchmarking capabilities: Don't let your clients' goals be a shot in the dark. Rival IQ lets you size up the competition, set realistic targets, and track progress like a seasoned pro.
Cons
- Pricing: Rival IQ's pricing isn't exactly pocket change, especially for smaller agencies with limited budgets.
- Limited collaboration in the basic plan: The basic plan restricts the number of users who can access and collaborate on data, which could be a challenge for larger teams.
Best for
Agencies who know that gut feelings and guesswork don’t cut it. Rival IQ is designed for the data-driven strategists, the ones who crave insights, devour metrics, and make decisions based on cold, hard facts.
Sendible
Beautiful reports, happy clients. That's the mantra behind Sendible, a social media management platform renowned for its robust white-label reporting capabilities. But Sendible isn't a newcomer to the scene; it's been empowering agencies and brands since 2009 — today, it stands as a trusted industry veteran, offering features from publishing to analytics.
Key features
- In-depth analytics: Sendible's analytics tools go beyond vanity metrics, providing a comprehensive view of your clients' social media performance — think: engagement rates, audience growth, and post reach across multiple platforms.
- Customizable reports: One size doesn't fit all when it comes to client reporting. Sendible's drag-and-drop report builder lets you turn boring spreadsheets into beautiful, branded reports that tell the story of your social media success, tailored to each client's unique needs and goals.
- Automated reporting: Who has time for manual report generation? Not you! Sendible lets you schedule reports to be delivered to clients like clockwork, freeing up your time for more strategic tasks (and maybe even a coffee break).
- Cross-platform comparisons: Is TikTok stealing the show, or is Instagram your client's MVP? Sendible's cross-platform comparisons let you identify your strengths and weaknesses on each platform.
Pros
- Comprehensive analytics suite: Sendible's analytics don't just throw numbers at you; they break down the data in a way that's easy to digest and actually useful. You'll get a clear picture of what's working (and what's not) so you can make smart decisions that move the needle for your clients.
Cons
- No AI-powered insights: Sendible currently lacks AI-powered features that provide predictive analytics or automated recommendations.
- Clunky interface: Some users find Sendible's interface a bit clunky and overwhelming, especially when managing multiple client accounts and navigating the social inbox. This can lead to frustration and wasted time.
Best for
Agencies that know that trust and transparency are the keys to client happiness. Sendible's white-label solution lets you offer a fully branded social media management experience, building confidence and strengthening relationships from day one.
Best Social Media Collaboration and Approval Tools for Agencies
ClickUp
You might have seen their ads: "One app to replace them all." ClickUp is on a mission to conquer the world of project management, and for agencies juggling multiple clients and campaigns, it might just be the answer to your woes.
But let’s be clear: ClickUp isn't really a social media tool. It's simply a project management and collaboration platform that promises to wrangle all aspects of your agency's workflow, from client onboarding to content creation, task assignments to approvals. (In other words, you’ll still need to supplement it with other social media management tools on this list).
Key features
- Customizable workspaces and views: Create dedicated spaces for each client or campaign, and visualize your work in a way that makes sense for your team — whether that's in a list, board, calendar, or Gantt chart view.
- Task management and assignments: Break down social media campaigns into manageable tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and track progress in real-time.
- Document collaboration and proofing: ClickUp lets your whole team brainstorm captions, fine-tune visuals, and hash out campaign strategies all in one place. Edit documents on the fly, get feedback right on those images and videos, and never lose track of who changed what with version control.
- Easy approvals: ClickUp's proofing tools put the power in your clients' hands (without the endless back-and-forth). They can leave feedback directly on your work, so you can make changes faster and get campaigns launched sooner.
Pros
- Customization: Whether you're a color-coded fanatic or a minimalist maestro, you have the freedom to create a workspace that fits your agency’s unique style.
- Enhanced visibility: No more hunting for that one crucial task or wondering if a deadline's been missed. ClickUp gives you a panoramic view of all your projects, so you can keep everyone on track and clients in the loop.
Cons
- Not social media-specific: While incredibly versatile, ClickUp isn't tailored specifically for social media management. This means you won't find features like a built-in social inbox or direct scheduling capabilities — you'll still need to explore additional tools in this list to complete the puzzle.
- Learning curve: ClickUp's feature-rich, which is awesome, but it can also be a bit overwhelming at first. (In fact, some agencies even bring in ClickUp consultants to help them set up their workspace.)
Best for
Agencies that crave a centralized hub for project management and collaboration, even if it means supplementing with other tools for specific social media tasks.
Planable
Tired of endless email chains, missed Slack messages, and that sinking feeling when a client's feedback gets lost in the shuffle? Planable swoops in to rescue your agency from the chaos of disjointed social media collaboration.
This intuitive platform acts as your team's virtual conference room, bringing everyone together to brainstorm, create, review, and approve content in one centralized space.
Key features
- Visual social media calendar: Get a bird's-eye view of your content strategy with Planable's intuitive calendar and feed mockup. Plan ahead, visualize your campaigns, and build a cohesive and engaging social media presence for your clients.
- Vast team collaboration options: Work together seamlessly with your team and clients, crafting compelling social media posts in real-time, right next to a live feed mockup.
- Customizable approval workflows: Tailor approval processes to match your agency's unique needs and client preferences. Set up multi-level approvals so every piece of content gets the green light from all stakeholders before it goes live.
- Content editing features: Crop, resize, and add filters to images, trim videos, and make sure every post looks its best before it hits the feeds.
Pros
- Collaboration powerhouse: Planable excels at fostering seamless collaboration between team members, clients, and stakeholders, making content creation and approval a breeze.
Cons
- Pricing: While Planable offers a free plan, its pricing is based on the number of workspaces required, which can become costly for agencies managing multiple clients or campaigns.
Best for
Agencies that thrive on visual planning and seamless collaboration. Planable's real-time collaboration, proofing tools, and customizable approval workflows mean your clients are always in the loop and have a say in the creative process.
Choosing the Right Tools for Your Agency's Success
We've broken down these best social media tools for agencies, but let’s be real: you don’t want to juggle a dozen different apps in a Frankenstein-ed tech stack. You need one that empowers you to do it all.
Here’s where Postpone shines. It's not just a scheduler; it's your agency's social media command center. From planning and collaborating to publishing, engaging, and analyzing, Postpone has you covered.
Ready to see how Postpone can revolutionize your agency's social media workflow? Sign up for Postpone today.