7 Social Media Automation Tools to Save 10+ Hours Weekly

Managing social media can take hours every week. Automation tools simplify tasks like scheduling, analytics, and engagement, saving over 10 hours weekly. Here's a quick look at 7 tools that streamline workflows:

• Coso.ai: AI-driven content creation and trend integration. Saves 7-10 hours/week. Starts at $99/month.

• Hootsuite: Bulk scheduling and unified inbox for team collaboration. Saves 10+ hours/week. Starts at $49/month.

• Buffer: Budget-friendly scheduling and analytics, ideal for small teams. Saves 9+ hours/week. Starts at $6/channel/month.

• Sprout Social: Advanced AI tools like ViralPost and Smart Inbox for enterprises. Saves 15+ hours/week. Starts at $249/month.

• Later: Focused on Instagram with visual planning tools. Saves 9+ hours/week. Starts at $18/month.

• Agorapulse: Social CRM and team collaboration features. Saves 8-10 hours/week. Starts at $49/month.

• SocialPilot: Bulk scheduling for up to 500 posts. Saves 15+ hours/week. Starts at $30/month.

Quick Comparison

These tools help reduce manual work, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent posting across platforms. Choose based on your needs, budget, and team size.

11 Best Social Media Automation Tools in 2024

1. Coso.ai

Coso.ai uses its AI engine to analyze your product catalogs and blog posts, creating social content that aligns with your brand. It also taps into Google Trends to keep your content relevant in real time.

These features collectively save you about 7-10 hours per week.

Plans start at $99/month for a single brand, with custom options available for larger enterprises.

Compared to tools like Hootsuite, which we’ll discuss next, Coso.ai prioritizes AI-driven content creation over social listening. One of its standout features is the approval workflow system, which keeps human oversight in the loop while automating most of the work. This ensures your content maintains quality and aligns with your goals, all while saving time.

2. Hootsuite

Hootsuite simplifies social media management with a single dashboard that automates various tasks. Unlike Coso.ai, which zeroes in on AI-driven content creation, Hootsuite provides tools for managing multiple platforms and improving team collaboration.

Hootsuite complements Coso.ai's AI capabilities by offering tools for platform management and team coordination. For example, its unified inbox lets you view and respond to messages and comments from all your platforms in one feed.

Plans start at $49/month for managing up to 10 accounts, with enterprise-level options available at $739/month.

Hootsuite also integrates with key tools like Canva for designing graphics, Salesforce for customer management, and Google Analytics for tracking audience behavior. These connections save time by streamlining your workflow.

One standout feature is the bulk scheduler, which enables you to schedule an entire month's content in just one session. The platform can even optimize posting times based on audience engagement trends.

Although onboarding may take some time, Hootsuite can save social media managers over 10 hours per week - making it a smart choice for those juggling multiple accounts.

3. Buffer

Buffer is a scheduling tool designed to save solo users over 9 hours a week by simplifying post scheduling and providing performance insights. Unlike Hootsuite, which focuses on team collaboration, Buffer shines with its easy-to-use interface and efficient scheduling tools.

Starting at just $6 per channel per month, Buffer is an affordable alternative - up to 8x cheaper than Hootsuite's entry-level plan.

Huckberry, an online retailer, significantly cut their social media management time, going from 15-20 hours per week to just 5-7 hours. They also saw remarkable results in their posting schedule and follower growth.

"We reduced our social media management time from 15-20 hours to just 5-7 hours weekly, while increasing posting consistency by 200% and growing our Instagram following by 50% in 6 months", says Rachel Schwartzmann, Huckberry's social media manager.

Buffer also offers standout features like Pinterest-specific tools and the "Re-Buffer" function, which allows users to reuse top-performing content. Its optimal timing tool takes the guesswork out of scheduling by choosing the best times to post.

The analytics suite ensures decisions are backed by data, helping users refine their content strategies for better engagement and results.

4. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is designed for larger teams and enterprises, offering advanced tools like its AI-powered ViralPost technology. This feature analyzes audience behavior to schedule posts when engagement is likely to be highest. Another standout is the Smart Inbox, which brings together messages from all platforms into one place for easier management.

Sprout Social also goes beyond scheduling and inbox management. Its AI tools can track industry trends and monitor brand sentiment, making it a powerful option for social listening. For example, Evernote reported cutting response times by 48% while managing 40% more messages after adopting Sprout Social.

"The automated reporting alone saves our team 4-6 hours every week, while the social listening features have helped us identify and capitalize on trending topics before our competitors", shared a social media manager using Sprout Social's Advanced plan.

Another useful tool is the chatbot builder, which lets brands create custom conversation flows without needing to code. This means customer service can run 24/7. Other advanced features include crisis alerts, employee advocacy tools, and tailored approval workflows.

Sprout Social’s analytics suite stands out with in-depth reporting that tracks ROI across all social platforms. Many users see a 20-30% boost in engagement rates thanks to these insights.

For brands focused on visual platforms like Instagram, Later offers a more tailored solution...

