22 Best Social Media Reporting Tools to Try in 2024

Team Locowise posted on 24 July 2024

Crafting content and sticking to a regular publishing schedule can feel like the most time consuming part of social media management. But without the right technology, it’s compiling, analysing, and interpreting your performance data that becomes the real uphill battle. Add a large portfolio of client accounts into the mix, and reporting becomes even more difficult in an agency setting.

So, what tools should you be relying on for your social media reporting needs? Like social platforms themselves, social reporting technology has evolved quickly in recent years. Here’s a roundup of ones you need to try in 2024.

What are social media reporting tools?

Social media reporting tools are powerful software solutions that analyse highly complex social media performance data. They work by empowering data-driven decisions, measuring growth and impact, identifying emerging trends, and ultimately help maximise your ROI. 

Beyond core metrics, most tools offer multi-timeframe analysis, enabling you to track growth, pinpoint audience shifts, optimise posting times, understand seasonal trends, and measure both short- and long-term campaign effectiveness. In short, they are a marketing superpower. 

But what are these tools, precisely? Typically they can be grouped into three core categories:

Listening Platforms

Social listening platforms are social media’s equivalent to radar, given their unique ability to scan socials to keep you informed.  They don’t just track brand mentions, they deeply scrutinise industry trends and provide critical insights into competitor strategies and consumer behaviour. 

Publishing Platforms

Publishing platforms streamline your workflow, meaning they remove a chore from your to-do list. This means you can schedule and publish across multiple social accounts from one place. Publishing platforms are great for busy teams who want to boost productivity and ensure a consistent brand voice.

Competitive Analysis Platforms

Competitive analysis platforms empower you to become a social media secret weapon, uncovering your competitors’ moves and formulating winning counter-strategies. These platforms go deeper than social listening by enabling you to benchmark performance while suggesting areas for improvement.

Almost all social media platforms offer built-in analytics tools like Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights, X (Twitter) Analytics, LinkedIn Analytics and Google Analytics (for social media traffic). These platforms won’t have all the bells and whistles of paid options, but they’re a great starting point. 

That being said they can be tough to use and they may not be the best tools for aligning with your specific brand goals. Plus, if not used correctly, they just won’t deliver strategic business value. If you want deeper insights or manage multiple platforms, paid social media reporting tools can seriously up your game, given their ability to:

• Unify Data: Track performance across all social channels. 
• Advanced Analytics: Perform sentiment analysis to understand brand perception. 
• Competitive Benchmarking: Understand how you stack up against competitors. 
• Customisable Reporting: Tailor reporting to your specific needs and goals.

5 Benefits of Using Reporting Tools for Social Media

Social media is a virtual marketing battleground and to win you need to be the first to understand, the first to react and the first to overcome. While social media reporting tools can unlock a range of valuable insights you need to know how they will benefit you and not only how you can use them strategically to your advantage. 

1. Enhanced Understanding of Your Audience 

Finding out what your audience is interested in is not only important, it’s existential. Reporting tools allow you to gain insights into peak engagement times and to understand what social media content resonates most so you can create highly effective strategies. 

Example: Contrary to their assumptions a clothing brand identifies that their audience loves Friday night behind-the-scenes content using a social media listening tool. Based on this, they adjust their strategy to schedule “factory floor” videos on Fridays, leading to a significant increase in comments and shares.

2. Improved Engagement and Customer Loyalty

Social reporting unlocks what your audience is actually interested in. This means reporting identifies what your target audience loves so you can create meaningful content to boost loyalty, brand advocacy, sales and customer lifetime value.

Example: A new marketing manager using a social media reporting tool found that fitness enthusiasts in the area love user-generated content contests. A new monthly #MyGymJourney challenge was launched, where participants share their workout progress selfies. This strategy not only boosts engagement but also attracts new customers who see the positive community atmosphere.

3. Optimisation of Social Media ROI

A reporting tool will save you so much time and a lot of resources given that it presents clean data reflecting the effectiveness of social campaigns. For example, you might find that sponsored Instagram Stories generate significantly more clicks to a website compared to Facebook ads. This means you can put your resources where they work well and ditch underperformers.

