BuzzSumo - Detailed Review
App Tools
BuzzSumo - Detailed Review Contents
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
BuzzSumo - Product Overview
Introduction to BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a comprehensive content marketing software that helps businesses achieve their key performance indicators (KPIs) by providing valuable insights into trending content and audience engagement.Primary Function
The primary function of BuzzSumo is to analyze content performance, track trends, and identify what drives engagement across various social media platforms and the web. This tool enables users to discover popular content topics, research competitors, and connect with industry influencers, all within a single platform.Target Audience
BuzzSumo is aimed at content marketing professionals, including content strategists, social media analysts, and sales analysts. It is particularly useful for businesses and individuals looking to optimize their digital strategies, enhance their content creation, and improve their social media engagement.Key Features
Here are some of the key features of BuzzSumo:Content Discovery
Allows users to find the most popular content in their industry over various time frames. It categorizes data by social media networks and enables granular searches with keywords and parameters.Content Insights
Provides detailed reports on content performance, including shares, likes, comments, and backlinks. This helps users assess the effectiveness of their content and identify engaging topics.Competitive Analysis
Monitors competitors’ content performance, allowing businesses to gain insights into what works for their rivals.Brand Monitoring
Offers alerts when the brand, competitors, or specific keywords are mentioned online, helping users monitor their online presence and engage with their audience.Influencer Marketing
Identifies key influencers in the industry, enabling users to collaborate and amplify their reach.Backlink Analysis
Tracks who is linking to the user’s content, identifying potential outreach opportunities.Social Engagement Analysis
Analyzes engagement across various social media platforms to see what resonates with the audience.Pricing
BuzzSumo offers several pricing plans:Content Creation Plan
$159 per month (billed annually)PR & Comms Plan
$239 per month (billed annually)Suite Plan
$399 per month (billed annually)Enterprise Plan
$999 per month (billed annually) BuzzSumo - User Interface and Experience
User Interface and User Experience
The user interface and overall user experience of BuzzSumo are highly praised for their simplicity and ease of use. Here are some key points that highlight these aspects:User-Friendly Interface
BuzzSumo is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Users can get started with the platform in under two minutes, which is a significant advantage over more complex tools that may require months to learn.Ease of Use
The platform is designed to be accessible, making it one of the most user-friendly content marketing tools available. The simple UI ensures that users can quickly find and utilize the various features without needing extensive training.Key Features Accessibility
BuzzSumo organizes its features into clear categories such as Idea Generation, Content Research, and Influencer Discovery. This categorization makes it easy for users to find the tools they need for specific tasks. For example, the Content Analyzer and Question Analyzer are easily accessible from the main dashboard, allowing users to quickly analyze content performance and user-generated questions.Streamlined Tools
Tools like the Content Brief Generator and Projects feature help streamline the content creation process. The Content Brief Generator automatically creates article briefs with suggested keywords and questions, while the Projects feature allows users to save results from different tools in one place, making it easier to manage multiple projects.Alerts and Monitoring
The platform also offers a monitoring feature that allows users to set up alerts for brand mentions, keywords, and new content. This feature is straightforward to set up, enabling users to stay updated on relevant metrics without much hassle.Historical Data Access
BuzzSumo provides access to historical data up to five years, which is more extensive than many of its competitors. This feature is easy to use and allows users to analyze past content engagement and plan future content strategies effectively. Overall, BuzzSumo’s user interface is designed to be straightforward, easy to use, and highly accessible, making it a valuable tool for content marketers and PR professionals. BuzzSumo - Key Features and Functionality
BuzzSumo Overview
