(MKTG 347) Week 8 - Hootsuite

Chapter 7 of CASA Marketing Intro to Social Media Marketing by Todd Kelsey discusses using the website Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a social media marketing tool that can help you manage all of your social media accounts in one place. Hootsuite can be used to post content to multiple sites at once, schedule posts, and track what is being said about your company. This website is free but you can also upgrade your plan and get more options of things you can track and do.

Hootsuite also has something called Hootsuite University which is basically a learning module that teaches you about social media marketing and then gives you a certificate at the end. It may be something to look into if you want to learn more about this topic. For my class we have to become Hootsuite certified which is awesome because it just adds to the knowledge we are learning in our class about social media marketing.

Kelsey actually shows you how to setup a Hootsuite account and get started on the site. He suggests starting with a free account until you know if this website is something you will really use. Often times we get a little excited and think we are going to accomplish so much and in the end what we choose to do may have not been the best thing for our business. So instead, set small achievable goals and see how you do with those. If Hootsuite ends up being something that helps you achieve your goals then you can consider looking at the paid options.

The next step you will see once you create your account is linking your social media accounts to Hootsuite. You can link your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blog, etc. to your Hootsuite account. This is why it is important to have a presence on social media because then you will have more options of where you want to post to reach your target audience. If you do not have official company accounts yet you can always try adding your own personal accounts and just seeing how Hootsuite works. You may want to just get a feel for things before you commit to making a bunch of social media accounts. With the free version of Hootsuite you will only be allowed to link three social media sites so pick the ones that most relate to your audience.

If you want you can add a feature called streams which basically track when people mention your name on social media. This can be really helpful because if a customer is having a problem or has a complaint you can quickly address it and solve any issues.

Remember, exploring Hootsuite may be your best option before you actually purchase any type of package. Free tools are always fun and can actually be very helpful! Give it a try!