12 Best Social Media Analytics Tools

Marketing agencies that manage social media for their clients need to understand what content is working and why. It’s simply not enough to blindly post content and hope it works.  

That’s where social media analytics tools come in. They help agencies communicate the value they bring to a client’s social media presence while providing detailed information about performance metrics.

Think about a social media marketer juggling multiple client accounts. Manually tracking engagement, reach, and follower growth is tedious and impractical. 

Using advanced analytics tools, the social manager is able to quickly pinpoint which posts are driving the most engagement, identify optimal posting times, and understand audience demographics. This frees up valuable time, allowing them to focus on creative and strategic tasks rather than getting bogged down by numbers. 

This article is a curated list of the best social media analytics tools, saving you the hassle of researching them all yourself.

Let’s get started. 

What Are Social Media Analytics?

Before we dive into the list, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about social media analytics. What are they?

Social media analytics go deeper than the average surface-level engagement metrics such as likes and shares. It involves the gathering the interpretation of data from social media platforms to glean actionable insights for data-driven decision-making. 

This process goes beyond measuring post performance. Agencies aim to shed light on specific key performance indicators such as audience demographics, sentiment analysis, brand perception, and competitor strategies.

Overall, social media analytics helps marketing agencies move beyond vanity metrics and translate online activity into tangible business results.

Here are the top 5 social media analytics marketers should be looking at and communicating with their clients:

1. Audience Insights

• Understand the age, location, interests, and online behavior of the target audience. This helps tailor content and messaging for better engagement.

• Analyze the overall sentiment (positive, negative, neutral) surrounding the brand and specific campaigns. This reveals brand perception and areas for improvement.

Read More: How To Use a Social Media Tracker to Improve Reach and Engagement

2. Brand Awareness & Reach

• Analyze metrics like impressions, reach, and social media mentions. These showcase how many unique users saw the content and the overall brand awareness generated.

• Track growth in followers and analyze the demographics of new followers to determine whether a client is reaching the desired audience.

We track revenue and customer acquisition through partnerships, goal achievements, brand awareness, and referral traffic.

Anatoly Zadorozhnyy, CEO, Marketing 1on1

3. Brand Advocacy & Influencer Performance

• Identify brand advocates organically promoting a client’s brand. Analyze their reach and engagement to understand their influence.

• Track influencer campaign performance. Measure metrics like reach, engagement, and website traffic generated through influencer partnerships.

4. Competitive Analysis

• Analyze competitor social media strategies. Identify their top-performing content, audience demographics, and brand sentiment.

• Use insights to differentiate a client’s brand and optimize their strategy.

5. Campaign Performance & ROI:

• Track conversions (leads, sales) driven by social media efforts.

• Correlate social media activity with website traffic and measure return on investment (ROI) to demonstrate the value of social media marketing.

Why Should Agencies Use a Social Media Analytics Platform?

Managing multiple social media accounts for multiple clients requires a keen eye for detail and the ability to measure social media metrics effectively. It takes social media managers hours jumping from platform to platform just to compile all of their client’s data into a makeshift spreadsheet or PowerPoint “report.” 

Marketers often default to Google Analytics for all of their digital data, but social media analytics platforms go beyond basic reports and spreadsheets and offer a strong toolkit to elevate your agency's reporting game. Here's how:

Efficiency and Scalability

Platforms centralize data from all major social networks, saving time spent gathering and compiling information. This helps agencies manage multiple clients seamlessly and efficiently.

Deeper Audience Insights

Moving beyond demographics, analytics platforms leverage social listening tools across various social media sites. These analytics tools uncover audience interests, sentiment towards a client's brand, and trending conversations.

Agencies leverage this information to tailor content strategies that resonate with specific audience segments.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Social media is ever-changing. Analytics platforms provide real-time data on owned social media data that allows for course correction and optimization. Track post performance, identify what resonates with the audience, and adjust strategies for maximum impact.

Competitive Advantage

Gain valuable insights into competitor strategies by analyzing their social media presence. See what content performs well for them, their audience demographics, and potential gaps in their strategy. This helps agencies differentiate a brand's social media presence and develop winning social media campaigns.

Reporting and Client Communication

Impress your clients with professional reports generated by analytics platforms. These reports showcase key metrics, campaign performance, and ROI in an easily digestible format. Data visualization tools present complex information clearly, allowing social marketers to successfully communicate the value the agency brings to a client’s social media presence.

At Blackhawk, we love the AgencyAnalytics automation features, especially in conjunction with the setting that allows us to review a report internally before it is emailed to the client.

The automation saves us a ton of time by taking care of the client communication process for us. As an agency with many clients, this is crucial for our operations and allows us to accomplish so much more.

Graham Lumley, Director of Growth Marketing, Blackhawk

What To Look for in a Social Media Analytics Platform

Choosing the right social media analytics platform makes all the difference, as the right tool will help streamline client management and communication. 

Here's a breakdown of key features to consider:

12 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Agencies

Social media marketing is competitive. And the industry demands top-notch analytics tools to measure success and optimize campaigns across various social media platforms. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 social media analytics platforms for agencies to help you choose the right fit for your agency.

