10 Best Content Marketing Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 15 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different content marketing software solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want a tool that aids in organizing and distributing content across various platforms, ensuring consistency and relevance—but now need to figure out which platform is best. I've got you! In this post, I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different content marketing tools with brands of all sizes, with my picks of the best content marketing software overall.
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The Best Content Marketing Software Summary
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
Contently | Custom pricing upon request | Website |
BuzzSumo | From $159/month (billed annually) | Website |
Hootsuite | From $49/user/month (min 3 seats, billed annually) | Website |
Salesforce Social Studio | From $1000/month | Website |
Uberflip | Custom pricing upon request | Website |
Mediafly | From $30/month | Website |
Jasper | From $49/month | Website |
Percolate | Pricing upon request | Website |
RELAYTO | Free | Website |
monday.com | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow to Choose Content Marketing Software
When selecting software for your business, especially when considering a specialized tool such as content marketing software, it's essential to approach the decision with a strategic mindset. Here’s a checklist that balances general software selection principles with specific considerations for marketing attribution software:
- Identify Your Business Needs: Outline the specific problems the software needs to solve. Consider how it will scale with your operations and future growth. For content marketing, identify whether you need assistance with content creation, distribution, analytics, or a combination of these.
- Budget Consideration: Assess your financial capacity for both upfront and ongoing costs, including potential hidden fees. In content marketing, consider the return on investment in terms of time saved and potential for increased engagement or sales.
- Integration Capabilities: Ensure the software can integrate seamlessly with other tools your business uses. Content marketing software should work well with your CRM, email marketing platform, and social media channels.
- Scalability: The software should accommodate your business's growth and changing needs without a complete overhaul. For content marketing, this means supporting more users, larger content volumes, and additional channels as your strategy evolves.
- Training and Resources: Check for comprehensive training and resources to maximize the software's value. In content marketing, look for tutorials, templates, and forums to aid in creativity and problem-solving.
- Feedback and Reviews: Research user feedback and reviews to gauge satisfaction and effectiveness. For content marketing, seek out testimonials from businesses with similar needs and outcomes.
This approach streamlines the selection process, making it easier to find software that meets your business and content marketing requirements.
Best Content Marketing Software Reviews
Here’s a brief description of each of the 10 best content marketing software, showcasing important features, pricing, pros, cons, and integrations. I’ve also included a snapshot of the interface for each tool.
Contently is a content marketing platform that helps brands generate relevant content ideas. It also connects them to high quality talent, and helps them schedule content on their editorial calendar. Contently is also well-known for its reliable support team, which helps brands solve any bugs that may come up along the way.
Why I picked Contently: Contently allows marketing teams to streamline the entire content marketing process from generating ideas, hiring talent to create the content, scheduling posts within the content calendar, and accessing analytics on content performance.
Contently Standout Features and Integrations
Features include access to over 130,000 freelancers that they can hire from to create high-quality content at scale. It also comes with an inbuilt content calendar that makes scheduling and publishing content a breeze.
Integrations include Mailchimp, WordPress, LinkedIn, Zapier, Hubspot Marketing Hub, Facebook, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Has a user-friendly interface
- Provides access to a network of freelance writers and content creators
- Advanced analytics and optimization tools
- High-quality content creation and management features
Cons:
- Limited features for content optimization
- Complex and may require more training to use effectively
- Limited integrations with other tools and platforms
- Expensive compared to other content marketing software
BuzzSumo is a content research and analysis platform designed to help businesses discover trending topics and create popular content. Businesses can analyze their content performance, as well as that of their competitors.
Why I picked BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo greatly improves the virality of a business’ content, as it provides insight into top trending topics and offers tools necessary to take advantage of those trends. It also enables businesses to grade their content strategy against their competitors.
Standout Features and Integrations
Features include an easy-to-use interface, which makes it simple to find and analyze top-performing content in any industry, as well as track specific topics and trends using content alerts. The software also features an influencer identification tool that enables businesses to connect with industry leaders and amplify their reach.
Integrations include Hootsuite, Buffer, Trello, Salesforce, Zapier, Slack, Google Sheets, WordPress, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Integrations with a wide range of tools and platforms
- Good for competitor research
- Offers data-driven insights for content creation
Cons:
- Expensive pricing options for smaller businesses
- Limited content creation and management features compared to other content marketing software.
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets businesses manage their social media presence across multiple social media accounts. It provides organizations with actionable insights into their social media performance.
Why I picked Hootsuite: Hootsuite gives social media managers the ability to schedule content across multiple social media platforms. At the same time, it’s versatile enough to allow individual changes to be made to each post. Hootsuite also helps brands to manage their brand’s online reputation, making it great for overall social media management.
Standout Features and Integrations
Features include social media analytics tools, which enable businesses to track their performance across social media channels and optimize their strategy accordingly.
Integrations include monday.com, Slack, Zapier, Gmail, Instagram, Google Calendar, Facebook, YouTube, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable and scalable for businesses of all sizes
- Extensive integration options with other tools and platforms.
- Good for team collaboration
Cons:
- Expensive pricing options for smaller businesses
- Limited content creation tools
Salesforce Social Studio is a powerful social media marketing and management platform. It's part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and is used by businesses to draft, schedule, post, and review social media content.
It's important to note that Salesforce will officially shut down Social Studio on Nov. 18 2024.
Why I picked Salesforce Social Studio: Social Studio allows businesses to manage all their social media platforms from a single location, removing the need for multiple systems. It also has a lot of tools to help businesses track and review the success of their social media campaigns.
Features include integration with other Salesforce Marketing Cloud products, making it easy to manage social media campaigns alongside other marketing activities. Its real-time social monitoring helps them stay up-to-date on the latest trends and engage with customers in real-time.
Integrations include Instagram, monday.com, Wrike, 3CX, Twilio, PandaDoc, Birdeye, Tango, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good for customer engagement
- Provides data-driven insights for content optimization
- Comprehensive social media management and monitoring tools
Cons:
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Limited customization options compared to other social media management software
- Expensive pricing options for smaller businesses
Uberflip is a content experience platform that lets businesses create, manage and optimize content experiences for their users.
Why I picked Uberflip: Uberflip allows brands to create tailored content experiences for their customers. This leads to better engagement and improved conversions. It also offers indepth reporting tools that enable businesses measure the performance of their content
Features include tools for creating interactive and personalized content experiences, such as quizzes, polls, and personalized content streams.
Integrations include Mailchimp, Google Analytics, WordPress, Hubspot CRM, Hootsuite, Dropbox, Box, LinkedIn, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to use drag-and-drop interface for creating and publishing content
- Offers a wide range of customization options for content branding and design
- Provides a personalized content experience for each visitor
Cons:
- Doesn't offer a built-in CRM system
- Limited social media integration compared to other platforms
- Pricing can be high for smaller businesses
Mediafly is a sales and content management platform that helps organizations improve buyer experience and manage content. They offer four different solutions based on the needs of the organization. Their content management solution is called Engagement360.
Why I picked Mediafly: I picked Mediafly because it helps businesses easily create interactive content experiences and presentations for their customers. It provides detailed content engagement tracking, which shows how your audience interacts with your content and provides data on how to improve content engagement.
Features include the ability to track content engagement, allowing businesses to gain insights into what content is resonating with their audience and informing future decisions.
Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Hubspot CRM, Gmail, Hubspot Marketing, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good for sales enablement
- Easy-to-use interface with drag-and-drop functionality
- Customizable and scalable for businesses of all sizes
Cons:
- Some users report that the software can be slow or buggy at times
Jasper AI, formerly known as Jarvis AI, is an AI writing assistant that helps businesses write content faster. It employs Natural Language Processing and machine learning to analyze your writing and provides real-time suggestions to improve content.
Why I picked Jasper: Jasper is an essential tool to help content marketers overcome writer’s block. It also provides real-time suggestions on how particular content can be improved upon. If you need content writing fast but don’t want to hire a writer, this is perfect for your company.
Features include improving readability and tone analysis, which helps businesses ensure that their content appropriately reflects their brand's tone and voice. Its grammar and spell check also helps businesses catch errors and ensure that their content is error-free.
Integrations include WordPress, Amazon, Shopify, Facebook Ads, YouTube, and Gmail.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good for small businesses
- Customizable and flexible workflow management features
- Provides data-driven insights for content creation
- Offers an AI-powered content optimization tool
Cons:
- Some users report that AI-generated content can be hit or miss regarding quality
- Limited integrations with other tools and platforms
- Not suitable for large enterprises
Percolate is a cloud-based content marketing solution that enables businesses to coordinate and manage effective content marketing campaigns. They are a subsidiary of top global sales enablement platform, Seismic.
Why I picked Percolate: Percolate’s management tools allow content marketers to easily manage multiple content campaigns from a single dashboard. This removes the need for multiple content systems, which helps to save time and money.
Features include advanced analytics tools, which enable businesses to gain insights into their content's performance, and optimize their strategy accordingly. The platform also features workflow management tools, which help businesses streamline their content creation process.
Integrations include Zendesk, Salesforce, Bynder, Facebook, Twitter, Adobe Experience, WordPress, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable workflow management features
- Provides an easy-to-use interface
- Offers a range of content creation, management and distribution tools
- Good for brand management
Cons:
- Some users report that the software can be difficult to learn and use effectively
- Expensive pricing options for smaller businesses
RELAYTO lets you transform static content such as PDFs and images into engaging and interactive content experiences.
Why I picked RELAYTO: RELAYTO helps businesses save time and create more interactive content without having to come up with totally new content. If your current web content is solid but the visuals or interactivity of it is lacking, RELAYTO can help you transform your content to be more visual and engaging.
Features include the ability to create engaging and interactive content with built-in animations, videos, and interactive elements. Relatyo also offers a range of templates and design tools, enabling businesses to customize their content to reflect their brand's look and feel.
Integrations include Salesforce, Miro, Microsoft 365, Google Analytics, Wordpress, Slack, Zoom, Hubspot,and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good for engaging and converting customers
- Allows users to easily embed and share interactive content across different channels
- Offers a unique approach to content marketing with interactive and personalized content experiences
Cons:
- Pricing plans can be expensive for small businesses or individual users
- Steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with creating interactive content
- Limited features compared to other content marketing software on the market
monday.com is a flexible project management platform that enables businesses to track and manage their projects and workflow. It is a great tool for content management as it helps schedule content from the ideation process all the way to fulfillment.
Why I picked monday.com: monday.com offers a highly-customizable platform that can be tailored to meet your particular needs. Its intuitive navigation makes it easy for marketing teams to adapt and use.
Features include its time tracking and resource management tools, which allow businesses to allocate resources efficiently and track their time spent on each project.
Integrations include Zendesk, Salesforce, Twilio, Hubspot CRM, Zoom, Slack, Mailchimp, Asana, Hootsuite, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Robust collaboration and communication tools
- Offers a range of templates for content management
- Provides customizable workflow management tools
Cons:
- Can be expensive compared to other project management software options
- Limited reporting and analytics options
- Limited content creation and management features
Other Content Marketing Software
Here are a few other top content marketing software that weren’t mentioned in the article.
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Selection Criteria for Content Marketing Software
Selecting the right content marketing software involves a careful evaluation of what they have to offer. Through extensive personal trials and research, I've developed criteria to guide software buyers towards making an informed decision.
Core Functionality - 25% of total weighting score:
Content marketing software must excel in the following standard use cases:
- Content creation and editing tools that simplify the process of generating engaging content.
- Content scheduling and publishing capabilities that allow for efficient management of content across various channels.
- Analytics and reporting features that provide insights into content performance and audience engagement.
- SEO tools to optimize content for search engines, enhancing visibility and reach.
- Collaboration features that enable teams to work together seamlessly on content projects.
Additional Standout Features - 25% of total weighting score:
In identifying content marketing software that goes beyond the basics, I look for:
- Advanced content personalization options that tailor content to the audience's interests and behaviors.
- AI-driven content suggestions and optimizations to improve engagement and performance.
- Integration with advanced marketing tools and platforms for a cohesive marketing strategy.
- Tools leveraging innovative technologies for content analysis and trend prediction.
- Examples include software offering unique interactive content capabilities or integrated AR/VR experiences for immersive storytelling.
Usability - 10% of total weighting score:
Evaluating usability involves looking at:
- A balance between powerful functionality and ease of use, ensuring the tool is accessible to all team members.