Example: An e-commerce store uses their reporting tools to discover that their influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram are doing better, in terms of sales conversion, than sponsored Facebook posts. They reallocate their budget towards these influencers on Instagram for better ROI.

4. Competitive Analysis and Benchmarking

Competitive analysis allows you to track the social media performance of your competitors and industry trends. By benchmarking your social media against your competitors, it’s possible to clearly see where you stand to be able to adjust your strategy on time for optimal competitiveness and discover the content formats that your competitors win with and where you lack a strategy.

Example: A chain of restaurants can apply their reporting tools to the level of competitor activities on social media. If they realise that a popular competitor is running successful live cooking sessions on instagram live, they might copy the campaign, organise a live cooking session with chefs, and attract new customers who desire interactive content.

5. Streamlined Workflow and Reporting 

Imagine having all the platforms in one location where you can  schedule, post, perform data analysis and generate world class reporting to show management how well your strategy is performing. Using publishing focused tools does just that by allowing you to streamline your team’s workflow and focus your resources on creative content strategy and engagement efforts.

Example: A marketing agency that handles social media for a few of their clients with the help of a social media reporting tool,  are able to schedule posting in all platforms for all their clients and check performance metrics at one time and generate client-wise reports without any hassle.

Which features should your social media reporting solution have? 

The benefits from social media reporting tools are evident. But what features power those benefits? Let’s look at the key features that elevate your social media management and fuel data-driven decisions:

Cross-Platform Analytics and Reporting

Think of managing all your social media data in one place. Cross-platform analytics and reporting bring you one view of the data from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more—all in one place. No need to toggle between dashboards anymore or lose the consistency of metrics with different channels. For instance, a global brand can utilise Hootsuite to amalgamate insights from all of their social media channels into one place, making it easier for them to formulate an all-encompassing strategy and monitor performance effectively.

Dashboards and Reporting Customisation

Tailor your reporting to your specific needs and create custom reports and dashboards that can be used to focus the business on the most important metrics. Need to check engagement rates on the fly? Do it easily by creating a dashboard. Need a report for a client presentation? Generate a customised document with key insights. Take an advertising agency, for example; they are able to use Sendible’s customised dashboards and reporting for their clients in branded reports with evident and meaningful performance overviews.

Real-Time Monitoring of Data

Stay ahead of the curve with real-time data by being able to respond to trends and issues as and when they happen. Real-time data is at the heart of the insights provided through most social media reporting tools, meaning that your strategies can have dynamic changes according to current performance. For example a retail firm could use a tool like Keyhole to track engagement and sentiment in real time, which then allows them to shift ad spend and content on an immediate basis with a view to maximising engagement and campaign effectiveness.

Advanced Metrics and KPIs

Here advanced metrics and KPIs go further to look into key performance indicators like engagement rates, reach, and impressions of a business. This will help businesses understand the effectiveness of its content and campaigns. A digital marketing firm will be able to measure advanced metrics of website clicks and lead generation with the use of Sprout Social, and it can fine-tune its strategies whilst improving client satisfaction.

Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis

Keep your finger on the pulse of social media via social listening and sentiment analysis features track brand mentions and public sentiment across social platforms. This delivers priceless insights into customer opinions and new emerging trends. For instance, a beverage company may use Locowise for sentiment analysis so that they will be able to establish when there is an increase in positive feedback post-introduction of a new product in order to maximally benefit from that positive word-of-mouth.

Influencer Monitoring and Campaign Performance

Measure the impact of your influencer partnerships by tracking influencer-driven reach and engagement, which may then allow the optimisation of further influencer marketing efforts. A beauty brand can use BuzzSumo to monitor influencer partnerships and measure the performance of their campaigns. They also avail data that allows more strategic influencer selections for better campaign outcomes and a higher return on investment.

Top 22 Social Media Reporting Tools in 2024

1. Locowise

Locowise is an AI-driven comprehensive social media reporting platform, loved by agencies who need to speed up how they track, analyse and report on both quantitative and qualitative metrics for their client accounts. 

Social Audits

Locowise streamlines social media analytics, delivering both qualitative and quantitative insights for quick, presentation-ready reports. With social audits, you can customise what to audit and quickly get presentable data on current performance (including competitor comparisons). 