5. Later

If your brand is all about visual storytelling, Later is a great choice. It focuses on Instagram and offers tools designed for visually-driven cross-platform management. Its Visual Content Calendar makes planning easy with a drag-and-drop interface.

Later’s tagging system helps teams stay organized by categorizing content for easier access.

"Later's visual planner is a game-changer for maintaining our Instagram aesthetic", says Sarah Johnson, Fashion Nova's Social Media Director.

It integrates seamlessly with Shopify, Canva, and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its Linkin.bio feature allows you to create shoppable Instagram feeds. For example, Lonely Planet used Later to boost Instagram engagement by 32% and grow their follower count from 2.1M to 2.7M.

The Best Time to Post tool suggests ideal posting times based on engagement trends, and the platform also provides visual-based analytics to track your performance.

While Later is perfect for visual content strategies, platforms like Agorapulse offer stronger tools for team collaboration...

6. Agorapulse

Agorapulse simplifies team workflows by offering tools for managing social interactions in one place. Its social CRM keeps track of follower interactions, making it easier to send personalized responses on a larger scale. While Later focuses on visual content planning, Agorapulse emphasizes team collaboration and CRM-driven engagement.

Like Sprout Social's Smart Inbox, Agorapulse organizes messages in one dashboard but also includes CRM tracking for added functionality. Its Power Reports feature automates performance analysis, saving teams an estimated 3-4 hours each week. Plus, advanced filters let users monitor brand mentions through custom keywords, ensuring brands can stay on top of relevant conversations.

"Agorapulse has revolutionized the way we manage social media for our clients. The all-in-one dashboard and powerful analytics have helped us deliver better results while saving time."

The platform also includes automated moderation rules to weed out spam and offensive content. Saved replies make it easy to respond quickly to frequently asked questions, saving an additional 1-2 hours per week on managing comments.

For agencies handling multiple clients, the Premium plan ($199/month) includes features like ad monitoring and custom reporting. While SocialPilot might come in at a lower price point...

7. SocialPilot

SocialPilot is a great choice for teams managing multiple social media accounts, especially those looking for a scalable and affordable scheduling tool. Its bulk scheduling feature can handle up to 500 posts at once, slashing the time spent on manual posting from 20 hours to just 5 hours per week.

Custom scheduling options and AI-driven timing recommendations further simplify content distribution, saving an additional 3–4 hours each week.

SocialPilot’s content curation engine is another standout feature. It automatically suggests relevant posts, eliminating the need for endless browsing. By integrating RSS feeds and using the browser extension, users can quickly find and schedule content, saving 2–3 hours per week on research.

For agencies, SocialPilot offers white-label reporting and client management tools that make handling multiple client accounts easier. The Agency plan, priced at $100/month, supports 50 accounts and 6 users, making it a cost-effective alternative to Sprout Social’s per-user pricing model.

Here’s what one user had to say:

"The bulk scheduling and content curation features have transformed our agency's workflow. What used to take our team 20 hours now takes just 5 hours per week, allowing us to focus more on strategy and client relationships."

On the downside, SocialPilot doesn’t include a unified social inbox for managing messages and comments. Additionally, Instagram publishing has some limitations, particularly with carousel posts and stories. Despite these drawbacks, its robust scheduling tools and competitive pricing make it a strong option for teams aiming to streamline their social media management.

Conclusion

These tools can help save over 10 hours a week by simplifying essential tasks. For example, Coso.ai's AI-powered content generation alone can save 3-4 hours, while tools like Hootsuite and SocialPilot reduce manual posting time from 20 hours to just 5 through features like cross-platform and bulk scheduling.

When selecting tools, consider the following:

• Platform Compatibility: Make sure the tool supports your key social networks.

• Key Features: Focus on tools that solve your most time-consuming tasks.

• Scalability: Pick options that can grow with your team or organization.

• Budget-Friendly Options: Prioritize necessary features and upgrade later if needed.

SocialPilot is a great example of affordability and functionality, offering a $30/month plan that manages up to 25 accounts. For teams focused on bulk scheduling, its capacity for 500 posts provides a practical way to test how much time you can save.

FAQs

What is a social media automation tool?

It's software designed to handle repetitive tasks like scheduling posts (saving about 3-4 hours per week), managing engagement (saving 1-2 hours), and analyzing cross-platform performance (saving 2-3 hours). Everything is managed from a single dashboard.

Can AI manage my social media?

AI can play a big role in managing social media, but it works best when combined with human oversight. Tools like Coso.ai can create captions that match your brand's tone, while Sprout Social's ViralPost uses AI to determine the best posting times based on audience activity. AI features include:

• Creating content ideas and captions tailored to your brand

• Optimizing posting times using audience behavior insights

• Analyzing the sentiment of comments and mentions

• Automating responses to frequently asked questions

For instance, Coso.ai's approval workflow system ensures automation is paired with human review, maintaining quality and consistency.

What is the best social media automation tool?

The best tool depends on your needs, budget, and team size. Here's a quick comparison of popular options:

Consider factors like platform compatibility and scalability when choosing. For high-volume teams, tools like SocialPilot (schedules up to 500 posts) or Hootsuite (handles 350 posts) can make a difference.