Social media can be intimidating. You may not know where to start or how to keep up with the latest trends and updates in a world where everything changes quickly. With over 200,000+ social media followers across several @lovespringfield platforms, I use many tools to help manage my workload and keep @lovespringfield’s content fresh. Here are my five favorite social media tools I use.

Later.com Scheduler

Cost: $180 a year for the basic package

Later.com is my favorite item on this list, and there’s a reason it’s number one. I use Later to schedule nearly all of our social media posts. Not only does it let me schedule posts, but it allows me to include a link in bio, display social analytics, create reports, show popular hashtags and have my photo library all in one platform. The platform is constantly updating and adding new features too, so if something isn’t on there yet, it will most likely be added.

If you have a social media scheduler you love already, I highly recommend signing up for the free Later e-newsletter and checking out the blog. Every Monday, I get social media news and trends sent straight to my inbox. It’s one of the few newsletters I look forward to reading every Monday, as it always has helpful tips, tutorials, and trend updates. The blog is also consistently updated weekly with new articles and video tutorials.

Capcut

Cost: Free

If you create videos for social media platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube shorts, Capcut will be your next best friend. Capcut allows you to edit videos straight from your phone (desktop too!) and includes so many features that aren’t even included in some paid platforms. You can customize the video format, record voiceovers, add video transitions and copyright-free music. I use Capcut daily for the videos I create, and I can’t imagine life without it.

Canva

Cost: Free or $15.99 a month for premium

If you want to edit videos and make graphics or templates for social media, you need to try out Canva. Canva has a free package and a premium version. Canva has been a game changer for my social media strategy. I mainly use it to create Instagram story graphics or edit videos. The interface is user-friendly and easy to use if you’ve never done graphic design work before. The free program has many features, but the premium package is worth the money. The premium allows access to all kinds of unique graphics, fonts, templates and the entire video and photo library of stock-free images.

Grammarly

Cost: Free or $15 a month for premium

Writers need to install Grammarly on their computers if they’re constantly putting out content. After I finish writing a blog post, I copy and paste it into Grammarly to help catch any errors I’ve made, like misspelling a word or shortening a sentence. While there is a free version of this program, I highly recommend the paid version. The paid version suggests synonyms, better sentence formatting and has a plagiarism checker.

Lightroom mobile

Cost: Free or $4.99 a month

Lightroom mobile is another free app I use consistently at work and on my personal phone. While you can pay for extra features, I use the free version and that’s all I’ve needed. I can adjust the lighting of any photos we have, crop images, add filters and more. If you continue to edit pictures the same way, you can save editing presets to keep and use for later use.

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Want to see real-life examples of our content? Check out our different social media channels.

Website: Springfieldmo.org
Facebook: I Love Springfield, MO!
Instagram: @lovespringfield 
Twitter: @SpringfieldCVB
Pinterest: @springfieldcvb
TikTok: @lovespringfield