1. AgencyAnalytics

AgencyAnalytics is an all-in-one platform designed specifically for marketing agencies. It connects to major social media networks, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more, to show clients how their paid and organic posts are performing. 

AgencyAnalytics helps marketers report more than just social media analytics. The software integrates with over 80 other marketing platforms, painting a full picture of a client’s marketing campaigns. 

When that dreaded monthly reporting time comes around, AgencyAnalytics has you covered with pre-built report templates and customizable marketing dashboards. If there’s a specific report you need built but don’t see it in the library of options, Smart Reports creates one for you with just a few clicks in 11 seconds or less.

Standout Features

• White Label Social Media Reporting Tool: Customize reports with your agency’s branding.

• SEO, PPC, and Social Media Integration: Manage all your marketing channels in one place.

• Automated Client Reporting: Schedule reports to be sent automatically to clients at your desired cadence, whether weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or at a custom pace.

Integrations

• Google Analytics

• Facebook Ads

• Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn

Pricing

Plans start at $59/month, including 80+ marketing platform integrations.

2. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform that provides deep insights into a client’s social media performance. With advanced features like social listening, report automation, and detailed analytics, it helps agencies and businesses optimize their strategies and engage with their audience effectively. However, Sprout Social's pricing tends to be a barrier for smaller agencies, as its plans are relatively expensive compared to other tools in the market.

Standout Features

• Social Listening: Gain insights from social conversations to inform strategy.

• Advanced Scheduling: Plan and schedule posts across multiple platforms.

• Report Automation: Automate the delivery of customized reports to clients.

Integrations

• Social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, etc.

• Lead gen and CRM platforms such as Salesforce, Marketo, etc.

• Social commerce platforms including Shopify, Facebook Shops, and WooCommerce

Pricing

Starts at $299 per seat/month for the most popular Professional Plan. 

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a well-known social media management tool that offers powerful analytics to track and measure social media efforts across multiple channels. It offers analytics, customizable reports, and team performance tracking to help businesses measure and enhance their social media campaigns. One downside is that its user interface can be complex and overwhelming, especially for new users, which may require more time to set up and learn the platform. 

Standout Features

• Customizable Reports: Tailor your analytics reports to meet specific client needs.

• Team Performance Tracking: Monitor your team’s productivity and efficiency.

• Social ROI Measurement: Measure the return on investment from your agency’s social media activities.

Integrations

• Facebook

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

Pricing

Starts at $99/month

4. Buffer

Buffer is one of many social analytics tools that SMM’s like to use. The platform offers detailed insights into post performance, audience engagement, and optimal posting times. With its intuitive interface, Buffer makes it easy to schedule posts, track analytics, and generate reports. Ideal for agencies and social media managers, Buffer provides the necessary data needed to make informed social media strategies. One thing to keep in mind is that the free version of Buffer has limited features and only allows users to manage a few social media accounts. 

Standout Features

• Post Performance Metrics: Detailed insights into the performance of social media posts.

• Audience Insights: Understand the demographics and behaviors of followers.

• Custom Reports: Create and export reports tailored to a client’s specific needs.

Integrations

• Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Etc.

• Google Business Profile 

• Mastodon, Shopify

Pricing

Starts at $100/month for 10 channels 

5. Keyhole

Keyhole offers real-time tracking and reporting of social media performance. It provides in-depth insights into hashtags, keywords, and account metrics to help agencies better understand a client’s audience and measure the success of social campaigns. Some users have noticed occasional discrepancies in data accuracy when comparing Keyhole’s analytics with other platforms. These inconsistencies have been a point of concern for those relying on precise metrics.

Standout Features

• Hashtag Tracking and Analysis: Monitor and analyze hashtag performance.

• Influencer Tracking: Measure the impact of partnerships with social media influencers.

• Competitive Analysis: Compare a client’s social media performance against competitors.

Integrations

• TikTok

• Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

• Media Monitoring 

Pricing:

• Starts at $207.50/month

7. Facelift Data Studio (Formerly Quintly)

Facelift is a versatile social media analytics platform that provides performance tracking across different social media channels. It offers customizable dashboards, detailed reports, and competitive analysis, helping marketers enhance their strategy with precise social data. On the other hand, Facelift's features and advanced capabilities come at a high cost, which may cause some agencies to hesitate. 

Standout Features

• Custom Dashboards: Create dashboards tailored to specific client needs.

• Historical Data Analysis: Access and analyze historical social media data.

• Benchmarking: Compare a client’s social performance with industry standards.

Integrations

• Facebook, Instagram. Snapchat, X, etc.

• Canva

• Google Data Studio

Pricing

Social media management pricing starts at €1,199/month with other tiers available for added functionality.

8. Iconosquare

Iconosquare is a great social media analytics platform that allows agencies to manage various social media channels for multiple clients. This tool offers many features to make marketers' lives easier, including a customizable social media analytics dashboard for an easy overview of the most valuable metrics. If your agency manages clients with an Instagram presence, keep in mind that some users have reported difficulties adding Instagram accounts and encountering audio bugs in Instagram Reels.

