What is Sprout Social? How it Works

Have you heard about Sprout Social? If you are looking to boost your social media marketing efforts, this tool might be what you need. Sprout Social offers comprehensive analytics, engagement tools, and customer relationship management features. It allows you to schedule posts, analyze performance metrics, and interact with customers across multiple platforms. With its user-friendly interface, even those new to social media marketing can manage campaigns effectively. Plus, the platform updates regularly to ensure it meets the latest social media standards and trends. This could be your go-to solution for making informed decisions and improving your online presence.

What is Sprout Social?

Sprout Social is a tool designed to enhance your approach to social media marketing. As a platform, it integrates various aspects of social media management into a single, streamlined interface. You can schedule and publish posts across different social networks from one place. This saves you time and increases your productivity.

The software provides detailed analytics that help you understand your audience’s behavior and preferences. You get insights into which posts perform well and why. This allows you to tailor your content marketing strategies more effectively to meet the interests of your followers.

Sprout Social also offers features for managing customer relationships directly within the platform. You can monitor and respond to comments and messages across multiple channels. This ensures you never miss an opportunity to engage with your audience. Moreover, the platform supports team collaboration. You can assign tasks, share notes, and organize campaigns without leaving the platform. This is especially useful for teams working remotely or in different time zones.

Sprout Social Features: What it Does

Each of these features is designed to help you manage and optimize your social media strategy effectively, making Sprout Social a comprehensive tool for marketers looking to enhance their digital presence.

Content Scheduling and Publishing

Sprout Social simplifies your social media management by allowing you to schedule and publish content across multiple platforms from a single dashboard. You can plan posts days, weeks, or even months in advance, ensuring consistent online presence. The platform also offers optimal posting times based on user engagement data, which helps increase your content’s reach and impact. With these tools, you stay active online without needing to be on your devices all day.

Social Media Analytics

With Sprout Social, you gain access to in-depth analytics that provide clear insights into your content performance and audience behavior. The platform tracks engagement metrics like clicks, likes, shares, and more, helping you understand what resonates with your audience. You can see demographic data and engagement patterns, which assist in fine-tuning your strategy. These analytics are vital for reporting results and planning future content.

Engagement Tools

Sprout Social includes tools that streamline how you interact with your audience. You can respond to comments, messages, and mentions across all platforms from one location. This centralized response system helps you maintain timely and consistent communication. It also allows for monitoring keywords and hashtags relevant to your brand, keeping you connected to important conversations.

CRM Capabilities

The platform offers customer relationship management (CRM) features that allow you to keep detailed records of customer interactions. This enables personalized communication and improves customer service. Every interaction with a customer is tracked, which can inform future marketing strategies and enhance customer engagement.

Team Collaboration

Sprout Social promotes effective team collaboration by enabling multiple users to access the platform with different roles and permissions. Team members can assign tasks, share notes, and review drafts before publication. This fosters a collaborative environment where team members can contribute efficiently from anywhere, enhancing productivity and campaign cohesion.

Social Listening

Sprout Social’s social listening tools allow you to monitor and analyze conversations about your brand and industry across social media. This helps you stay ahead of the digital marketing trends and understand public sentiment. You can identify key influencers and brand advocates, engage with them, and leverage their influence to boost your brand’s visibility and reputation.

Sprout Social Pricing in 2024

Sprout Social offers several pricing tiers tailored to meet different needs and scales of operation, effective as of 2024. The Standard plan starts at $99 per month when billed monthly or $89 per month if billed annually. This plan includes essential features such as social content calendar, review management, and basic reporting tools.

The Professional plan, which is more comprehensive, is priced at $169 per month for monthly billing or $149 per month when billed annually. It adds capabilities such as competitive reports for various social platforms, message tagging, and advanced scheduling options.

Advanced Plan

For more demanding users, the Advanced plan is available at $279 per month with monthly billing or $249 per month with annual billing. This plan includes more sophisticated tools such as chatbots, rule builder for automated actions, and sentiment analysis.

Enterprise Plan

Finally, there is an Enterprise option, which requires direct contact with Sprout Social for pricing, as it offers custom solutions tailored to very large organizations or specific needs, including premium solutions like social listening and influencer marketing​ . These options reflect a structure that can cater to freelancers, small businesses, and large enterprises alike, allowing for scalability and flexibility depending on your organization’s specific requirements and budgetary considerations.