BuzzSumo is a comprehensive AI-driven tool that offers a wide range of features to enhance content marketing, social media analytics, and influencer discovery. Here are the main features and how they work, along with the benefits of each and the integration of AI.Content Discovery
BuzzSumo’s content discovery tool allows users to find trending and popular content across various social media platforms. You can enter a broad keyword, and the tool will generate a word cloud of popular topics, suggested article titles, and content ideas. This feature provides analytics on the number of articles published, engagement levels, user questions, and related keywords.Content Curation
This feature enables users to find, collect, and share relevant content with their target audience. You can set live notifications for keywords, rivals, or subjects, ensuring you stay updated on fresh content. BuzzSumo also allows direct sharing or scheduling of content on social media platforms through integrations with tools like Buffer and Hootsuite.Content Insights
BuzzSumo offers in-depth reports on keywords, content, and specific authors. Users can analyze the performance of content ideas, including the number of articles published and their social media distribution. This data helps in benchmarking and improving the effectiveness of content marketing initiatives. The tool also identifies the most successful platforms and content types, which can be leveraged to optimize marketing plans.Trend Analysis
The Trends feature uses AI to identify emerging trends and timely subjects. Users can view the latest headlines in curated categories or create their own feeds based on niche keywords. This helps content creators stay ahead of trending topics and adjust their strategies accordingly.Influencer Discovery
BuzzSumo’s influencer search feature allows users to identify and connect with relevant influencers in their niche. You can filter influencers by industry, follower count, social media engagement, and other criteria to pinpoint the most influential individuals for content marketing campaigns.Competitor Analysis and Brand Monitoring
This feature provides valuable insights into competitors’ content strategies and social media performance. Users can track rivals’ most popular content, analyze their backlink profiles, and monitor brand mentions to gain a competitive edge.Advanced Alerts and Notifications
BuzzSumo’s alert system keeps users updated on industry news, relevant keywords, and brand mentions. Users can receive email or in-app notifications when specific keywords are mentioned, new content is published, or their brand is mentioned on social media.Content Brief Generator
Available on the Plus and Large plans, the Content Brief Generator automatically creates article briefs with suggested keywords, questions to be answered, and top competing articles. This feature helps streamline the content creation process for agencies and writing teams.Projects
Users can save results from various tools in one place using the Projects feature. This allows for better organization and easier access to data, making it a useful tool for managing multiple content marketing initiatives.AI Integration
AI is central to BuzzSumo’s functionality, particularly in:Data-Driven Analytics
AI analyzes social media content and engagement data to identify what performs best, enabling data-driven decision-making and refining content strategies.Trend Prediction
AI-based trend analysis helps marketers stay ahead of emerging trends by identifying timely and relevant content.Behavior Analysis
AI algorithms analyze user behaviors and engagement patterns, allowing for customized content and engagement strategies based on audience segmentation.Integrations
BuzzSumo integrates seamlessly with various tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, HubSpot, Slack, and Google Analytics. These integrations streamline marketing workflows, reduce manual data compilation, and enable the direct application of insights from BuzzSumo’s analytics to content creation and management workflows. By leveraging these features, BuzzSumo provides actionable insights that help marketers refine their content strategies, identify influential collaborators, and gain a competitive edge in digital marketing. The AI-driven analytics ensure more accurate and precise marketing insights, enhance time efficiency, and support data-driven decision-making. BuzzSumo - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
BuzzSumo is highly regarded for its performance in several areas:Content Discovery
The tool excels in helping users discover trending and high-performing content across various platforms. It allows users to search for content based on keywords, topics, or domains, and categorize the data according to social media networks.Content Insights
