HootSuite Super Powers for Small Business Professionals
I think I’m in love
I’m too busy to use 15 different programs to get my social networking done effectively. I work full time and still need to squeeze in good quality interactions with my blog readers, customers and colleagues.
HootSuite to the rescue
Ahhh, HootSuite. Such sweet music to my overwhelmed ears. And it gets even better by the day as more useful tools are added. HootSuite has been one of the most widely used Twitter web apps and I’d venture to say that those numbers will increase sharply with their recently launched iPhone app. Now small business owners can manage several aspects of social media from any computer or while on the go.
HootSuite’s super powers
- Allows you to add multiple social media accounts
- Supports Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Pages, Ping.fm and Wordpress.com Blogs
- Twitter stats for all URL’s shortened using their ow.ly service
- Keyword tracking with separate columns
- Saved searches
- Twitter lists function (which can be used as a group type setting)
- Option to schedule tweets for a later date/time
- Browser bookmarklet allows you to tweet instantly, schedule a tweet and shorten links – all with the click of a button
- HootSuite provides desktop apps to compliment the web app too: Mac and PC programs, Chrome and Firefox extensions, even Greasemonkey scripts
My favorite super power of all is HootSuite’s surprisingly versatile iPhone app for Twitter. I’ve tried many different apps for Twitter and I come away with a handful of pros, along with a list of things I wish they could do. HootSuite has a few shortcomings too that the TweetDeck app makes up for, so I use them together to make quick work of my social media interactions. TweetDeck’s Facebook integration is a plus and its detailed group management tool rocks for following and retweeting my favorites. But overall, I find myself using the HootSuite app for everything else.
>>> The short of it – - HootSuite is a must for busy business owners looking to simplify and condense the time spent on social media marketing! Grab your apps here and get started saving precious time and energy.
Take a quick video tour of the HootSuite iPhone app
Social Media Impacts Green Business Practices
It was recently reported that social media influences how businesses are handling their eco friendly practices. It makes sense seeing that 15 million people use Facebook and companies such as Ford are hiring Mom Bloggers to help with social media campaigns. Companies are engaging in social media to hopefully learn more from their consumers but to also put it all out there and let the consumers understand their business practices and efforts.
Social media to a mom blogger and business person mean different things. As a mom I think of social media that same as I would think of calling my friend to tell her a movie was bad or that I loved a new soap I tried on my baby. It means conversation and making friends the same as I would at the library or park with my kids. I wouldn’t expect a stranger to take my word but someone who I see every week at the library and who begins to trust me; I would think my advice and word would hold some weight and visa versa.
For companies I think of social media in the same way, a conversation but one that involves more listening and understanding. Free market research, advice and a great way to really hear what people are saying because there are lots of different “rooms” so to speak to be that fly on the wall. Engaging as a business is more than just blasting a message out there but if you’ve listened, had a dialogue and become trusted because the business is genuine then the result is much the same as it is for the mom.
Companies ask me often whether I believe social media and blogging will become commercialized and that there are concerns that there is Twitter on the news and wonders if people will tune out like they do with commercials or other forms of advertising.
It depends on what goggles you are looking through. For me, I think it means success to see moms being rated by Nielsen and Twitter on the news and my husband realizing that I do something important. I also think if you’re using social media to communicate, engage and listen with full transparency and to learn with the rest of us – those that do get too commercialized will fail and others will blow by them.
Are you engaged as a business?
Should My Business Be On Facebook?
It seems like everyday we hear of someone creating a Facebook profile and connecting with a long lost friend on Facebook. It sounds blissful and easy but often times I am asked, for an individual or business what is the benefit to this social networking site and is it right for my company?
There are 150 million people on Facebook and it happens to be one of the top 10 Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites in the world. Like most great things it began as a social experiment and was intended to help friends keep in touch. It still does this but for years it was mostly college students that used this application but it has expanded into all age groups of adults.
Members of Facebook can upload pictures, search for friends, leave a message on profiles of others. The problem we all might be familiar with is the type of information that college students and teens were uploading and the repercussions that this had. Videos, photos and comments can go viral and spread. This taught us all a lesson on just how the internet is not private and has to be used with caution.
As previously mentioned, Facebook has fanned out to be more than just for a teen or college student. Businesses can use it for networking, connecting with other businesses and targeting potential customers. Using Facebook applications that are developed to brand a company, having discussions with customers, posting coupons, deals, incentives and the list goes on.
The plus, it is free for business owners to create a profile and to communicate with customers they can create a Fan Page under their business name. Every registered member gets their own home page to create a profile and become friends with others they trust. With Fan pages a business creates a page for their business name and others can become a fan to stay up to date with the company, show support, post comments and questions.
Entrepreneurs can use their Facebook profile to tell others all about themselves. Many times, businesses never really have a chance for potential clients to learn more about the person or people who run the business. More focus is put on advertising, growing the business and promoting its products or services. With a social networking page on social sites like Facebook, customers and other business associates get a chance to find out about the person behind the business.
Anyone can join or create a group on Facebook. These groups bring together like minded people according to business, personal, or other social factors. Groups talk to one another; share business tips and create a useful connection in many different ways.
Businesses use Facebook pages to showcase products or give customers a place to ask questions and record comments about the products they have used. They can talk to each other and compare notes. Big businesses with famous brand names use Facebook to gain insights into consumer trends. It may be free but all businesses using Facebook to communicate and listen to their consumers have to spend time and money to do so. Need help with this, the 3 Green Angels have you covered!
The 411 on Web 2.0
Web 2.0 seems to have become the buzz word when it comes to marketing. Every business wants to merge their marketing plan with a Web 2.0 strategy. It seems like as popular as the term “Web 2.0” is more people would really understand what it means but truth be told we get asked daily to explain exactly what Web 2.0 is. If you need to understand this term, read on to find out more.
Way back when Tim O’Reilly coined the term at a conference and since then it has take on and developed into the advancement of social networking sites online. In a nutshell, Web 2.0 is actually a platform that supports and brings more to these social networking sites. Still confused? Don’t be just keep reading.
Before going any further it is necessary to understand what social networking is and if you take the idea of the networking offline and morph it with the online world you have social networking. Individuals forming connections and building relationships online; imagine those wooden blocks with the rounds balls that connect the sticks. The sticks are connected to the balls but without the sticks there would be no connection. Very basic and simple but it gets over complicated with terminology.
Web 2.0 provides the base where these interactions occur and how they occur. People can created individual profiles or a group/business profile to meet people. Feeds, content blogs, social networking sites such as Ning, video sites, message boards and instant messaging sites are all examples of the platform, Web 2.0.
Many social networking sites use the Web 2.0 platform as their basis and these include:
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Wikipedia
• MySpace
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Flickr
There are many more, but you get the idea from the partial list. If you belong to any of these social networking sites, you have sampled a Web 2.0 platform. Each site utilizes user-generated content that is ranked by the search engines. Good content is found and the content producer gains a following that can be used to gain popularity on the web or increased visibility for a business.
Web 2.0 platforms are used by businesses, universities, and families. It is a way to keep in touch with easy to use and manageable applications. One useful application is the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed which automatically updates subscribers when changes occur to your page. This is specific application is frequently used on blogs and news sites to save readers time. They no longer have to check their favorite websites daily for updates. Instead they receive a notice via email or in their feed reader when something new has been posted.