Client Reporting

Easily compare over 300 metrics across multiple platforms, merging organic and paid activities into one comprehensive view. Quickly customise and automate the generation of regular branded reports.

Campaign Analysis & Hashtag Tracker

Track and evaluate social media campaigns, including hashtag performance, to understand audience engagement through sentiment analysis and detailed reports.

Competitor Benchmarking

Measure your performance against competitors with insights into their promoted social media posts, impressions, engagement metrics, hashtag usage and more.

New Business Development

Research prospects and their social media activities, gaining valuable insights into industry strategies for effective business development.

Predictive & Smart Metrics

Utilise predictive analytics and smart metrics to forecast trends and highlight key performance indicators for proactive decision-making.

Check it out for yourself! Start a free trial of Locowise today and spin up your client reporting faster than ever.

2. Sprout Social

Sprout Social has strong cross-channel analytics, providing insights into engagement, audience growth, and content effectiveness.

Features we like:

• Customisable reporting
• Listening tools and brand sentiment analysis
• Intuitive interface with a comprehensive feature set

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $249/month

Best for: Medium to large enterprises

3. Sendible

Sendible offers social media analysis, and an automation feature to save time and boost productivity.

Features we like:

• White-label reporting
• Analytics on all major social media platforms
• Integrated scheduling 

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $29/month

Best for: Small businesses and agencies

4. Keyhole

Keyhole provides real-time analytics and monitoring, making it easy to track hashtags, keywords, and mentions.

Features we like:

• Deep social media account reports
• Comprehensive competitor analysis
• Tracking of audience behavior

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $49/month

Best for: Medium businesses and marketing teams

5. Buffer

Buffer focuses on actionable insights about content performance with a user-friendly dashboard.

Features we like:

• Critical content metrics: engagement, reach, and click-through rates
• Simple scheduling features
• User-friendly interface

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $6/month

Best for: Small businesses and individual marketers

6. Hootsuite

Hootsuite offers a wide range of analytics and reporting features, integrating with multiple social media platforms.

Features we like:

• Comprehensive reports on engagement, reach, and follower growth
• Integrated scheduling features
• Compatibility with numerous apps and tools

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $99/month

Best for: Medium to large enterprises 

7. Later

Later is ideal for visually-driven platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, providing analytics and a visual scheduling tool.

Features we like:

• Visual content performance tracking
• Engagement and follower growth analytics
• Easy pre-scheduling and previewing of posts

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $18/month

Best for: Small to medium businesses and agencies focusing on visual content

8. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo is good for analysing social engagement on content, helping businesses understand what works best.

Features we like:

• Monitoring competitor content performance
• Detailed reports on top-performing content and influential sharers
• Brand mentions and backlinks analysis

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $99/month

Best for: Medium to large businesses and content marketers

9. Sprinklr

Sprinklr offers an integrated platform for social media analytics, including listening, publishing, and reporting.

Features we like:

• Campaign performance analytics
• Brand sentiment analysis
• Integration with multiple channels

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $299/month

Best for: Large enterprises with extensive social media needs

10. Social Status

Social Status provides visual analytics and digestible metrics, offering performance tracking at individual or campaign levels.

Features we like:

• Automated reports 
• Digestible performance summaries
• Influencer tracking

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $29/month

Best for: Marketers and small to medium businesses

11. Facebook Insights

Facebook Insights offers detailed analytics for Facebook Pages, including post performance, audience demographics, and engagement metrics.

Features we like:

• Comprehensive engagement and reach metrics
• Audience demographic insights
• Performance tracking of individual posts

Pricing: Free

Best for: Individuals, small businesses, and marketers

12. Twitter Analytics

Twitter Analytics provides metrics on tweet performance, follower growth, and audience insights directly from Twitter.

Features we like:

• Real-time tweet performance data
• Audience insights and follower growth
• Engagement tracking

Pricing: Free

Best for: Individuals, small businesses, and social media managers

13. Instagram Insights

Instagram Insights offers analytics on post performance, follower growth, and engagement metrics directly from Instagram.

Features we like:

• Detailed post and story analytics
• Follower demographic insights
• Engagement and reach metrics

Pricing: Free

Best for: Individuals, small businesses, and marketers

14. LinkedIn Analytics

LinkedIn Analytics provides metrics on post performance, follower growth, and engagement for LinkedIn Pages.

Features we like:

• Detailed engagement and reach metrics
• Audience demographics and growth insights
• Post performance tracking

Pricing: Free

Best for: Professionals, small businesses, and B2B marketers

15. Google Analytics

Google Analytics tracks social media traffic to your website, providing insights into user behavior and engagement beyond what happens on the social platforms themselves.

Features we like:

• Detailed social media traffic reports
• User behavior and engagement insights
• Integration with multiple social media platforms

Pricing: Free

Best for: Businesses of all sizes

16. Agorapulse

Agorapulse offers social media management and reporting, including detailed analytics and competitor analysis.

Features we like:

• Integrated publishing and scheduling
• Competitor benchmarking
• Social media inbox management

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $79/month

Best for: Small to medium businesses and agencies

17. Zoho Social

Part of the Zoho CRM suite of products, Zoho Social provides social media analytics, monitoring, and scheduling, with detailed reports on engagement and reach.

Features we like:

• Audience demographic breakdowns
• Content performance and engagement tracking
• Includes Google My Business tracking

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $10/month

Best for: Small businesses and freelancers

18. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a social media management tool with analytics and reporting, focusing on content performance.

Features we like:

• Integrated marketing calendar
• Customisable reports
• Social media scheduling and tracking

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $29/month

Best for: Small to medium businesses and content marketers

19. Brandwatch

Brandwatch provides advanced social media analytics, including sentiment analysis and competitor benchmarking.

Features we like:

• Sentiment analysis
• Competitor benchmarking
• Customisable reports

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $800/month

Best for: Large enterprises and agencies

20. Falcon.io

Falcon.io offers social media management and analytics, including detailed performance reports and audience insights.

Features we like:

• Comprehensive reporting
• Audience insights and engagement tracking
• Social media scheduling and monitoring

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $129/month

Best for: Medium to large businesses and agencies

21. Rival IQ

Rival IQ provides detailed social media analytics and competitor benchmarking, offering insights into performance and strategy.

Features we like:

• Competitor analysis
• Detailed performance reports
• Customisable dashboards

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $199/month

Best for: Medium to large businesses and agencies

22. Emplifi

Emplifi (formerly Socialbakers) offers social media analytics, listening and influencer tracking alongside customer care features.

Features we like:

• Influencer marketing optimisation
• Customisable reports
• Audience insights and engagement tracking

Pricing: Free trial available, paid plans start from $200/month

Best for: Medium to large businesses and agencies

How to Choose the Right Social Reporting Tool for Your Business

Factors to Consider

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing the best tool for analysing your social media metrics. 

First off is the size of your business. Freelancers or individual traders might want fairly high-level overviews to know that their social following is growing and engaged. Agencies need ways to standardise, automate and speed up how they do their research and client reporting. Large enterprises might want to keep an eye on influencer performance as well as their own marketing channels. An influencer might want to carefully track eCommerce results from their social profiles.

Secondly, you’ll need to make sure the tool covers all the social channels you use, so you can keep reporting in one spot.

Finally, these social media analytics tools can vary a lot in terms of pricing. If you’re buying as an individual business, some of the more expensive tools may not make sense. On the other hand, agencies can typically take advantage of volume pricing for more comprehensive tools to maximise their ROI.

Key Features

Besides these factors are the all-important features of each tool. Some social media solutions focus more heavily on posting, scheduling and listening. While they offer analytics, they are typically not as in-depth as tools specifically built for reporting.

For more comprehensive views, a dedicated social reporting tool comes with a lot more bells and whistles. You’ll get all the usual metrics on audience growth and engagement, alongside competitor benchmarking, hashtag analysis and much more. 

Similarly, agencies often have different needs in terms of features than an individual brand or business such as strategic insights and guidance, or white label reporting.

Go Beyond Metrics with Predictive and Smart Analytics for Your Social Media Performance

Choosing a good social media reporting tool can really optimise your social media strategy. But why sift through mounds of data when Locowise gives you custom, AI-driven recommendations automatically?
Include competitor benchmarking, hashtag analytics, content performance analysis and the ability to white label custom reports for clients, and it’s no wonder our agency clients love us. Try it out for yourself! Start your Locowise free trial today.