Suggested Reading: Top Social Media Marketing Tools to Grow Your Reach in 2024

Setting Up Your Sprout Social Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

Each of these steps will help you tailor Sprout Social to your business needs, ensuring you maximize the platform’s potential for social media management​.

• Sign Up and Create Your Account

Start by visiting the Sprout Social website. On the homepage, you will find an option to sign up. You’ll need to provide your email address and create a password. After this, Sprout Social will likely send you an email to confirm your account details.

• Log In and Navigate to the Dashboard

Once your email is verified, log in to your account. You’ll be directed to your dashboard where you can access various features like messages, tasks, and notifications.

• Connect Your Social Media Profiles

To begin managing social media through Sprout Social, you need to connect your social media profiles. Go to ‘Account and settings’, then ‘Settings’, and select ‘Groups & Social Profiles’. Here, you can add and organize your social media profiles into groups based on your organizational structure or needs.

• Configure Groups and User Permissions

After setting up your social profiles, organize them into Groups to streamline the management process. This can be done under the same ‘Groups & Social Profiles’ section. You can create a new group, name it, and assign specific social profiles to it.

• Invite Team Members

Under ‘Account and settings’, navigate to ‘Settings’ then ‘Groups & Social Profiles’. Use the ‘Invite a team member’ option to add new users. You’ll need to provide their names and email addresses. Assign them to the correct groups and set their permissions during this process.

• Set Up Additional Features

Explore and configure additional settings like single sign-on options, notification preferences, and integration with other tools like Zapier for automation, which can enhance your team’s efficiency and the overall functionality of your account.

Top Benefits of Using Sprout Social for Your Business in 2024

These advantages highlight how Sprout Social can be a vital tool for businesses aiming to optimize their social media strategies and improve their online presence in 2024.

Comprehensive Social Media Management

Sprout Social streamlines the management of your social media profiles from a single platform. This includes scheduling posts, monitoring engagement, and organizing content across various social networks. The ability to manage all these aspects from one place can significantly save you time and streamline your workflow​.

Advanced Social Listening Tools

With Sprout Social, you gain access to powerful social listening tools that enable you to monitor and engage in conversations relevant to your brand across social media. This helps in understanding your audience better, managing crises promptly, and identifying key trends and topics that affect your industry​.

In-Depth Analytics and Reporting

The platform provides detailed analytics that help you track and analyze the performance of your social media activities. Sprout Social offers customizable reports that provide visual data insights, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and strategize accordingly​. 

Effective Collaboration Features

Sprout Social enhances team collaboration by allowing multiple users to manage social media tasks efficiently. It supports scheduling, task assignment, and approval processes, which are crucial for teams to work cohesively and maintain a consistent brand voice across all platforms​ .

Customer Support Accessibility

The platform is known for its reliable and accessible customer service. Users have reported positive experiences with live support, which is particularly valuable for addressing urgent issues or queries​.

Tools for Influencer and Review Management

Sprout Social provides functionalities for managing influencer relationships and social media reviews within the same platform. This includes finding and collaborating with influencers and handling customer reviews across various channels, which can enhance your marketing efforts and improve customer satisfaction​.

Mobile Accessibility

The availability of a mobile app allows you to manage your social media profiles on the go. This app ensures that you can keep track of your social media activities and engage with your audience anytime, anywhere​.

Drawbacks of Using Sprout Social for Social Media Management

These points highlight some critical aspects to consider when deciding whether Sprout Social is the right tool for your social media strategy, especially if your operation includes weekend activities or a significant focus on Instagram and LinkedIn.

• Requires Robust Social Media Presence

Sprout Social’s analytics work best with an established online presence. If you’re just starting out, you might not fully benefit from its advanced features. This could limit new businesses without much social media activity​. 

• No Google Chrome Extension

Unlike some competitors, Sprout Social does not offer a Google Chrome extension. This could slow down the efficiency of sharing posts directly from the web​. 

• Customer Support Limitations

Sprout Social does not offer customer support on weekends. This might pose challenges if you encounter issues on Saturday or Sunday and need immediate help​. 

