Hootsuite is a tool that is designed to collate all of your social media accounts and manage them from a single, handy dashboard. With Hootsuite, you can write, send, schedule and track posts from a simple interface across multiple networks and multiple accounts. Hootsuite is web-based and does not require any software download. It is easy to use and is great for monitoring analytics and performance.
Social Media DashboardHootsuite primarily runs from a social media dashboard, which provides a clear picture of all your social media activity across all of your accounts and allows you to post to all of them from one place.
Hootsuite gives you access to up to three of your top social media streams for free. Choose from Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Instagram, Google+ amongst others. This can be so much easier than trying to manage all of your accounts directly from a browser or individual mobile apps.
Social Media Monitoring ToolA really useful, albeit less used, aspect of Hootsuite is the social media monitoring tool. With it, you can track what people are posting to your accounts, and you can also monitor what they are saying about your brand. This is done by creating a feed that is based on a search term i.e your business name. The monitoring tool then gives you access to a stream of all public mentions, which include that search term. It doesn’t matter whether they have been directed to your accounts or not. This is a useful tool although it doesn’t offer the degree of flexibility or features that dedicated social media monitoring tools have. It is, however, a good option for SMB’s which have a unique brand or business.PricingHootsuite uses a subscription pricing model that starts from $9.99 per month. There is, however, a free trial available with no credit card needed.
Bottom LineHootsuite is really useful platform that lets you update multiple networks in one step, including Twitter, Facebook (profiles, events, groups and pages), LinkedIn (Profiles, Pages and Groups), WordPress, Google+, Vimeo, and Instagram. It has some useful tools, such as the ability to build custom Social Analytics reports, or you can choose from a variety of pre-made templates. Overall, given its simplicity and comprehensive approach, Hootsuite is good social media management tool.
