Publer bills itself as a "virtual social media superhero" designed to help brands, agencies, and creators better manage their social media presence. With over 240,000 users worldwide, it‘s emerged as a popular scheduling and publishing platform.
But how does Publer actually stack up? In this detailed review, we‘ll analyze its features, pricing, ideal use cases – and everything in between – to help you decide if it‘s the right social media software for your needs.
Overview: What Exactly is Publer?
In a nutshell, Publer is a social media management platform with a drag-and-drop scheduler and calendar at its core.
You can use it to visually plan, schedule, publish, and analyze social media posts across leading platforms like:
- YouTube
- And more
Beyond scheduling, Publer aims to be an "all-in-one" solution for social media teams. So in addition to its planner, it offers a variety of tools for:
- Creating social graphics and videos
- Monitoring brand mentions and analytics
- Team collaboration
- Generating captions with AI
- Curating third-party content
- Building automated workflows
Next, we‘ll take a more in-depth look at Publer‘s range of features:
Key Features and Tools
Cross-Platform Scheduling
At its heart, Publer enables you to easily schedule content across leading social platforms thanks to its drag-and-drop scheduling dashboard.
When creating a post, you simply choose which networks to publish to, customize times/dates, then schedule – Publer handles the rest.
The calendar provides an overview of upcoming posts. You can also bulk upload multiple posts to the scheduler via CSV.
Useful options like queueing content in categories (videos, links, etc), automatically recycling top posts, and planning based on optimal times help streamline planning.
Overall, Publer makes it simple to keep accounts updated consistently without manual posting.
Social Media Graphics Creator
Creating eye-catching social posts is crucial. To assist with visuals, Publer offers integrated graphic design tools.
You can easily access Canva or VistaCreate without leaving Publer to produce social images, videos, and more using templates or from scratch.
There‘s also an AI visual generator. Just enter a text prompt and Publer‘s AI will output related images to use in posts.
While basic, having native creative tools makes it faster to design on-brand assets. You can also upload custom visuals from your device or cloud storage.
Hashtag Suggestions and Keyword Research
Want help fine-tuning messaging or finding relevant hashtags to boost engagement? Publer‘s AI can offer intelligent suggestions.
By analyzing your audience and industry, its algorithm provides recommendations on high-potential hashtags and keywords to incorporate.
While no substitute for manual research, having a starting point helps optimize reach. You can ask the AI to rewrite captions with selected hashtags too.
Team Collaboration Tools
For teams, Publer aims to provide enterprise-level collaboration tools for streamlined workflow.
You can add client accounts, assign user roles like Editor or Marketer, set up group Workspaces, enable approval chains prior to publishing, and more.
Comments sections, customizable permissions, and activity notifications aim to facilitate transparency and organization for multi-user accounts.
While many social schedulers offer team plans now, Publer manages collaboration better than most for medium-larger businesses.
Performance Analytics
Publer also provides a suite of analytics to measure engagement levels and trends. You can track standard metrics like clicks, follows, shares, etc for each profile.
Charts visualize performance over time. It benchmarks metrics against industry standards as well so you can contextualize growth.
Most helpfully, it leverages analytics to detect your audience‘s "Best Times to Post" then auto-populates your scheduling queue during high-traffic windows.
For SMBs and solopreneurs managing their own strategy, having access to insights is invaluable for maximizing social media ROI with limited resources.
Publer Pricing Plans Breakdown
Publer offers a free forever base plan alongside three paid tiers scaled for individual and team needs.
Let‘s briefly compare what‘s included at each pricing level:
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Schedule up to 10 posts per profile; access to analytics and planning tools for 1 user; watermark on posts; 3 connected profiles |
| Influencer | $9/month | Removes watermarks; unlimited scheduling; 10 connected profiles; custom analytics reports |
| Business | $49/month | Adds team collaboration suites, multi-user access; 50 connected profiles; enhanced analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | For large agencies; Includes brand management tools; minimum 2 team members; 150 connected profiles; 1:1 support |
As you can see, core scheduling functionality is available for free without limits making Publer quite accessible. But for multi-profile access and premium features, paid plans add more value for professionals.
We‘ll dig deeper into strengths and limitations of certain tiers later in this review when evaluating pros/cons.
Next, let’s walk through setting up a Publer account and navigating its dashboard…
Publer Demo: Dashboard and User Experience Walkthrough
Publer offers a straightforward onboarding process for new users. Simply enter an email and password, confirm your plan selection, then you can immediately start adding profiles.
Connecting Social Media Accounts
Connecting accounts is easy. Just click "Add Account" within your Workspace then choose the platform:
Follow the normal OAuth login flow to link your chosen platforms. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and most networks are options here.
Once connected, you return back to your management dashboard which has a universal inbox consolidating notifications, messages, approvals and more in one place – similar to other social media dashboards you‘re used to.
Scheduling Interface
To create a post, navigate to “Content” then “Create Post”. The pop-up modal enables you to add text, embed links, upload visual media, tag locations, and customize advanced settings:
The left panel shows chosen publishing destinations. You can post to multiple networks simultaneously or customize messaging individually.
Handy previews on the right show how each post will render too. Very intuitive.
When ready, click “Schedule” then select the exact date and time per network. Posts automatically queue and Publer handles publishing based on your selections seamlessly. Easy!
Monitoring Performance
Inside the main dashboard, you gain access to engagement metrics for each connected profile. Click into any profile to view detailed analytics.
