Thursday, April 19, 2012

Simplifying Social Media: Hootsuite













In the previous post, we narrowed down your list of social media platforms to those you will actually utilize. If you've chosen to use Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn (or a combination thereof) then Hootsuite might be a powerful tool in your arsenal.

Hootsuite is a FREE social media dashboard. In other words, Hootsuite is a program wherein you can log into several social media accounts from one place. So, for example, instead of logging into Twitter, then Facebook, and then LinkedIn, you can simply log into all three accounts at once using Hootsuite.

Obviously, this can be a huge time saver, especially since you can also schedule posts ahead of time. But more than that, Hootsuite will analyze the impact or effectiveness of your posts. For example, say you share a link on Facebook using Hootsuite. It will create a custom link in order to track how many people actually clicked on your link. (Have you seen the links on Facebook that have the "ow.ly" in them? Those were created in Hootsuite.)

Hootsuite also has mobile apps for both iPhone and Android, allowing you to stay connected on the go. And the rumor is that Hootsuite will be adding Google+ to its list of platforms in the near future. If you're looking to stay organized and save time, Hootsuite is the way to go.

Note: A word of caution when it comes to automating or pre-scheduling your posts. You may be tempted to pre-schedule all of your posts. But it's a good idea to post on your own every-so-often. Remember, people want to feel connected with you, and automating all of your posts can send the wrong message. Be organized, but stay personably by posting spontaneously, too. 


Hootsuite Basics:



Note: In the video she mentions that Hootsuite requires a Twitter account, however I have not found any evidence of this online. But feel free to correct me if you find something to the contrary!


Helpful Links:

About Hootsuite (official page)


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