There are a lot of tools and resources to pick from for social media managers out there. However, having too many options is not always a good thing. How then do you decide the best tools and resources to use for your business as a social media manager?
To decide the best tools and resources for social media management, look at the different parts of your business and think about how you can make your life easier. Mostly we look for tools that will create more time for other things (time-saving tools), tools that will save you money, and those that make your business and life easier.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Please read the disclaimer.
I put together a list of tools and resources that I believe will make your life as a social media manager easier and more productive.
Tools and Resources For Social Media Managers
One: Canva
I’m guessing you already know that Canva is my go-to DIY design tool. The best part about this tool is that you don’t have to be a graphics designer to use it. As a social media manager, you can use Canva to create graphics for different social media platforms with ease.
It has templates for different platforms which means you don’t have to worry about correct graphic sizes. Canva allows you to either customize a template or create your social media graphic from scratch. The platform also comes with a lot of stock photos. You can also purchase done-for-you templates. They make content creation easier.
If you are not already using Canva, you can try it here for free.
Two: Stock Photos
As a social media manager, you need to consider investing in stock photos for your business. People are drawn to images and that’s a fact we can’t run away from. Stock photos make content creation easier because images have been taken care of.
Styled Stock Society not only offers feminine stock photos but tons of Canva templates to help you easily create graphics and other content designs.
Some of the categories include Beauty, business, health, wellness, fashion, lifestyle, etc.
They add new photos every month.
Ivory Mix was actually the first stock photo membership platform I joined. I had convinced myself that free stock photos were enough until my eyes started to wonder (haha)- I wanted better.
Three: Tailwind
It is important to create more time in your business by automating social media. There are a lot of social media scheduling tools out there that allow you to create your content in advance and schedule it.
Tailwind is a scheduling tool for Pinterest and Instagram. As a social media manager, Tailwind helps you to create, plan, and schedule your posts so that you can focus on other parts of your business.
Tailwind suggests the best times to post so that you publish your posts when your audience is most active.
Tailwind also has a tool called Smart. bio that helps to add more than one link to your Instagram bio. If you are not already using Tailwind, you can try out Tailwind for Instagram (free 30 posts) and Tailwind for Pinterest (free 100 posts).
Four: Grammarly
I really don’t know what I would do without Grammarly. If you are already using it, you get what I mean, totally.
Grammarly makes writing easier for bloggers and content creators. Grammarly is a grammar checker and proofreader. It scans your work as you type for errors and makes suggestions.
It has free, premium and business plans. If you are not already using Grammarly, you can try out the free plan here.
Five: Google Docs and Sheets
I like Google Drive because allows you to access your content from any device. I usually create my content in Google Docs ( something I began to do after my laptop got stolen). It also makes it easy to collaborate with other people.
You can use Google Docs for content creation and Google Sheets for content planning (as a content calendar).
Six: Zoom
Most people came to know about Zoom because of Covid 19 which forced most companies and business owners to work from home. It was such a lifesaver!
Zoom makes it easier for you to host meetings with your clients. You don’t have to worry about sharing your phone number.
Seven: Trello
I signed up for Trello several years ago and forgot about it. When I saw a video on YouTube about using Trello for content creation, I got excited and decided to check it out again.
Trello is a project management tool that helps you get organized. You can use it to organize your business and even your life (OK, maybe life is a little exaggerated).
Apart from using Trello to manage your tasks and projects, you can also use it to create content and collaborate with other content creators.
You can access Trello from both your phone and laptop. It has a free plan.
Eight: Loom
Loom makes it easy to record your screen for tutorials. It makes it easy to show someone what you are talking about. It is easy to use and makes screen recording enjoyable. It also has both free and paid plans.
Nine: Flodesk
Who doesn’t like a user-friendly platform! Flodesk is just that – intuitive.
What is Flodesk?
Flodesk is an email marketing platform created for creative entrepreneurs. If you are a visual person, you will definitely love it.
As a social media manager, you can use Flodesk to build an email list. An email list helps you connect with your audience and understand their needs. It also builds trust between you and your audience, making it easier for you to sell your services to them.
Ten: Creative Market
I like Creative Market for all things design. Who doesn’t like beautiful designs! Creative Market is a great place for design elements and different types of time-saving templates.
Content creation can get so hectic for social media managers and done-for-you templates are such a lifesaver
Eleven: Facebook Publishing Tools
Facebook publishing tools help you to create and schedule content for both Facebook and Instagram. The best part is you can customize posts for each platform. You can cross-post customized content and get to see what your posts will look like for free. As a social media manager, this is a plus.
I hope you found this post helpful. What tools are you using for social media management? I would like to hear from you.
