BuzzSumo App Review: Use Marketing Tools and Research to Reach Target Audiences

BuzzSumo is a content marketing and research tool PR professionals can use to identify the most popular content to access target audiences. The information obtained can then be shared with specific social media influencers who share similar content with large audiences allowing for more social media engagement and successful marketing campaigns. There are a variety of features users can utilize including: content discovery, content research, find influencers, and monitoring.  

Content discovery is where users can view what stories are currently trending before they go viral. Another helpful feature is the question section where PR professionals can look at what type of questions consumers are asking pertaining to their content. This can help with strategic marketing by ensuring these questions are answered, in turn meeting the consumers’ needs, thereby generating more interest from key stakeholders.  

The influencers section is where you can search for the right social media influencer or company that will help you promote your content and target audience.  Users are also able to choose the most appropriate social media platform as part of their marketing strategy. The next excellent feature is data monitoring. Here one can track how many times their business or product has been mentioned, and this can easily be shared with clients to demonstrate engagement and if they are reaching their audience.  

                                                Image by BuzzSumo via BuzzSumo 

Versions and Pricing 

Inexperienced users can use the service for a 30-day trial period. Thereafter, BuzzSumo is available through a monthly subscription ranging from $199/month to $999/month. Each plan has specific features tailored to meet the needs of the number of users and functions. Plans include Content Creation, PR & Communications, Suite, and Enterprise. The lowest one is for one user and gives access to content creation, research, and analyzers. The highest plan of $999 serves up to 30 users and all features are available from research, influencers, to content management.  

What’s the Best Thing About the App 

As previously stated, the best thing about this resource is the ability for content creators and marketers to identify trends and create specific campaigns to meet consumers. In addition, being able to build rapport with social media influences who have the following will tap into the right demographic. This is a huge asset for today’s market with social media platforms granting access to millions of users worldwide. BuzzSumo also allows users to search across all content areas, including blogs, web pages as well as social media outlets. Lastly, users can monitor how their marketing is doing compared to competitors and how they may need to adjust strategies and build branding.  

                      Image by BuzzSumo via BuzzSumo 

What Can Be Improved 

Since this app sets itself apart from the rest by using data and research to support public relations professionals in reaching their target audience and strategic marketing, access to more features within the plans should be considered.  Whether one is a single owner of a privately owned business or a public relations agent working for a larger firm, being able to analyze and reach influencers should be available in every plan since this is a unique asset. Right now, the site only taps into track content and engagement is YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter (X). It has yet to expand to other popular social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok. 

Currently, the app is solely a computer-based site and does not have a mobile application available for download. Although an app is not available, whether you access the site through a computer or your mobile device, the interface remains the same and all functions are accessible. 

Resources  

Connell, A. (2024, January 4). BuzzSumo Review-Is It Worth the Cost? Startupbonsai. https://startupbonsai.com/buzzsumo-review/#:~:text=BuzzSumo%20cons&text=It%20doesn't%20offer%20any,t%20any%20authority%20metrics%20included. 

[Do not rely on guesswork-content research image]. (2024). https://buzzsumo.com 

[Shortlist tastemakers and trend breakers-influencers image]. (2024). https://buzzsumo.com 

Skrypka, I. (2023, November 14). 15 Handy PR Apps to Help You Manage Your Public Relations. Prnews.io. https://prnews.io/blog/pr-apps-for-pr-and-marketing-agents.html 

The Media Database That Really Understands Journalists. (n.d.). BuzzSumo. https://buzzsumo.com/