• Pricing and User Licensing Costs

The cost of adding more users can be high, making it less ideal for small businesses or startups looking to scale quickly. The platform’s pricing structure is generally steep, especially for higher-tier plans​.

• Limited Post Capabilities on Instagram

Users have reported difficulties with scheduling Instagram posts and stories through Sprout Social. The platform sometimes struggles with real-time posting and interaction on Instagram, leading some to revert to native posting​.

• Integration Limitations

Some users have found that links and media do not always format correctly when posted to LinkedIn via Sprout Social. This might require posting directly through LinkedIn for better control over post appearance​.

Suggested Reading: Is Salesforce Mobile Studio the Most Powerful Mobile Marketing Tool Ever?

What Makes Sprout Social Different From its Competitors in 2024?

These features make Sprout Social particularly suited for businesses looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one platform that offers deep insights and efficient management of social media marketing efforts. Sprout Social differentiates itself from its competitors with several key features:

Advanced Competitor Analysis

Sprout Social excels in competitor analysis, providing detailed insights and customizable reports that help you understand your market position relative to your competitors. This is a standout feature where Sprout consistently outperforms rivals like Hootsuite, offering more sophisticated tools for social listening and competitor monitoring​.

Integrated Social Listening Tools

Sprout Social includes integrated social listening tools that enable you to track and analyze conversations across social networks about your brand and competitors. This capability allows for real-time market and sentiment analysis, which is crucial for adapting your strategies based on audience feedback​.

Superior Analytics and Reporting

The platform offers robust analytics and reporting features that are highly customizable. Sprout Social’s analytics tools are designed to present data clearly and effectively, helping you to make informed decisions and easily report on ROI and other key performance indicators. This is particularly noted for being more user-friendly and comprehensive than some competitors, including Hootsuite​.

Quick Return on Investment (ROI)

Sprout Social users reportedly experience a faster ROI compared to those using other platforms like Hootsuite. Sprout’s effective tools and efficient data handling support faster decision-making and strategy adjustments, leading to quicker benefits from your social media investments​​.

Focus on Customer Service

Despite lacking weekend support, Sprout Social is praised for its accessible and responsive customer service during business hours. Users appreciate getting live support quickly, which is essential for resolving issues promptly and maintaining social media operations smoothly​.

Comprehensive Social Media Management

As a platform, Sprout Social provides a wide array of social media management tools, from post scheduling and message management to content creation and team collaboration. It supports a broad spectrum of social media platforms, making it a versatile choice for diverse social media strategies​.

Is Sprout Social Right for Your Business? Who Should Invest in This Platform

Each of these user types will benefit from Sprout Social’s ability to manage multiple aspects of social media marketing from a single platform. This makes it a sound investment for those who need a robust, all-encompassing tool to handle complex and dynamic social media landscapes. Sprout Social suits several types of users, each benefiting from its varied features:

• Medium to Large Businesses

If you manage a medium to large business, consider Sprout Social. Its comprehensive toolset supports extensive social media strategies and multiple account management. This platform helps you maintain a unified voice across all channels.

• Social Media Managers

Social media managers will find Sprout Social’s scheduling and analytics capabilities invaluable. The platform offers deep insights into performance metrics, helping you refine strategies and prove ROI.

• Marketing Teams

Teams benefit from Sprout’s collaborative features. You can coordinate campaigns, share access with different permission levels, and streamline communication. This is ideal for teams that need to work on projects simultaneously from various locations.

• Customer Service Departments

Use Sprout Social to manage customer interactions on social media. Its integrated messaging system helps you respond quickly to inquiries and maintain customer satisfaction.

• Companies Focused on Brand Reputation

Organizations focused on monitoring and enhancing their brand reputation should use Sprout Social. Its social listening tools allow you to track what customers say about your brand and respond proactively to maintain a positive image.

• Businesses Seeking Competitive Insights

If gaining an edge over competitors is crucial for your strategy, Sprout Social’s competitive analysis tools can provide the insights you need. Track competitor activities and adjust your tactics to stay ahead.

5 Essential Tips to Maximize Your Use of Sprout Social

By following these tips, you can ensure that you are making the most out of Sprout Social, enhancing both your social media management and overall marketing strategies.

