The 8 best social media management tools for DTC brands

Your DTC brand is growing, and you’re seeing more sales from your social media accounts than ever before. Congratulations—that’s great news!

But to maintain that momentum and continue to scale your business, it’s time to double down on social media and invest in the proper management tools. 

If you don't, the flood of customer messages, comments, and engagement could overwhelm your team, leading to delayed responses and missed sales opportunities.

This article is an in-depth review of the best social media management tools for your DTC brand. The following 8 platforms will help you track your assets, capture valuable insights, and manage your campaigns effectively:

1. Dash: Organise and manage your digital content with AI-powered tagging

2. Buffer: Schedule and post social content ahead of time

3. Later: Visual planning for social media

4. Sprout Social: Track performance and get insights on brand growth

5. Hootsuite: Manage multiple social profiles from one dashboard

6. SocialPilot: Run cost-effective campaigns across social channels

7. Sendible: Collaborate with clients and generate detailed reports

8. CoSchedule: Plan and coordinate publishing on a shared content and social calendar

Why do DTC brands need social media management tools?

The ecommerce market will be worth approximately $6.9 trillion at the end of 2024. And the social commerce market is expected to reach $1,262.19 billion in 2024, making up 18.3% of the total ecommerce market. That’s a massive portion of the ecommerce pie.

That’s why brands with their social media marketing ducks in a row are in a prime position to capture a significant share of this booming market. 

In short, when you prioritise your social media management, you’ll see more money flowing in from those hungry social buyers. But it’s not all about money. Here are some other advantages of investing in social media management tools:

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• Efficient customer engagement: Managing high volumes of customer messages across multiple platforms is challenging without the right tools. Social media management tools organise these interactions so you can respond faster.

• Insightful analytics: These social media management tools provide valuable insights into customer behaviour, engagement patterns, and content performance. With analytics, you can base all your decisions on helpful data.

• Consistent branding across platforms: There’s little worse than discovering misaligned branding across your social platforms. Social management tools help you maintain a cohesive brand presence, so your audience recognises you—no matter where they find you.

• Improved campaign management: Trying to manage social media marketing manually takes forever.Social media management platformshelp you plan, launch, and monitor campaigns by automating key tasks and enabling real-time tracking. This keeps your campaigns organised and saves your team time.

• Audience targeting: The key to social media success is getting your message in front of the right people at the right time. With social media management tools, you don’t have to guess at it. You know exactly who your audience is and how to reach them.

• Competitor tracking: Don’t let your competitors win. Use these tools to track their wins and losses. Then, make strategic decisions based on what you learn.

• Better crisis management: Social tools provide you with real-time monitoring. If a customer has a problem, your social media tool will sound the alarm bells. Then, you can respond quickly and manage the situation.

• Enhanced collaboration: These tools facilitate collaboration, content approvals, and performance tracking across your team members. 

How to choose a social media management tool

While investing in social media management tools is a must, it might not be clear which tools are best for you and your business.

Here are the key things you’ll want to factor in as you make your decision:

• Features and functionality: Consider the specific features each tool offers. Do you need advanced analytics, scheduling, engagement tracking, or social media asset management? Make sure the tool aligns with your goals and daily needs.

• Social listening: Tools that include social listening capabilities help you monitor brand mentions, understand customer sentiment, and stay on top of industry trends.

• Scheduling: Look for comprehensive scheduling options that help you plan and automate posts across all of your tools.

• Analytics: Prioritise social media management tools with solid analytics. This gives you insights into engagement, audience behaviour, and content performance. The better the analytics, the easier it will be for you to make data-driven decisions.

• Team collaboration: If multiple people manage your social media accounts, choose a tool that simplifies collaboration. Look for solutions with shared access and full project visibility.

• Approval workflows: Efficient approval workflows make it easy for your team to review and approve content before publication. This helps aligns your brand messaging and reduces errors.

• Authority tracking: Some tools allow you to follow and engage with topics related to your DTC brand, building authority and positioning you as a thought leader in your niche.

• Integration with existing platforms: Your social media tool should work hand-in-hand with your other software solutions, like your client relationship management (CRM) systems, analytics tools, and ad platforms, to create a cohesive workflow. If there isn’t a native integration, make sure its API integration features are easy to navigate.

• Scalability: Choose a tool that can grow with you and support higher volumes of content and engagement as your brand expands.

• Cost and value: Prices vary widely between social media management tools. Assess the pricing structure to confirm that it’s in line with your budget and expected ROI.