BuzzSumo provides in-depth reports on content performance, including analytics on engagement, distribution counts on social media, and the effectiveness of different content formats. This helps users measure the success of their content marketing initiatives and make informed decisions.Influencer Identification
The platform is effective in identifying influencers in specific niches who engage with targeted content. It allows users to categorize influencers based on their content type, fields of specialization, and digital presence.Brand Monitoring
BuzzSumo offers a brand monitoring feature that alerts users to mentions of their company, enabling them to interact with their audience and build valuable connections.Accuracy
While BuzzSumo is generally accurate in its content analysis and discovery, there are some areas where users have reported issues:Content Search Accuracy
Some users have noted that BuzzSumo’s content search isn’t always accurate, making it challenging to find relevant and trending content consistently.Influencer Database
There are reports that the influencer discovery feature is not as functional as expected, and the influencer database is not as extensive as some other similar tools.Limitations
Several limitations have been identified:Pricing
One of the main drawbacks is the high price of the service. The starting package, which costs $95 per month, has many restrictions, making it less suitable for beginners or those with limited budgets.Free Version Limitations
Many features are exclusive to premium members, limiting the utility of the free version.User Expertise
BuzzSumo requires a basic understanding of content marketing to be used effectively, which can be a barrier for new users.User Feedback
User reviews generally praise BuzzSumo for its ease of use, effectiveness in keeping up with news and discovering opportunities, and its alert features for brand mentions and relevant topics. However, the high cost and limitations of the free version are common complaints. In summary, BuzzSumo performs well in content discovery, content insights, influencer identification, and brand monitoring, but it has some accuracy issues with its content search and influencer database. The tool is also limited by its high pricing and the need for users to have a basic understanding of content marketing. BuzzSumo - Pricing and Plans
Pricing Plans
BuzzSumo currently offers five different pricing plans:Basic Plan
- Cost: $95 per month (billed annually)
- Features: Includes 80 searches, one alert, two years of historical data, one user, unlimited exports, unlimited projects, a single trending feed, a content ideas generator, and monitoring capabilities.
Content Creation Plan
- Cost: $199 per month (billed annually)
- Features: Includes five alerts, 300 searches, three years of historical data, five trending feeds, five users, a topic explorer, a content analyzer, and a question analyzer.
PR & Comms Plan
- Cost: $199 per month (billed annually)
- Features: Designed for agencies, this plan includes 15 alerts, 150 searches, 15 trending feeds, three years of historical data, and allows up to five team members. It also offers coverage reports, Slack integration, and a journalist database.
Suite Plan
- Cost: $399 per month (billed annually), though some sources mention $319; the $399 price is confirmed in the most recent updates.
- Features: Suitable for companies with up to 10 users, this plan includes 800 searches, 30 alerts, 30 trending feeds, access to the last five years of data, and unlimited projects. It also provides a Facebook analyzer and the ability to find influencers on Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
Enterprise Plan
- Cost: $999 per month (billed annually)
- Features: This plan offers complete access to all features, including unlimited searches, an RSS feed, dedicated customer support, and early access to new features.
Free Options
As of February 14th, 2023, BuzzSumo no longer offers a free plan. However, they provide a free trial option:Free Trial
- Duration: 30 days
- Features: The free trial offers access to the Suite plan with some minor limitations, including a limit of 50 searches. This allows users to test the tool’s features before committing to a paid plan.
Additional Notes
- Legacy Plans: Existing users who were subscribed before the pricing change are locked into their legacy plans and pricing. New users and those who were on the free plan before the change will be subject to the new pricing structure.
- Discounts and Custom Plans: Discounts applied through coupons or custom plans are honored according to their terms and conditions. Users with questions about these plans should contact BuzzSumo support.
BuzzSumo - Integration and Compatibility
BuzzSumo Integrations
BuzzSumo integrates with a variety of tools and platforms to enhance its functionality and user experience. Here are some key integration points and compatibility features:Social Media Integrations
BuzzSumo allows you to share content directly to major social networks or through social scheduling tools like Buffer. This enables seamless content promotion across various social media platforms.RSS Feeds
Users can create RSS feeds from Monitoring Alerts or Trending Feeds, which can then be sent to other tools such as Slack, or integrated via third-party connectors like Zapier or IFTTT. This feature helps in keeping you updated in real-time and automating workflows.Third-Party Integrations
Zapier
BuzzSumo integrates with Zapier, allowing for numerous automated workflows with other applications. This integration enables users to connect BuzzSumo data with a wide range of tools and services.HubSpot
The integration with HubSpot allows for analyzing content performance in marketing campaigns and facilitates marketing automation and lead tracking.WordPress
BuzzSumo can be integrated with WordPress, making it easier to share and track content directly from the website.Slack
Users can send mentions and alerts directly to Slack for real-time updates, enhancing team collaboration and alert systems.Influencer and Content Tools
Twitter Integration
You can connect your Twitter account to BuzzSumo, enabling direct engagement with influencers on Twitter from the BuzzSumo platform.Content Studio
While not a direct integration, BuzzSumo’s content discovery tools can be used in conjunction with social media management tools like Content Studio, which combines social media management and content discovery.Other Features
Alerts and Notifications
BuzzSumo offers instant notifications when your brand, competitors, or keywords are mentioned online. These alerts can be integrated into your existing workflows through RSS feeds or other connectors. Overall, BuzzSumo’s integrations are designed to make it easier to incorporate its data and insights into your existing workflows, whether it’s for social media management, content creation, or marketing automation. BuzzSumo - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support
BuzzSumo’s customer support is primarily handled through a messaging system rather than real-time live chat or phone support. Here are the key points:Support Requests
- Users can submit support requests via a messaging system.
- The average estimated wait time for a response is 48 hours, although responses can sometimes be received within a few hours.
Additional Resources
To help users troubleshoot and learn about the tool independently, BuzzSumo provides several resources:Knowledge Base
- Knowledge Base: There is a fairly extensive knowledge base with articles covering all the essentials of using BuzzSumo. This resource is helpful for users who prefer to resolve issues on their own.
Live In-App Chat
- Live In-App Chat: Although not for real-time support, BuzzSumo mentions the availability of live in-app chat for general inquiries and feedback.
Guides and Tutorials
- Guides and Tutorials: The platform offers various guides and tutorials that help users get started and make the most out of the tool’s features, such as content research, influencer identification, and brand monitoring.
Onboarding and Trial
New users can take advantage of a 30-day free trial to familiarize themselves with the tool. The onboarding process includes a quick setup and access to key features like the Content Analyzer and Question Analyzer, helping users to quickly understand how to use the platform. Overall, while BuzzSumo’s customer support may not be immediate, the available resources and knowledge base are designed to help users effectively use the tool and address common issues. BuzzSumo - Pros and Cons
Advantages of BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo offers several key advantages that make it a valuable tool for content marketing professionals:User-Friendly Interface
BuzzSumo provides a simple and smooth user interface that is designed for utmost efficiency, making it easy to use even for those without extensive technical knowledge.Content Discovery
The tool allows users to discover trending topics and popular content in their niche, helping them create relevant and timely posts. It analyzes what type of content performs best on various social platforms, enabling marketers to adjust their strategies accordingly.Content Insights and Analysis
BuzzSumo offers in-depth reports on keywords, content, and specific authors. It helps users find out the amount of material published on a topic and its distribution count on social media platforms, which can be used as benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of content marketing initiatives.Influencer Identification
The tool helps users identify key influencers in their industry who can amplify their message. It allows filtering influencers based on their reach, engagement, and audience demographics, making it easier to find the best fit for campaigns.Alerts and Notifications
Users can set up alerts for keywords, brand mentions, or competitor activity, ensuring they stay informed about relevant conversations in real-time across various platforms, including social media, blogs, and news.Backlink Analysis
BuzzSumo enables users to track backlinks to their content, helping them understand its reach and impact. This feature is crucial for building backlinks and improving SEO strategies.Social Media Engagement
The tool helps increase following and engagement on social media by finding and connecting with renowned industry professionals on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.Disadvantages of BuzzSumo
Despite its numerous benefits, BuzzSumo also has some significant drawbacks:Limited Starting Package
The entry-level package is very limited, with several restrictions that might not make it economical for all users, especially beginners. The $95 per month starting price can be prohibitive for smaller businesses or individuals.Lack of Free Plans
BuzzSumo does not offer any free plans, which can be a significant barrier for those who want to test the tool before committing to a paid subscription.Limited Filtering Options
Users have reported limited filtering options, which can make it difficult to refine searches and find the most relevant content or influencers.No Instagram Support
BuzzSumo does not support Instagram, which is a significant omission given the platform’s popularity for content marketing.Lack of In-App Messaging Tool
The tool lacks an in-app messaging feature, which can make communication with influencers or team members less convenient.Limited Influencer Analytics
The influencer database is not as extensive as some users expect, and there is a lack of detailed analytics data for influencers, which can limit the effectiveness of influencer marketing campaigns.Not Suitable for Beginners
BuzzSumo requires a basic understanding of content marketing to be used effectively, making it less suitable for beginners who are just starting to develop their content strategies. BuzzSumo - Comparison with Competitors
When Comparing BuzzSumo to Competitors
When comparing BuzzSumo to its competitors in the content marketing and social media analysis category, several key features and alternatives stand out.
Content Discovery and Analysis
- BuzzSumo focuses primarily on content research and performance analysis, allowing users to discover high-performing content and influencers. It provides advanced search capabilities based on keywords, topics, or domains, and integrates with social media channels to analyze engagement metrics.
- Social Animal: This tool is often considered the closest to BuzzSumo in terms of features. It offers competitive content analysis, in-depth keyword research, AI-driven content marketing, and content curation capabilities. Social Animal also provides social media management features and sets up alerts for important metrics.
Competitor Analysis
- BuzzSumo: Enables businesses to analyze competitors’ content strategies, including engagement metrics, which significantly influence content creation and promotional strategies.
- Talkwalker: Offers extensive data sources, including traditional media, and strong analytics and reporting features. It is excellent for brand monitoring and consumer insights but can be complex to set up and navigate.
Keyword Research and SEO
- BuzzSumo: While it excels in content discovery, it may not be as strong in keyword research compared to some alternatives.
- Ubersuggest: This tool provides hundreds of keyword suggestions, backlink analysis, and website analysis data. It is particularly useful for managing multiple websites and offers affordable pricing.
- Semrush: Known for its powerful keyword research tools, Semrush allows users to analyze competitor keywords, track search engine rankings, and optimize content for SEO. However, it comes with a substantial learning curve and higher costs.
Social Media Management
- BuzzSumo: Integrates with social media channels to provide a comprehensive understanding of content performance.
- ContentStudio: This tool optimizes social media marketing and content creation workflows. It features a content calendar, multi-channel content composer with automatic SEO, and the ability to publish directly to Instagram. ContentStudio also recommends trending topics based on user criteria.
- Mention: Great for real-time alerts and mentions monitoring, Mention offers a user-friendly interface but has less focus on content discovery compared to BuzzSumo. It integrates customer insights into marketing strategies but has higher pricing for premium features.
Unique Features and Alternatives
- SimilarWeb: While not primarily a content marketing tool, SimilarWeb provides valuable insights into traffic data and audience trends. It helps users analyze competitors’ traffic sources and identify new opportunities.
- Scoop.it: A free alternative that focuses on content discovery, organization, and distribution. It is excellent for building a strong brand with top-notch content curation but has limited features in its free version.
Pros and Cons
- BuzzSumo:
- Pros: Advanced content discovery, competitor analysis, and social engagement metrics.
- Cons: May require a higher budget, and some users might find the interface less intuitive.
- Alternatives:
- Social Animal: Affordable pricing, easy content curation, and great customer service. However, it can be glitchy sometimes.
- Ubersuggest: Affordable, helpful competitive analysis features, but limited keyword ideas and basic website audit reports.
- Semrush: Powerful keyword research, integration with major CMS solutions, but charges a hefty amount and has a substantial learning curve.
