Key takeaways
- Start from the networks where your buyers talk to you.
- Separate broadcasting posts from one-to-one conversations.
- A unified inbox stops social messages getting lost.
- LinkedIn-led selling and consumer social marketing need different tools.
What should a CRM for social media marketing do
A CRM for social media marketing should capture people who engage with you on social networks and keep their conversations with the rest of their history. Without that, social messages live in personal accounts and leave when someone does.
- Bring social messages into a shared inbox or record.
- Create or update contacts from social conversations.
- Support the networks your buyers actually use.
- Connect to email and other channels for follow-up.
How do the social CRM options differ
The social CRM options differ in which networks and jobs they centre on. These notes come from each product's own pages; check their sites for the social features in each plan.
- HighLevel: a unified conversation stream across SMS, social DMs and live chat, with a CRM, funnels and sub-accounts for agencies.
- HubSpot: a full CRM with marketing and service hubs beside sales, and a free entry tier.
- Zoho CRM: a configurable CRM with a free edition and the rest of the Zoho app suite around it.
- ActiveCampaign: email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing with multi-step lifecycle automation.
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: lead and account search on LinkedIn's own network, InMail and Smart Links showing who engages with shared content.
- folk: a lightweight relationship CRM with a LinkedIn extension.
Do B2B teams need a different social CRM
B2B teams usually need a social CRM centred on LinkedIn and direct messages rather than broad consumer channels. Take an illustrative firm selling to finance directors: its buyers reply on LinkedIn and sometimes on WhatsApp, so it needs those conversations next to the contact record more than it needs a funnel builder.
How should social conversations reach the CRM
Social conversations should reach the CRM as contacts with their history, not as screenshots or notes typed later. Agree which conversations become contacts, who owns each one and how opt-outs are honoured across channels.
The products compared
HighLevel (GoHighLevel)
All-in-one marketing platform for agencies
A business platform it calls the AI-powered business operating system, bundling CRM and pipelines, funnels and websites, email and SMS marketing, calling, conversation AI and white-label sub-accounts for agencies.
Best for: Marketing agencies and service businesses that want CRM, funnels, messaging and calling under one roof, often resold to clients through sub-accounts.
Pricing model: Starter, Unlimited, Founder (called Pro in the FAQ) and Enterprise, month to month or annual, with usage-based charges for telecom and AI and paid add-ons. Source: HighLevel (GoHighLevel) pricing
Read the comparison with HighLevel (GoHighLevel) Visit HighLevel (GoHighLevel)
HubSpot Sales Hub
CRM platform with sales software
A CRM-centred sales suite with free tools, seat-based paid tiers, sequences, calling, forecasting, a prospecting agent and AI features, part of HubSpot's wider marketing and service platform.
Best for: Companies that want one mature CRM across marketing, sales and service, with the HubSpot Marketplace of apps and free tools for up to 2 users.
Pricing model: Free tools, then Starter, Professional and Enterprise priced per seat; onboarding fees on higher tiers. Source: HubSpot Sales Hub pricing
Read the comparison with HubSpot Sales Hub Visit HubSpot Sales Hub
Zoho CRM
CRM platform
A per-user CRM from Zoho with a free edition, sales automation, forecasting, cadences, built-in calling and the Zia AI assistant, part of a wider suite of Zoho business apps.
Best for: Small and mid-sized companies that want an affordable, configurable CRM with forecasting, calling and automation, especially if they already use other Zoho apps.
Pricing model: Free, Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate, per user per month, with a discount for yearly billing; CRM Plus is a separate bundle. Source: Zoho CRM pricing
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation platform
A marketing automation platform for email campaigns and multi-step automations, with AI agents across email, SMS and WhatsApp, landing pages and sales automation, priced by contact count.
Best for: Businesses that run email marketing and lifecycle automation to a contact list and want AI help building flows and campaigns.
Pricing model: Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise, priced by contact count with a set number of users per plan; yearly billing shown, with SMS and enhanced CRM as add-ons. Source: ActiveCampaign pricing
Read the comparison with ActiveCampaign Visit ActiveCampaign
LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn prospecting and social selling tool
LinkedIn's paid prospecting tool for searching leads and accounts with advanced filters, tracking changes, messaging people outside your network with InMail and syncing to a CRM on its top plan.
Best for: Sellers whose prospecting happens on LinkedIn and who want advanced search, alerts and InMail on LinkedIn's own network.
Pricing model: Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus, priced per licence with monthly or annual billing; Advanced Plus is custom-priced by team size and CRM needs. Source: LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing
Read the comparison with LinkedIn Sales Navigator Visit LinkedIn Sales Navigator
folk
Lightweight relationship CRM
A lightweight CRM for relationship-driven teams, with contact enrichment, email campaigns, AI assistants and a LinkedIn extension, priced per member with a two-week trial.
Best for: Founders and small teams managing relationships and simple campaigns.
Pricing model: Standard, Premium and Enterprise, per member, monthly or annual. Source: folk pricing
We make Pebbles Ai. Facts about other products come from their own public pages, checked on .
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilitySocialboxSocialbox brings LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram chats into one inbox, with LinkedIn network tools and search and LinkedIn and Instagram posts. You write every message yourself.
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsThe Pebbles Ai CRM (in Beta) keeps contacts, segments, deals, tasks and notes in the same workspace as your assistants.
Common questions
Is a social media management tool the same as a social CRM?
No. Management tools focus on publishing and reporting on posts; a social CRM focuses on the people and conversations behind them.
Which network matters most for B2B social selling?
For most B2B teams it is LinkedIn, with messaging apps such as WhatsApp used once a conversation has started.
Should agencies use a different CRM from in-house teams?
Often. Agencies managing several clients benefit from sub-accounts and white-labelling, which in-house teams rarely need.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
