Were Weed 'em and Reap a real floral business, my stance could very well change, but as it is now I stick with free softwares and apps, even if the tools available to me are severely limited because of it. A lot of times I could make-do just fine with whats given; some apps have a very generous free version, with access to premium content unlocked if you put up with a few ads - which in my opinion is a more than fair trade.
For this week I decided to judge based on it's helpfulness in maintaining and optimizing my instagram and facebook usage, as that is primarily where all of Weed 'em and Reaps business takes place.
While sproutsocial is the highest rated management software listed, it's standard plan is also the most expensive- and even then, the limited user profiles are a definite downside for how much you are paying. Other than that, it is hard to tell its functionality without first trying it out, but I think the cost does not outweigh the benefits at this point for weed em and reap.
I think I could definitely utilize Hootsuite as some analytics are free and could give me an idea on what does or does not work for my business. Depending on how helpful it turns out to be could lead me to buying a plan, but right now I would make-do with the free options.
Zoho is affordable and has all your tools in one place for organizational uses and communication with teams. I don't think it would be necessary for Weed em and Reap as it is a family owned business, but I can definitely see this being beneficial to large corporations or if i were to partner up with several other businesses and correspondence.
MeetEdgar meets the requirements for actively helping with instagram, but i don't use the other social media sites the software supports, so I'd be paying 3 times the cost. Still, reusing old posts that may have been missed and automatic posting is one less thing a busienss owner would have to worry about, so for a business with several social medias constantly needing updating, this could be a very beneficial software.
I think the very last two listed, Buffer and Socialpilot, both are Weed em and Reap's best option; They both cater to small teams, which would include my "family owned business" and budgeting to not overspend on ads and save money where needed.
Although it is true that we are getting by with just using the free softwares and apps having a social media management tool is a must if you are trying to expand your business. I would agree with you tho that being able to try these softwares are a must since you get to justify if you do need it or not.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I agree with your analysis of picking a software that supports Instagram and Facebook for a small business. You also bring up a valuable point about accessing the functionality of a program by trying out its free version.
ReplyDeleteFree options are a great way to see if that application works for you and your business. I thought Hootsuite sounded like a good option but a new business starting out, I felt the cost was not worth it. In the future it might be more beneficial. I also felt that Buffer was a good option for a small business.
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