What is Sprout Social?
Sprout Social is a comprehensive social media management platform designed to help businesses and organizations manage, optimize, and analyze their social media presence across multiple platforms. Launched in 2010 and headquartered in Chicago, IL, Sprout Social offers an all-in-one solution that integrates various aspects of social media management into a single, user-friendly interface.
Key Features and Functionality
Social Media Management
Sprout Social supports a wide range of social media platforms, including Instagram business accounts, Twitter, Facebook pages, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Additionally, it allows connections to other profiles such as Google Business, Google Analytics, TripAdvisor, and Glassdoor.
Publishing and Scheduling
The platform includes robust publishing tools that enable users to create, manage, and schedule content across different social media channels. Features like the content calendar, suggested send times, and the ability to pre-configure specific publishing times enhance the efficiency of content scheduling.
Social Engagement and Inbox Management
Sprout Social’s Smart Inbox centralizes all customer messages and inquiries from multiple social channels into a unified inbox. This allows for easy engagement with messages, AI-generated canned responses, and auto-tagging for message types, profiles, and keywords. The platform also supports monitoring and engaging with reviews and feedback surveys.
Analytics and Reporting
The platform offers extensive analytics and reporting capabilities, including social analytics, competitor analysis, follower analysis, and post performance metrics. Users can generate custom reports, export data, and schedule PDF reports to stakeholders. The reporting tools help in quantifying the impact of social media performance and aligning teams with data-driven insights.
Social Listening
Sprout Social’s Social Listening feature, available as a premium add-on, uses AI to uncover trends and actionable insights from social media data. It includes spam filtration technology to reduce unnecessary noise and provides granular insights through tagging and custom filtration options.
Content and Collaboration
The platform features a content library where users can upload and publish brand content from a shared library. It also includes approval workflows to automate the content approval process, ensuring that social posts are approved by managers or clients before publishing.
CRM and Team Collaboration
Sprout Social integrates a CRM tool that provides context for user interactions with leads. The platform supports multiple team members to track conversation history, contact information, and other notes for customer interactions. It also includes features like workflows, team reporting, and customizable permissions to enhance team collaboration.
Automation and Integrations
The platform offers automation features such as chatbots, automated link tracking, and customizable workflows to reduce repeated tasks. Sprout Social integrates with various tools like Salesforce Service Cloud, Google Analytics, and Tableau, breaking down internal silos and delivering critical insights.
Pricing Plans
- Standard: $249/month, includes 5 social profiles, review management, keyword and location monitoring, and social CRM tools.
- Professional: $399/month, includes unlimited social profiles, competitive reporting, workflows, and social commerce integrations.
- Advanced: $499/month, includes additional features like digital and content libraries, chatbots, and advanced reporting.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, includes 24/5 prioritized customer support, consulting services, and premium analytics.
Overall, Sprout Social is a powerful and versatile tool that simplifies social media management, enhances engagement, and provides valuable insights to help businesses optimize their social media strategies.