• Leverage the Smart Inbox

Consolidate all your messages from different social platforms into Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox. This allows you to manage and respond to customer interactions quickly and efficiently. Make it a daily habit to check and sort through your inbox.

• Utilize the Scheduling Tools

Plan your posts with Sprout Social’s scheduling tools. Use the content calendar to visualize your monthly posting strategy. Schedule posts during peak engagement times, which Sprout Social can help determine based on your audience data.

• Engage in Social Listening

Set up social listening streams to monitor keywords and hashtags relevant to your brand. This helps you stay ahead of industry trends and engage with conversations that matter to your audience. Use these insights to tailor your content strategy.

• Analyze and Report Regularly

Regularly review the analytics provided by Sprout Social to understand the performance of your posts and campaigns. Utilize the platform’s detailed reporting tools to track engagement metrics and ROI, and adjust your strategy as needed.

• Collaborate Across Teams

Use Sprout Social’s collaboration features to streamline communication between team members. Assign tasks, share notes, and review posts before publishing. This ensures consistency in your social media efforts and improves team productivity.

Latest Upgrades and Improvements with Sprout Social

Here’s the latest on Sprout Social updates and improvements until June 2024. These changes could impact your social media management strategies, so stay informed. The timeline below details the updates chronologically. Understanding these updates can help optimize your use of Sprout Social tools.

Timeline of Sprout Social Updates

06/06/2024

• Bulk Widget Filtering in My Reports: This new feature allows bulk filtering of multiple widgets simultaneously, streamlining the reporting process​ (Sprout Social)​.

06/12/2024

• User Behavior Widget in My Reports: This widget now includes Employee Advocacy metrics, providing insights into active users and sharing trends​ (Sprout Social)​.

06/17/2024

• Threads in the Smart Inbox: The Smart Inbox now supports Threads, Meta’s text-focused social network. Users can manage and reply to comments from Threads directly within Sprout​ (Sprout Social)​​ (Sprout Social)​.

06/18/2024

• Listening Conversation Breakdown Widget: This widget helps visualize social listening data by displaying top categories, keywords, hashtags, mentions, and their sentiments​ (Sprout Social)​.

06/24/2024

• Custom Password Policies and User Allowlists: New security features include custom password policies and user allowlists to ensure account protection​ (Sprout Social)​​ (Sprout Social)​.

05/2024

• Instagram Video Stories from Employee Advocacy Mobile App: Users can now post video stories to Instagram directly from the Employee Advocacy mobile app​ (Sprout Social)​.

04/2024

• Advanced Tagging for Messages: A new tagging hierarchy allows for better organization and management of message labels and categories​ (Sprout Social)​.

03/2024

• Custom Reporting Enhancements: Revamped custom reporting enables more precise analysis with customizable report widgets​ (Sprout Social)​.

This timeline should help you stay updated on Sprout Social’s recent changes. Use this information to enhance your social media management strategies effectively.

FAQs

1. What is Sprout Social?

Sprout Social is a comprehensive social media management platform that helps businesses schedule posts, analyze social media performance, engage with customers, and conduct social listening. It provides tools for team collaboration and data-driven insights to optimize social media strategies.

2. How does Sprout Social help with social media marketing?

Sprout Social aids social media marketing by offering advanced analytics, allowing users to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and understand audience preferences. Its scheduling tools help maintain a consistent presence on social media, and its social listening capabilities enable businesses to stay ahead of market trends and customer feedback.

3. Can Sprout Social manage multiple social media accounts?

Yes, Sprout Social can manage multiple social media accounts across various platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It centralizes messages and notifications, making it easier for businesses to maintain an overview of all their social interactions in one place.

4. Is Sprout Social suitable for small businesses?

Absolutely, Sprout Social is suitable for small businesses seeking to enhance their social media presence efficiently. Its user-friendly interface and scalable features allow small businesses to manage their social media with the same tools that benefit larger corporations, but without the need for extensive resources.

5. What makes Sprout Social different from other social media tools?

Sprout Social stands out due to its comprehensive suite of features that include detailed analytics, effective social listening tools, and robust content management capabilities. It emphasizes collaborative workflows, making it ideal for teams, and offers deep insights into social media trends and performance metrics, allowing businesses to tailor their strategies for maximum engagement.