Standout Features

• In-Depth Instagram Analytics: Detailed metrics for Instagram performance.

• Content Calendar: Plan, schedule, and publish content efficiently. 

• Competitive Analysis: Track and compare a client’s performance with selected competitors.

Integrations

• Instagram

• Facebook

• TikTok

• X (Twitter)

• LinkedIn

Pricing

Starts at $109/month for the Teams Plan.

9. Brandwatch

Marketing teams like using Brandwatch to gain advanced insights into online conversations and brand sentiment. It tracks trends, monitors brand reputation, and analyzes audience behavior with its data analytics and AI-driven tools. Some users have unfortunately encountered various bugs in social media analytics software, indicating a need for overall improvements. Additionally, the responsiveness of customer support has been inconsistent.

Standout Features

• Sentiment Analysis: Understand the sentiment behind social media mentions.

• Trend Analysis: Identify and capitalize on emerging trends with a detailed social media analysis.

• Customizable Reports: Create custom reports tailored to a client’s specific needs.

Integrations

• Twitter Analytics

• Facebook Analytics 

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

Pricing

Custom pricing based on needs.

Experience why AgencyAnalytics clients rave about our customer support. Get help from a real human, not a chatbot. Start your free 14-day trial today, and we're here to help whenever you need it.

10. Zoho Social

Zoho Social provides real-time social media monitoring, advanced scheduling, and in-depth analytics to track metrics like engagement, reach, and audience growth. Beyond social media tracking, Zoho Social offers collaboration tools for team management, client reporting, and CRM integration. If your agency is looking for specific Facebook insights, some online reviews suggest that Zoho Social's Facebook Groups features could be improved. Users have noted a need for better integration to allow posting directly without accessing Facebook. 

Standout Features

• Advanced Scheduling: Schedule posts across multiple networks.

• Performance Analytics: Detailed insights into post and campaign performance.

• Collaborative Tools: Promotes teamwork with collaboration features.

Integrations

• Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter)

• Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok

• Mastodon, Google Business Profile

Pricing

Their most popular plan starts at $50/month. 

11. Later

Later is a social media analytics platform that simplifies visual content planning and scheduling. It offers tools for managing social media and analyzing posts across various social channels, with a strong focus on Instagram. Social media marketers like Later for its intuitive drag-and-drop calendar, detailed performance insights, and ability to optimize posting times. The Later social media platform has a few downsides, particularly with its pricing plans that limit users. While restrictions are common with free plans, Later frequently requires users to reconnect social accounts and imposes a cap on the number of posts. 

Standout Features

• Scheduler: Drag-and-drop calendar for easy visual content planning and scheduling.

• Analytics: Detailed performance insights to track engagement, reach, and follower growth.

• Optimization: Tools to find the best times to post for maximum impact and engagement.

Integrations

• Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

• Pinterest Analytics

• TikTok

• LinkedIn

Pricing

The Advanced Plan starts at $53.33/month.

12. Agorapulse

Agorapulse is a great tool that streamlines social media management and reporting. It provides features such as real-time inbox monitoring, advanced content scheduling, and detailed analytics, including competitor analysis and ROI tracking. Social media marketers use Agorapulse to manage interactions, gather actionable insights, and optimize their content strategy for better engagement. However, Agorapulse has some Instagram limitations, including glitches that prevent photo previews, issues with scheduling Reels in advance, and it lacks an Instagram grid layout.

Standout Features

• Inbox Features: Real-time monitoring and management of social media interactions in one unified inbox.

• Detailed Analytics: Access to performance metrics, competitor analysis, and ROI tracking for comprehensive insights.

• Social Listening: Advanced social listening tools to monitor brand mentions and industry trends.

Integrations

• Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

• TikTok, YouTube

• LinkedIn

Pricing

The Professional Plan starts at $79/per user/month. 

Take Your Social Media Strategy to New Heights 

Choosing the right social media analytics tool doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider the use cases for your agency and the clients you serve, see if you can make use of free trials, and then make your decision. 

Here are three benefits of social media analytics tools for your agency:

• Efficiency: Streamline your social media management processes by using analytics tools to monitor performance and generate automated reports. 

• Insights: Gain valuable data on audience behavior, engagement, and content performance to refine your social media strategies.

• Competitiveness: Stay ahead of competitors by leveraging advanced analytics to understand trends and benchmark against industry standards.

We hope this list of the best social media analytics tools has saved you time and effort in researching the right solution for your agency. 

For an all-encompassing platform, consider AgencyAnalytics. It monitors social media performance and integrates with over 80 other marketing platforms, providing a holistic view of all your marketing efforts in one place. Try AgencyAnalytics with a 14-day free trial today! 

Collecting critical data all in one spot is amazing and has bought us time back. When you are tracking SEO, PPC, Social Media, and email marketing campaigns it can be time-consuming. This is why having a template and dashboard that efficiently does it all is a game changer.

Justin Hual, Co-founder & COO, HIP Creative