It’s 2 am. You’ve already put your 2-year-old and your missus/hubby to sleep, taken the dog out for a stroll and watched the Midnight News (why??). The kettle is whistling away and as you’re adding sugar to coffee powder, the glowing screen of your notebook seems more inviting than ever. These are your fifteen minutes of fame. And boy, do you deserve them… Twitter.com is called into action. But what started as mental fun quickly evolves into a digital nightmare. The web platform is sluggish. Want to watch your timeline, tweets, favorites, sent tweets and mentions at the same time? No problemo – just open 5 browser tabs and you’re all set! How about spacing out (timing) your replies, so you don’t sound like a frantic squirrel on caffeine to your (past) followers? Too much for the blue birdie, it seems. “There has got to be a better way”, you’re musing while sipping from your steaming cup of java…
Launched in Dec. 2008 by Invoke Media, HootSuite is a web and mobile social media dashboard that helps individuals and organizations spread messages, monitor conversations and track results across multiple networks including Twitter and Facebook. The Vancouver-based company’s rapidly growing user base includes governments, artists and organizations like The White House, Martha Stewart Media, SXSW and Zappos. Accolades include awards from Mashable’s Open Web, Canadian New Media, and Shorty Awards. (source – HootSuite media kit). I’ve been using the free version of HootSuite as my social media (mainly Twitter) dashboard in the last few weeks, and I can’t recommend it enough. Here’s why:
1.Performance
HootSuite is fast and snappy. I’ve tested the web-based version on all major browsers and on various machines, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised time and time again by how fast it takes the dashboard to load. Considering that I open at least 6 Twitter tabs simultaneously, and that I’ve got a few thousand followers and a lot of activity going on, I find it impressive.
2.Reporting
Image credit: HootSuite media kit
With HootSuite, being a control-freak has never been more fun. Getting the basic details on any of your contacts (including their Klout score when applicable), is just a matter of clicking on their thumbnail/user name. Changes in contact details are updated almost on real time so there’s no need to refresh your dashboard. Under any tweet you’ll see the number of retweets, if it’s been shared around. Above any Facebook post the number of Likes and comments will appear, and reading the comment thread is only a click away. Creating custom reports is a breeze, and even with the free version you can quench your data-thirst with impressive analytics, to include beautiful charts on traffic sources, link sharing and a lot more. Heck, you can even share reports and have them sent to your email regularly.
3.Robustness
Adam's HootSuite dashboard
As its name implies, HootSuite is indeed a suit to fit your social needs. While I think it’s no Facebook replacement yet, it would certainly meet most of your Twitter demands and then some. As you start using it, you get the reassuring feeling of a true social management deck, where all you need to see takes place under one roof. Viewing your Twitter timeline, list streams, Facebook news feed or any other social stream is as simple as clicking a tab or sliding over to the right column. Everything just flows, no sluggishness and no moving parts.
4.Intuitiveness
Image credit: HootSuite media kit
If you’re like me you tend to switch your column tabs over every 2 seconds. Maybe you like retweeting your favorite messages, but before you do so, add a few words before the original tweet, like “Good stuff >>”. How about scheduling your message before you retweet it, so you don’t create too much noise for your followers? Or adding another stream without going through hoops? Making sense of your contacts by simply dragging and dropping them in the right lists? All of these options are just a fraction of what you can do on HootSuite. And it’s all nice and easy, in a way that makes you feel at home.
5.Cross Platform
Image credit: HootSuite media kit
HootSuite is web-based at its core. Nonetheless they’ve taken the extra mile to accommodate desktop users with apps for all 3 major platforms, including extensions for Firefox and Chrome. Those of you on the go can download feature-rich versions for iPhone, Android and Blackberry, as well as iPad and Keitai.
How about you?
Are you using HootSuite?
What’s your favorite social media platform?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments…
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About Adam
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I'm not using HootSuite but attracted by the reporting feature. However, I'm not a control freak and once I settle in somewhere [TweetDeck in this case] it's hard to uproot me. Unless I'm desperate, of course.
Nice article, Adam.
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Thanks for your comment Demian.
I've been using TweetDeck for a while but have found it to be really sluggish. It could be my machine though, and I'm willing to give it another try. As it's been been bought by Twitter recently the web version is just a matter of time. I'm just like you – I stick to my guns unless I really have to switch. HootSuite is great but I still need to test other systems before I reach a 'final verdict':)
HootSuite certainly has some attractive features. I cannot believe how much analysing it can do. I am not technical nor do I have thousands of followers to manage, but this post really gave me a feel of what I could have as a social media dashboard when my followers increase in numbers.
Great article Adam. You are really reaching all of your readers/followers at every level.
April
Thanks April. HootSuite's analytics are indeed powerful. I've only scratched the surface here. I'm going to review other social management systems in the future, and I'm open to suggestions of course:)
Adam Thanks for hipping me to your Blog. I love it. I even learned a few things..lol. I was first introduced to both HootSuite and Tweet Deck at the same time. It just seemed easier to use and became my platform of choice when I started getting into this space in January thanks to my cousin @Iconic88 recommending both of these platforms.
Looking forward to following this blog! and thanks for sharing,
Big Paul
Thanks for that Paul. I like both HS and TD and I keep trying more platforms. I still haven't found a choice to replace all the social networks I use successfully, but the quest goes on…
Wow Adam that was indepth, very useful, I have been using MarketMeSuite, but I often get asked about free options, so now I can recommend HootSuite with confidence. I have also shared it on facebook too.
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Thanks for sharing my post Becky. I don't know MarketMESuite but if you're recommending it I might give it a try. I'm already using a paid platform called Sendible but I'm not completely satisfied with it. HootSuite is good, even the free version ticks most boxes. If you want to use it as a team you'll have to shell a few pounds I guess…
@surferlifestyle uses Hootsuite… BAM there is reason 6!!!!
Gotta luv that hootsuite!
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First time I have heard about this word..”Hoot suit” Really and don’t know even what is it and details for it.. Thanks to you for updating me about the latest technology.. Its good that you have also given the reasons for using it now I really wanna use it and then definitely i’ll share my experiences with you..
Thanks
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Awesome Sara.
HootSuite is one of the leading social platforms out there.
I can’t wait to hear about your experiences with HS!
We are currently considering using this tool, we find it quite usefull and not too expensive in it’s pro version.
Very nice review, helpfull and insightfull