Using native tools well enough but intrigued by a social media management solution? Read on for solid reasons why it might be time to ditch the native tools and go with a social media scheduling tool.
If you’ve been using native social media tools to manage your brand’s social channels, you probably feel like you have to be everywhere at once.
You’re checking Facebook notifications in one tab, uploading to YouTube from another device, posting Instagram Stories from your phone, and the list goes on. Phew.
So, you can do basic social media management using native apps.
But in my experience, using multiple built-in tools is clunky and time-consuming—which can lead to lower productivity and compromise results.
Because my agency manages several social media profiles and depends on team collaboration, I find that using a single dashboard is more efficient and helps eliminate mistakes.
Read on to discover how a social media dashboard can help your team do more, from scheduling and engagement to listening and reporting.
Whether you handle Facebook Pages or Facebook Groups, you need a tool that can manage them all.
With post scheduling options, an improved inbox, and in-depth analytics, Facebook Business Manager offers decent management features for Pages.
Yet Business Manager doesn’t have these social media dashboard features:
The right social media management tool features republishing.
How does your page compare to others?
Business Manager doesn’t support Facebook Groups either.
If you need to schedule posts in your group, you have to switch over to your personal Facebook profile.
Select Facebook Page tools like polls, live video, and sponsored posts are available only through Business Manager, Brand Collabs Manager, or Creator Studio.
(Here’s a deeper look at Facebook Creator Studio vs. Agorapulse for comparison.)
In addition, some Facebook Group functionality, such as engagement and insights, are accessible through native apps only.
Facebook Brands Collabs Manager: native tool
If you’ve ever struggled to schedule posts or find analytics via the Instagram app, you know that it lacks basic functionality that most Instagram managers need.
If you use a social media dashboard like Agorapulse instead, you can access these features in a single place:
You can have hashtag groups with the right social media management solution.
Although Instagram apps offer decent functionality, you’d need to use multiple tools—Instagram mobile app, Creator Studio, and Business Manager—to handle even basic social media dashboard tasks.
To keep your team as efficient as possible, use native Instagram tools only when you need access to exclusive features like shopping or IGTV.
The Instagram native tool means you can use IGTV.
LinkedIn can be an excellent platform for sharing company updates and posting industry-focused content.
But if you need to moderate comments or schedule posts in advance, the native app leaves a lot to be desired.
Here’s what you can do with a social media dashboard:
Create labels for content when you use a social media management tool
Create saved replies when you use a social media management tool.
A third-party tool can do almost everything social media managers need to do on LinkedIn.
However, you have to use native tools to upload documents or communicate with groups.
Upload documents directly with LinkedIn tools.
If you’ve lost track of your DMs or felt overwhelmed by endless notifications, you know that Twitter doesn’t make it easy for brands to build real relationships with followers.
With a social media dashboard, you can get DMs and mentions under control so your brand can focus on what’s important.
A tool like Agorapulse has:
Social CRM
Publishing queues on Agorapulse, social media management solution
Twitter lists and polls are currently available through the native app only.
If you want to restrict who can reply to your tweets, you also have to publish using native tools.
Restrict replies with Twitter native tools.
YouTube Studio manages key tasks like scheduling videos, responding to comments, and reviewing insights.
But if you manage more than one YouTube account or if you want to maximize your value from the platform, you need a social media dashboard that can:
Create labels on your social media management tool.
Video Evan Agorapulse review – agorapulse
Search for keywords and users.
Select features, such as copyright management, audio library, and monetization tools are available in YouTube Studio only.
You can livestream and access analytics exclusively through the native YouTube app, too.
Audio library on YouTube native tool
Ultimately, you can probably get by with native tools if you manage one or two small social profiles.
You’re much better off with a social dashboard if you manage multiple profiles, need team support, and want to streamline your workflow with extra features like bulk scheduling, CRM, and social listening.
Get started on saving time and energy on your own social media management! Check out our free trial of Agorapulse to help you schedule, track, and measure all your social media efforts.