Chances are that if you’re exploring a Buzzsumo alternative, you are looking for software for content analytics. But before you read on, please look at these 5 Questions to Ask Software Vendors before doing anything else.
What is Buzzsumo?
Brandwatch acquired Buzzsumo in 2017, then Cision acquired Brandwatch a few years later in 2021. The easiest way to describe this software is that it provides analysis of keywords and phrases mentioned specifically in long-form content like blogs, news articles, and YouTube. Buzzsumo tracks the performance of that content-based engagement (or shares) on social media channels–Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest. It also analyzes the number of inbound links to each article.
So, imagine searching within Buzzsumo for just the word TikTok. The results will yield the top articles based on engagement metrics from social media channels. See below.
The platform also provides trending content based on engagement data and is categorized by various verticals, like business, technology, and marketing. It’s a great tool for getting content ideas, identifying influencers on Twitter and YouTube, and tracking influential reporters and journalists. Buzzsumo pricing is very affordable and perfect for consultants and small businesses.
I’m not sure what Cision’s plans are with Buzzsumo, but I hope they decide to integrate it into the core Brandwatch platform. That would be a game-changer.
Newswhip is the Buzzsumo Alternative
Newswhip analytics is an alternative but more geared towards enterprise customers and could be very expensive depending on how many licenses you need.
What is Newswhip?
Like Buzzsumo, the Newswhip allows you to track content across the news media and even company websites, but there are a few differentiators to consider. First, they have more robust filtering enabling you to segment the content results by various verticals, languages, locations, and more.
They also have Facebook integration that tracks the keywords across public Facebook pages. I should also mention that their exporting capabilities are much stronger than Buzzsumo, which is advantageous if you want to mine or blend the data with other sources. See below.
Newswhip Spike
The biggest differentiator of the Newswhip app is a separate program called Spike. This add-on feature costs extra to access, but it is worth it. It uses predictive analytics to track the velocity of a particular story based on shared data. The Newswhip Spike dashboard (see below) is ideal to track real-time news about any trending topic and is perfect for crisis management or other brand issues. There aren’t any Newswhip Spike competitors with this level of predictive analytics.
SEMrush vs Buzzsumo
A few times, I’ve asked if an adequate Buzzsumo alternative is SEMRush. It is not the same at all and is more complimentary than anything. There are a few overlaps, like the keyword research and the backlink checker. SEMRush is more for the SEO consultant or agency, and Buzzsumo is more for content marketers.
I put together an overview of social media technology that may help as you explore a Buzzsumo alternative or new social software for your business. The next question is: is Buzzsumo worth it? I would say yes, 100%. Whatever you decide, it’s a smart business move to invest in the right technology that can power your digital marketing programs and campaigns.