- An intuitive interface design, such as drag-and-drop editors for content scheduling.
- Clear, logical navigation and user-friendly features that streamline the content marketing process.
Onboarding - 10% of total weighting score:
For onboarding, effective criteria include:
- The availability of comprehensive training materials, such as videos, templates, and interactive tours.
- Efficient setup processes that allow teams to quickly migrate and start realizing value.
- Support systems like chatbots and webinars to assist new users in navigating the tool.
Customer Support - 10% of total weighting score:
In assessing customer support, I look for:
- Responsive and knowledgeable support teams available through multiple channels.
- A commitment to resolving issues promptly and efficiently.
- A community or forum where users can exchange tips and solutions.
Value For Money - 10% of total weighting score:
Value for money is gauged by:
- Comparing pricing structures against the range and quality of features offered.
- Assessing the tool's ability to meet specific business needs without unnecessary expenses.
- Evaluating the potential ROI based on improved content marketing outcomes.
Customer Reviews - 10% of total weighting score:
Customer reviews are evaluated for:
- Consistently positive feedback across a broad user base.
- Specific mentions of how the tool has addressed common pain points and contributed to content marketing success.
- User experiences that highlight the tool's usability, support quality, and overall impact on content marketing efforts.
By applying these criteria, businesses can select content marketing software that not only meets their immediate functional requirements but also offers additional value.
Trends in Content Marketing Software for 2024
Here are some trends I’ve noticed for content marketing software technology, plus what they might mean for the future of the marketing industry. I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs to tease out the most important insights.
- Increased Emphasis on AI-driven Content Creation and Optimization: AI technologies are at the forefront, revolutionizing the way content is generated and optimized. Tools incorporating advanced AI algorithms for content creation, such as automated writing assistants and SEO optimization recommendations, are rapidly gaining traction.
- Rise of Personalized Content Experiences: Personalization technology has become more sophisticated, allowing marketers to deliver highly customized content experiences at scale. Software now offers dynamic content personalization based on user behavior, preferences, and predictive analytics, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.
- Integration with Multichannel Marketing Platforms: The ability to manage and distribute content across multiple channels from a single platform is increasingly important. This includes seamless integration with social media, email marketing, and other digital marketing platforms, facilitating a unified and coherent marketing approach.
- Interactive and Immersive Content Creation: Innovations in creating interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, and AR/VR experiences, offer novel ways to engage audiences deeply and memorably.
As technology continues to advance, marketers are equipped with more powerful tools to craft compelling content, reach wider audiences, and achieve their business objectives with unprecedented efficiency and effectiveness.
What is Content Marketing Software?
Content marketing software is a tool designed for crafting, sharing, and monitoring content. The purpose is to help in organizing and scheduling posts, blogs, and other media across different channels. This software provides insights into audience engagement and preferences, making it easier to tailor content effectively.
Features of Content Marketing Software
These are the key features I evaluate when I am looking at content marketing software.
- Content Creation and Management: Enables users to create, store, and organize content in various formats (e.g., blogs, videos, infographics). This feature addresses the need for a centralized repository that simplifies content access and collaboration.
- Editorial Calendar and Scheduling: Offers tools to plan, schedule, and publish content across different platforms and channels. This feature solves the challenge of maintaining a consistent content schedule and ensures timely publication.
- SEO Optimization Tools: Includes keyword research, content optimization suggestions, and SEO analytics to enhance content visibility and search engine ranking. This caters to the need for content to be discoverable and rank well in search engines.
- Content Distribution Networks: Facilitates the distribution of content to various channels, including social media, email marketing, and other digital platforms, addressing the challenge of reaching a wider audience.
- Analytics and Reporting: Provides insights into content performance, audience engagement, and ROI measurement. This feature helps in understanding what content works best and aligns with the goal of making data-driven decisions.
- Collaboration Tools: Supports team collaboration by allowing multiple users to work on content simultaneously, share feedback, and approve workflows. This solves the pain point of coordinating efforts across teams and departments.
- Personalization and Targeting: Enables the customization of content for different segments of the audience based on their behaviors, preferences, and demographics. This addresses the challenge of creating relevant and engaging content for diverse audience groups.