Publer displays follower growth trends, top-performing posts, audience demographic data, clicks, engagement rates, and much more. You can filter reports by date ranges too for custom analysis.
These insights empower Publer users to fine-tune posting strategies over time.
For solo entrepreneurs without fancy social media analytics tools, having self-serve access to these stats is invaluable.
Collaborating With Teams
For larger teams, Publer really excels at collaboration. You can invite teammates, customize permissions to control editing access, and set up group Workspaces for easier project management.
Handy features like comment streams enable giving feedback on draft posts before scheduling. You can also create customized approval chains, enabling managers to greenlight suggestions from writers before content goes live.
Admins gain transparency into who is publishing under company accounts, content pipelines, and more. Very handy for agency-client relationships and coordinating larger marketing initiatives across departments.
Ideal Use Cases: Who is Publer Best Suited For?
Given its blend of scheduling, analytics, and team management tools – plus budget-friendly plans – Publer can work well across a range of users with different needs.
Freelancers & Solopreneurs
For self-employed entrepreneurs without big budgets, Publer’s free plan still packs tremendous utility.
Having an automated scheduler, content analytics, some graphic creation abilities, and multi-profile access minced together enables efficiently maintaining an online presence solo without paying a dime.
The analytics dashboards provide metrics you’d otherwise lack without fancy social listening tools too. So it empowers data-driven decisions for optimizing organic growth.
Once established, upgrading to paid plans adds features like expanded profile allowances, making it a suitable scalable solution over the long haul.
Small Businesses & Teams
Similarly, small business owners stand to gain tremendously from Publer’s affordable plans – especially the Team tier.
Gaining access to team management suites like adjustable permissions, group Workspaces, and post approvals introduces structure and organization to daily social marketing in a cost-effective package.
Without purchasing standalone tools for graphic design, project management, analytics, etc – Publer consolidation makes hitting the ground running with social marketing easier. Its dashboards facilitate transparency across departments too.
For lean startup teams on tight budgets needing to run integrated campaigns spanning social channels, Publer checks many boxes.
Social Media Agencies & Freelancers
Finally, creative agencies who manage social initiatives for clients can benefit from Publer’s versatility as well.
Thanks to extensive account permissions, adding client accounts cleanly separates strategic initiatives and workflows by brand.
Robust analytics consolidate performance reporting across managed Pages nicely. Approval protocols also reassure clients with oversight over suggestions before publishing.
While missing some sophisticated features exclusive social media management platforms contain, Publer still brings tremendous utility in an affordable package for agencies juggling multiple accounts. Its free plan allows testing with smaller clients too.
Publer Pros and Cons Summarized
Based on testing and user reviews, here are the main advantages and limitations to weigh with Publer:
Pros
- Very intuitive interface and scheduling tools
- Budget-friendly pricing; free version quite generous
- Solid collaboration tools for teams and agencies
- Cross-platform support for leading networks
- Built-in analytics dashboards provide helpful insights
- AI auto-generates visuals & hashtag suggestions
- 14-day money-back guarantee offered
Cons
- Occasional slow loading times
- Free plan limits profiles, custom analytics lacking
- Advanced filters for media library absent
- Some platform integrations missing (TikTok, YouTube)
- Lacks social listening and sentiment tracking
While no service is perfect across all fronts, Publer checks many boxes as an everyday social media scheduler. Its team management abilities in particular outclass competing options.
For straightforward planning/engagement tracking without sophistication of enterprise social suites, Publer warrants consideration from SMBs to solopreneurs.
Top Publer Alternatives and Competitors
Publer isn’t the only option in social media management of course. Below are leading alternatives with slightly different strengths and target markets:
Hootsuite
The veteran platform still considered an industry leader. More advanced options for large enterprises. Gets pricier at higher tiers but best for big agencies.
Sprout Social
Sprout focuses more exclusively on social media (no ads/web analytics etc). Great analytics and reporting. Intuitive interface but costlier pricing.
Buffer
Buffer pioneered social media scheduling. Simple interface ideal for non-pros. Affordable but less collaboration features. More limited reporting.
Sendible
Sendible straddles the line between simplicity for end-users and customization suitable for social agencies. Might appeal most to freelancers and boutique agencies.
As always, assess your individual needs and priorities before committing. But Publer warrants consideration amongst the many solid options now available now for streamlining social marketing.
Conclusion: Who Should Use Publer?
So, what’s the final verdict? Publer makes a lot of sense for non-enterprise users wanting an affordable all-in-one social suite.
Freelancers, solopreneurs, and lean startup teams stand to benefit most from its blend of scheduling, analytical dashboards, and excellent collaboration tools – especially given its free plan option.
For intermediates familiar with social media but lacking current tools to really systemize multi-platform posting, monitoring campaign results, and facilitating team workflows – Publer checks those boxes without breaking the bank.
Sure, power users and mega agencies may find it lacking the sophisticated feature set of premium-priced competitors or need specific integrations absent here. But for the majority SMB segment, Publer brings simplicity without sacrificing utility.
The product roadmap also suggests encouraging enhancements like TikTok integration on the horizon.
Thanks to its generous free plan and budget-friendly Pro packages though, Publer removes barriers to streamlining your social presence.
So if regular scheduling/monitoring is needed but you lack current solutions to organize cross-channel efforts efficiently, Publer warrants a look.
Try Publer today to determine if its features and pricing meet your social marketing needs:
