Which content distribution tools are right for bloggers?
Most bloggers agree: Social media sites are a good place to share your best articles and reach a wider audience. The only problem is that this can be very time consuming — especially if you want to post on several different social networks.
Among the most popular and simplest solutions are so-called content distribution tools. The main purpose of these tools is to simplify and speed up the process of posting on various social networks. Though with so many different tools out there it can be difficult to decide which one is best suited for your needs. We have therefore looked at over a dozen different tools and chosen in our opinion the best three.
1. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the most well-known and biggest player when it comes to content distribution tools. In 2018, Hootsuite claimed to have over 16 million users. The idea behind Hootsuite is quite simple, you can basically manage and have an overview of all your social media activities in one dashboard. Hootsuite supports all popular social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube. The main features of Hootsuite are content curation, organization, scheduling and RSS integration.
The best features allow you to automate and schedule social media updates. This works via a calendar integration or by uploading spreadsheets (CSV). We also found the RSS integration great, as updates can be easily created by connecting to RSS feeds.
In addition to these features, Hootsuite is one of the most advanced and comprehensive all-in-one solutions for content distribution, as well as being one of the first tools to exist for this purpose. For this reason, they are also the number one platform in their field.
Being the market leader also allows them to charge the prices they do. Although Hootsuite offers a free version, which can be sufficient for small time bloggers, they have even capped the number of posts you are able to publish. Whereas pay plans start at around $348 per year (Professional) and can go be over $16,000 for the Enterprise version. Since 2012, the prices of Hootsuite have risen by 700% without offering any significant updates. Especially the interface is outdated and could do with a complete modernisation.
2. Sprout Social
Far more modern and neater than Hootsuite, Sprout Social scores with a straightforward look and intuitive usability. When comparing features, Sprout Social shares a lot with Hootsuite, only having a few minor differences. For example, it is not possible to see multiple streams side-by-side. The video sharing platform Youtube is also not supported. Though if you do not mind that then Sprout Social is a powerful tool with some very good features. One of our favourites is the possibility to collaborate in teams and to assign different tasks and permissions to individual team members. The post-queue is also highly customisable, Sprout Social offers a unique feature called viral posts, which suggests data-driven publishing times in order to maximise your reach. The link shortening functions and the mobile app are likewise very well done.
As with Hootsuite, the price of Sprout Social is one of its biggest drawbacks. There are plans for $99 a month for the standard subscription, $149 for the professional and $249 for the advanced version. The prices may seem feasible for an individual, though pricing per user. Meaning for a five-man team the monthly cost would be rather astronomical.
3. Blog2Social
While the other two tools can be used by individuals, they are more tailored towards larger agencies and companies. Blog2Social, on the other hand, as the name suggests, appeals primarily to people who wish to distribute their new blog posts quickly and easily via social media. The basic version of Blog2Social is a simple free WordPress plugin. For additional scope and features you pay between $79 and $199.
Blog2Social integrates well into the blogging workflow. As soon as a blog post has been written, users are able to decide when the blog post should be posted on social media. The custom sharing option can also be used to decide which of the supported networks (including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, XING, Diigo, Delicious, Reddit, Tumblr, Medium, Torial, Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest) to post to. This option also makes it possible to modify your message according to the network you are posting on. For those who don’t want to bother writing a post, you can let Sprout Social create a relevant phrase based on your blog post.
However, there are a few downsides as articles must be posted on WordPress to be shared via Blog2Social. On top social media reporting is pretty much non-existent.
Hootsuite for Bloggers
It can be tough finding the right tool for your needs, as some are more tailored to businesses and agencies, whereas others are more suited for bloggers, but then lack important features such as tracking. So how can bloggers use the features of Hootsuite and other tools for their needs? To help you with this crumbl has a feature that allows bloggers and content creators to easily share their articles on social media. Not only can WordPress be connected, but all platforms with an RSS feed. Content can also be created directly on crumbl or uploaded easily from for example Word or even Google Docs. A tracking function is also being integrated.
There are other great additional features and benefits: crumbl is an online marketplace where content creators can distribute their content to clients of their choice, such as news outlets or businesses. The distribution conditions and price are determined by the content creators. Additionally, crumbl can be used to find work, as the publishers are able to request personalised pieces from content creators. Further features are also being worked on, such as to allow content creators to receive a share of the advertising revenue their content generates.
Learn more about crumbl here or test us out in the closed beta phase and convince yourself.
All you have to do is send Felix a one-liner at felix@crumbl.org expressing your interest.