- ContentStudio: Easy publishing with AI-generated social posts, affordable cost, but the Pro plan doesn’t allow collaboration with team members.
In summary, while BuzzSumo is a powerful tool for content research and performance analysis, alternatives like Social Animal, Ubersuggest, Semrush, and ContentStudio offer unique features that might better suit specific needs, such as keyword research, social media management, or competitor analysis. Each tool has its pros and cons, so choosing the right one depends on the specific requirements and budget of the user.
BuzzSumo - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about BuzzSumo
What are the key features of BuzzSumo?
BuzzSumo offers a range of features that can be categorized into several main areas. These include:- Content Discovery: Helps you find popular content in your industry over various time frames and across different social media platforms.
- Content Curation: Allows you to find, collect, and share relevant content with your target audience, including setting up live notifications and integrating with social media scheduling tools.
- Content Insights: Provides in-depth reports on keywords, content, and authors, helping you measure the effectiveness of your content marketing initiatives.
- Competitive Analysis: Enables you to analyze your competitors’ content performance, including their most successful content, social media engagement, and content types.
- Brand Monitoring: Tracks mentions of your brand, allowing you to respond promptly to any feedback or criticism.
- Influencer Marketing: Helps you find and connect with influencers on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
- Backlink Analysis: Analyzes backlinks to your site and your competitors’ sites.
How much does BuzzSumo cost?
BuzzSumo offers several pricing plans:- Basic: $119 per month (billed annually), includes 80 searches, one alert, two years of historical data, and other basic features.
- Content Creation: $249 per month (billed annually), includes five alerts, 300 searches, three years of historical data, and additional features like a topic explorer.
- PR & Comms: $249 per month (billed annually), focused on agencies, includes 15 alerts, 150 searches, three years of historical data, and features like a journalist database.
- Suite: $499 per month (billed annually), includes 30 alerts, 800 searches, five years of historical data, and features like influencer discovery.
- Enterprise: $999 per month (annual billing only), offers unlimited searches, dedicated customer support, and access to the latest features.
What is the free trial like?
Starting from February 14th, 2023, new users can trial the Suite plan with some minor limitations. The trial includes 50 searches and access to most features of the Suite plan. There is no free plan available anymore, but the free trial provides a comprehensive look at what BuzzSumo offers.Can I pay by invoice?
Invoicing is only available for the Enterprise plan when paid yearly. Invoices are paid via bank transfer. All other plans must be paid for by credit/debit card.What is the difference between an Alert and a mention in BuzzSumo?
An Alert is a notification set up by the user for specific keywords, URLs, or domains. A mention is an online reference that triggers these Alerts. There are six types of Alerts: brand, keyword, content, backlink, competitor, and journalist.Can I get a refund if I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel your subscription at any time, but you will still be charged for the full duration of your subscription. For example, if you subscribe to an annual plan and cancel after two months, you will not receive a refund for the remaining 10 months.Does BuzzSumo offer discounts for non-profit organizations or educational institutions?
Yes, BuzzSumo offers discounts for NGOs, registered charitable non-profits, and educational institutions using the tool in the classroom. You need to contact them directly to learn more about these discounts.How does BuzzSumo’s Question Analyzer work?
The Question Analyzer is a tool that searches and groups questions being asked about any topic across hundreds of thousands of forums and sites, including Quora, Reddit, and Amazon. It allows you to filter by date, type of site, or specific domains, helping you create content that answers customer questions effectively.Can I integrate BuzzSumo with other tools and platforms?
Yes, BuzzSumo integrates with various tools such as Buffer for social media scheduling and Slack for notifications. It also offers APIs for integrating with other systems, allowing you to access and manage your data seamlessly.How does BuzzSumo help with competitive analysis?
BuzzSumo allows you to analyze your competitors by entering their website and examining their most successful content, social media engagement, the platforms they are most active on, and the types of content they publish frequently. You can also set up notifications to receive their latest posts directly.