Just when you think you’ve finally mastered how to blast out tweets on your own, HootSuite comes along and takes Twitter to a faster, advanced level. HootSuite is Twitter’s mega-toolbox that makes using Twitter simple and easy.
HootSuite takes the guess work out of your Twitter experience and will make you a Twitter guru in no time. You don’t have to keep logging into separate accounts anymore, which can be a big hassle when you don’t have time to spare. HootSuite saves you time by allowing you to add multiple Twitter profiles at once.
With HootSuite, you can also update multiple accounts, add editors (for more than one tweeter), and schedule tweets in advance. This is a great marketing and branding strategy for your company. You can plan out your Twitter campaign BEFORE you tweet. The toolbox allows you to post “live” updates directly from the Dashboard. Updates show up on your Twitter profiles for fellow tweeters to view – it’s just that easy and SAVES you time throughout your busy day.
Once you’ve set up your account and add your Twitter profiles, HootSuite practically navigates itself. Another convenience is its easy-to-use bookmarking toolbar, Hootlet. Just drag the icon to your toolbar and you’re ready to “hoot.” The bookmarking toolbar allows you to click on a website, create a tweet, and post a URL (automatically shortens with ow.ly). You can either post the tweet “live” or send the tweet later.
If you want to measure the success and ranking of your tweets, the Stats tab allows you track clicks. If you want to measure your statistics, remember to add the owl.y URL shortener or clicks won’t be tracked. Individual tweet data is also available (by date range).
HootSuite incorporates standard Twitter functions into its toolbox feature including: DMs (direct messages), replies and search. Additional time-saving tricks include:
- Send DMs (direct messages) in tweet box – write ‘d username’ or ‘dm username’ in front of your tweet
- Sort tweets by tweet date, date created or by author.
- Use the “Shrink it” feature to shorten long URLs.
- Automates with the “Save it for later” feature – select date and time for when you want tweets sent. Allows you to choose email alerts after they are posted.
- Post multiple updates to different Twitter accounts at once
- Allows RSS feeds which delivers unique, updated content
- Automatically saves searches so you can go back and find past searches