- Asset Management: Offers tools for storing, tagging, and organizing digital assets like images, videos, and documents for easy retrieval. This feature is crucial for managing the vast amount of digital content and assets produced.
- Social Media Integration: Allows for the direct posting to, monitoring of, and engagement with social media platforms from within the software. This caters to the need for active social media management and engagement.
- Email Marketing Integration: Seamlessly integrates with email marketing platforms to distribute content through email campaigns, addressing the challenge of reaching audiences directly in their inboxes.
- Content Automation: Automates repetitive tasks like content posting and social media updates, solving the challenge of manual content management and distribution.
- User Access Control: Provides the ability to set permissions and roles for different users, addressing the need for secure and controlled access to the software's features.
- Interactive Content Creation: Some advanced tools offer features to create interactive content such as quizzes, polls, and interactive infographics, catering to the demand for engaging and dynamic content formats.
By providing these features, content marketing software plays a crucial role in empowering marketing professionals to effectively plan, execute, and analyze content marketing strategies, driving engagement, building brand awareness, and achieving business objectives.
Benefits of Content Marketing Software
Content marketing software has become an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to strengthen their digital presence and engage effectively with their audience. Here are five primary benefits of utilizing content marketing software:
1. Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity: Streamlines content creation and distribution processes. By automating repetitive tasks and organizing workflows, content marketing software enables teams to focus on strategy and creativity, significantly boosting productivity.
2. Improved Content Strategy with Data-Driven Insights: Offers valuable analytics and insights. Utilizing content marketing software allows businesses to understand content performance and audience preferences deeply, leading to more informed decisions and a refined content strategy.
3. Consistent Content Delivery Across Channels: Simplifies multi-channel content management. This software ensures that businesses can maintain a consistent brand voice and content strategy across all digital platforms, enhancing brand recognition and audience engagement.
4. Greater Content Reach and Engagement: Facilitates targeted content distribution. By using content marketing software, organizations can ensure that their content reaches the right audience at the right time, increasing engagement and potential conversions.
5. Streamlined Collaboration Among Teams: Enhances team collaboration and workflow. The collaborative features of content marketing software make it easier for teams to work together on content projects, share feedback, and approve content efficiently, regardless of their physical location.
As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of digital marketing, the strategic use of content marketing software will remain a key factor in achieving marketing success and driving business growth.
Cost & Pricing for Content Marketing Software
Choosing the right content marketing software is pivotal for businesses looking to enhance their content strategy, reach their target audience more effectively, and analyze the impact of their content marketing efforts.
Various software options cater to different needs, scales, and budgets, ranging from basic free versions to more advanced, feature-rich packages. Understanding the plan options and pricing structures can help software buyers make informed decisions that align with their business goals and financial constraints.
Plan Comparison Table for Content Marketing Software
Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features Included |
---|---|---|
Basic | $20 - $100/month | Content scheduling, SEO tools, basic analytics |
Professional | $100 - $300/month | Advanced analytics, team collaboration, more extensive SEO and content optimization tools |
Enterprise | $300 - $1000+/month | Custom integrations, full feature access, dedicated support, personalized training |
Free Option | $0 | Limited content scheduling, basic analytics, SEO suggestions |
When evaluating content marketing software plans, it's essential to consider not only the price but also the specific features and limitations of each plan. The choice should align with your business's size, needs, and the level of support required to achieve your content marketing objectives effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few questions people commonly ask, all of which I wanted to cover here for your convenience.
What’s the difference between content marketing software and content management software?
What are specific content performance metrics should I track?
How does content marketing support SEO efforts?
What are effective ways to measure content marketing ROI?
How often should content be updated or repurposed?
How can content marketing be used to build brand awareness?
Additional Content Software Reviews
Here are a few other reviews that cover other, similar types of software. These tools can not only help you with content marketing, but they can also help you with their particular use case:
- Content Management Software
- SMS Marketing Software
- Social Media Management Software
- Marketing Calendar Software
- Direct Mail Marketing Software
Conclusion
Content marketing is indispensable to the growth of any business. However, to remain competitive, you need to adopt content marketing software so you can improve the quantity and quality of content your organization produces.
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