The 8 best social media management tools for DTC brands

1. Dash - for visual asset management

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of social media management might be scheduling. And while scheduling is an important part of social media management, it’s not the only one. Another critical piece (maybe the most essential) is digital asset management.

Why? Social media is all about engaging customers through compelling images and videos. And the last thing you want is for those golden assets to be scattered across Google Drive, Dropbox and your hard drives. How can your team find the content they need if it’s hiding on your desktop? 

To keep your visuals organised and accessible, use Dash (that’s us!). Dash centralises all of your visual content, so your team can find, manage, and deploy assets quickly. Everyone on your team can:

• Search and find images in seconds: No more endless scrolling. Easily locate the exact asset you need.
• Add usage rights and expiry dates: Manage user-generated content ads (UGC ads) and influencer marketing without violating usage terms.
• Maximise UGC: Organise and deploy user-generated content, boosting engagement with authentic visuals.
• Tag images and organise content by campaign: Keep assets organised by specific social campaigns or themes for quicker access.
• Manage content versions: Avoid outdated visuals by getting notifications on updated assets.

With Dash, your team’s social assets stay organised, so they can focus on what matters most—creating outstanding campaigns that engage, inspire, and persuade your audience to buy.

Dash’s key features

• Social-media-ready downloads: Resize and crop images for each platform in a click.
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• Integrate with social tools: Easily connect with Hootsuite and quickly send assets to your campaigns.
   
• Collect & store: Keep all creative assets in a single, organised space for quick access.
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• Guest upload links: Allow photographers and creators to upload directly, skipping bulky emails. 
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• Feedback and approval: Review, approve, and provide direct feedback on assets before use.
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• Effortless sharing: Create links or public portals for external teams without added logins. For example, create a portal for your social media agency. 
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• Track asset performance: Mark and monitor high-performing content to guide future strategies.

Price

Plans start at £79 or $109 per month.

Learn more in our article social media asset management. 

2. Buffer - for social media scheduling

Now that we’ve covered asset management, it’s time to get into scheduling. Let’s start with one popular with growing DTC brands. 

As a creator, I prefer Buffer to some other social media management platforms for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the price. Buffer is priced very reasonably for independent business owners and influencers.

I started off using the free plan, which allows you up to 10 posts per platform (up to three platforms) at a time. This means you can schedule a total of 30 posts at a time. This is enough for most creators wanting to build a social following. Eventually, I upgraded to the paid plan to schedule out a full month (or more) of posts at a time.

I also selected Buffer because of its simple interface and ease of use. You log in, connect your preferred social channels, and then click on ‘New post’. Enter your message and connect any assets (from Dash, which integrates with Buffer). Then, customise it for each platform and schedule the post for when you want it to go live. 

Buffer’s key features

• Multi-channel scheduling: Plan and schedule posts across social platforms from a single dashboard.
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• Content calendar: Visualise your posting schedule in calendar view.
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• Browser extension: Share content directly from your browser, adding articles, images, or videos to your queue with a simple click.
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• Analytics and reporting: Track post performance with detailed analytics.
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• Team collaboration: Invite team members, assign roles, and set up approval workflows.
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• Hashtag manager: Save and organize groups of hashtags for Instagram.
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• First comment scheduling: Schedule the first comment for Instagram posts to add hashtags or info while keeping captions clean.
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• Link shortening: Shorten URLs in posts with integrated tools like Bitly.
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• Mobile app: Manage social media accounts on the go with Buffer’s mobile app.
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• Pinterest optimisation: Boost reach and engagement on Pinterest by scheduling pins.

Price

Free. Essentials plan starts at $5/month per channel (paid annually).

3. Later: for visual planning for social media

Any DTC brand knows how important your visual content is - that’s why Later puts your content front and centre. Built for Instagram and other visual platforms, Later lets you plan, schedule and optimise your posts with a drag and drop interface that’s as easy as it is powerful.

Later’s visual content calendar lets you see how your feed will look before you post, so your brand stays cohesive and on trend. Plus with hashtag suggestions, analytics and even user-generated content management, Later is ideal for visually driven brands looking to grow.

Whether you’re growing your following, promoting products or creating content, Later helps you do it all without the fuss.

Later features

• Visual content calendar: Plan content and see how your feed will look before you post.
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• Drag-and-drop scheduling: Schedule posts across platforms with a simple drag and drop.
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• Instagram-first: Optimised for Instagram but supports TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
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• Hashtag suggestions: Find hashtags to increase discoverability.
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• User generated content management: Organise and repurpose content from your audience.
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• Analytics: See your performance.
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• Bio link: Create a mini landing page to drive traffic from Instagram to your site or products.
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• Media library: Store, categorise and label your images for easy access.
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• Team: Assign roles and permissions.
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• Plans: Budget friendly for growing brands.

Price

Starts at $30 per month for small teams. 

4. Sprout Social - for advanced analytics

Sprout Social is another popular social media management tool, but it’s created for a different audience than Buffer. If your first instinct is to check out the pricing page, you’ll notice they don’t have a free plan. And prices start at $199 per seat per month.

The reason? It’s built for bigger teams with more complex social management needs. As a result, it has more premium features like advanced social listening, detailed analytics, and tools for handling customer engagement.

Sprout Social would be a good fit for larger DTC businesses looking to expand their social media presence and harness deeper insights to drive strategy. If you’re managing multiple brands or channels and want to engage more strategically with your audience, Sprout’s advanced tools can give you that edge.

Sprout Social’s key features

• Social listening: Monitor brand mentions and track conversations within your community.
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• Advanced analytics: Access in-depth reports on engagement, reach, and follower growth.
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• Unified social inbox: Manage all messages across platforms in one place.
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• Publishing and scheduling: Plan, schedule, and publish posts across multiple channels from a central dashboard.
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• Content calendar: Visualise your entire social strategy in calendar format.
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• Employee advocacy: Enable team members to share approved content.
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• Audience targeting: Tailor posts for specific demographics and regions.
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• Collaboration tools: Assign tasks, approve content, and set permissions.
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• CRM integration: Track and manage customer interactions with CRM features.
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• Competitive analysis: Benchmark against competitors with detailed reports.

Price

Starts at $199 per seat per month.

5. Hootsuite - for multi-platform management

If you’ve been in the marketing world for a while, you probably recognise the name Hootsuite. Out of the top seven social media management tools on our list, Hootsuite came to market first—in 2008, to be exact.

Hootsuite started out as a simple dashboard to help its customers manage Twitter accounts. Since then, Hootsuite has undergone several feature iterations and branding changes (it used to be called BrightKit), and is now one of the most widely recognised names in social media management. 

Today, Hootsuite is a powerful tool with much more advanced features than just Twitter management. These features include intricate scheduling, robust analytics, collaboration tools, and social listening (which is enhanced by its recent acquisition of the AI social listening tool Talkwalker). It’s a great pick for brands looking to manage multiple social media profiles. Hootsuite also offers Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads management.

Hootsuite’s key features

• Social scheduling: Plan and schedule posts across multiple platforms in advance.
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• Content calendar: Visualise and manage all social content on a single calendar.
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• Social listening: Monitor brand mentions, keywords, and trends to stay responsive.
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• Analytics and reporting: Access detailed performance metrics for posts and profiles.
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• Team collaboration: Allow team members to review, edit, and approve posts with set permissions.
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• Ad management: Create, publish, and track social media ads directly in the platform.
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• Customer engagement: Manage all social conversations in one inbox to quickly respond to customers.
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• Customizable streams: Set up streams to track specific conversations, hashtags, or topics in real time.
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• Integration with tools: Connect with apps like Slack, Asana, and Google Analytics. It also integrates with Dash, so you can easily drag and drop assets into your social campaigns.
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• Content library: Store approved assets, images, and posts for easy access by your team

Price

Prices start at $99/month per person for 10 accounts.

6. SocialPilot - for affordable team collaboraion

Managing social media can be overwhelming when you’re juggling multiple platforms and trying to grow your eCommerce brand. That’s where SocialPilot comes in.

This tool simplifies your workflow by giving you one central dashboard to manage all your social accounts—no more logging in and out of different profiles. SocialPilot also offers features designed to make life easier for small teams or solo entrepreneurs, like easy post scheduling, bulk uploads, and even content curation to keep your feed fresh and engaging.

And if you’re growing fast, SocialPilot scales with you. As your team expands, you can assign roles and permissions, ensuring your workflow stays smooth and organised. Plus, with detailed analytics and customisable reports, it’s easy to track what’s working (and what’s not) to keep your marketing on point.

SocialPilot’s key features

• Automated post scheduling: Plan and schedule posts across multiple social media platforms.
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• Content calendar: Visualise your social media strategy with a clear, drag-and-drop calendar view.
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• Bulk scheduling: Upload and schedule up to 500 posts at once—perfect for busy teams.
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• Team collaboration: Assign roles, set permissions, and streamline workflows as your team grows.
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• Social inbox: Manage and reply to messages, comments, and reviews from one central location.
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• Analytics and reporting: Track performance and create reports customised with your brand.
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• Content curation: Easily find and share content that resonates with your audience.
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• Client and team management: Simple onboarding and management options for small teams.
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• White-label solutions: Customise reports and interfaces with your own branding.
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• Integration with design tools: Connect seamlessly with Canva and other platforms to design posts.

Price

Prices start at $25.50 per month for one person with 10 accounts.

7. Sendible - multi-channel publishing

For small eCommerce and DTC brands looking to elevate their social media game, Sendible is a fantastic option to consider. While SocialPilot focuses on affordability and simplicity, Sendible steps it up with deeper customisation and client communication features that make it perfect for brands wanting more personalised workflows.

Sendible stands out with tools like flexible permissions and detailed analytics, giving you greater control over your campaigns and how you engage with your audience. Plus, the ability to customise reports and set up recurring posts means you can keep your brand’s messaging consistent while saving time.

If you want to refine your social media strategy with a platform that offers advanced features and customisation, Sendible might be the right match.

Sendible’s key features

• Smart compose box: Create and schedule posts for multiple platforms from one central hub.
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• Content library: Organise media assets, hashtags, and reusable content for easy access.
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• Optimal times: Automatically schedule posts for when your audience is most active.
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• Smart queues: Categorise content and set recurring posts to maintain a consistent schedule.
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• Priority inbox: Manage comments, messages, and brand mentions from a single, centralised inbox.
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• Automated reports: Generate and schedule custom reports tailored to your brand.
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• Campaign management: Plan and track social media campaigns with ease.
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• Team collaboration: Assign tasks, set permissions, and streamline approval workflows.
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• Client connect: Onboard team members securely without sharing sensitive credentials.
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• Integration with design tools: Collaborate with platforms like Canva for seamless post creation.

Price

Plans start at $29 per month for one person and six social profiles.

8. CoSchedule - for building marketing calendars

If you’re looking for a tool that combines social media, content planning, and project management - CoSchedule could be a winner. It combines these three types of tools into one system with an easy-to-use calendar.

This tool not only makes it easy for social media teams to collaborate, but it also loops in the content marketing team. Everyone involved in marketing projects has eyes on the full marketing game plan.

CoSchedule is a good fit if your team is working with high volumes of social and written content and needs visibility across all campaigns. It’s also a fit if you have strict deadlines and need a full, real-time overview of every project’s progress. 

CoSchedule’s key features

• Unified marketing calendar: Manage all marketing projects in one central calendar.
• Drag-and-drop scheduling: Adjust timelines by simply dragging and dropping tasks.
• Social media automation: Plan and automate posts across platforms.
• Task management: Assign tasks, set deadlines, and create templates for streamlined workflows.
• Content organisation: Categorise and tag content for easy retrieval and organisation.
• Team collaboration: Use in-app discussions, comments, and file sharing to enhance communication.
• Marketing campaign management: Group-related projects to monitor campaign progress.
• Analytics and reporting: Access reports on social performance, productivity, and content.
• Integration capabilities: Connect with tools like WordPress, Google Docs, and Evernote.
• ReQueue feature: Automatically reshare top-performing posts for steady social activity.

Price

Free plan. Paid plans start at $19 per user per month.

Use Dash to manage your social media campaigns 

By now, you have a handful of social media management tools to choose from. When curating your stack, remember to make a plan to organise your visual assets.

Take it from Lucy, the Social Media Manager at Emmy London: moving from Dropbox to Dash allowed her to turn a cluttered image library into an organised, searchable hub. With fields, tags, and bold thumbnails, she can quickly find and use the right images for every campaign, making it easy to plan and execute content that’s always on-brand and ready to go.

Ready to bring that same efficiency to your brand? Start a free trial with Dash and see how easy it is to keep your content organised and accessible.

FAQs for social media management tools

1. What is the most popular social media management tool?

One of the most popular social media management tools is, arguably, Hootsuite. It’s widely used for managing multiple social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok), scheduling posts, and analysing social media performance across various platforms. The social media management tool you pick, however, will come down to your business needs—so make sure to do your research before picking a tool. 

2. What is the best social media monitoring platform?

Sprout Social is often considered one of the best social media monitoring platform, offering in-depth analytics, social listening, and audience insights to help brands track mentions, manage brand reputation, and gain valuable insights into customer sentiment.

3. What is the best social media content planner?

For planning and scheduling social media content, CoSchedule is a top choice, providing an intuitive social media calendar that integrates seamlessly with other tools, making it easy for social media managers to coordinate content across multiple social media channels.