12 Smart Ways To Use Hootsuite (For Beginners)

If you are looking for the best way to manage your social media profiles, then Hootsuite is your answer.

Hootsuite lets you organize your social media postings in one app.

You get to check the performance of posts, engage your audience, and schedule social media postings in a synchronized and calculated manner for higher impact.

Here are a few things you need to know about Hootsuite:

What are the Most Popular Features in Hootsuite?

1. Communication Tool

Did you know you can also use Hootsuite as a tool to communicate with your team members?

Use Hootsuite to leave instructions, comments, or simply check on the whole team collaborating with you.

2. Engagement Tool

You can respond to comments made on your social media accounts.

No need to go to the native interface of the social media account, as you can do everything using Hootsuite.

Remember that engagement is more crucial than getting more likes or followers on social media. It keeps your audience glued to you, as it encourages more activity.

3. Content Planning and Scheduling

This feature is what most social media managers came for when signing up for Hootsuite.

You see, being able to automate the process of posting social media content at a time you intend helps increase the efficiency of any social media team.

Many pages have a particular time when their audience is active, and that is why you do not want to miss these peak periods in a week.

And there are times you can’t always be in front of the computer to post at these designated times.

That is why scheduling is crucial, as you can upload in batches all the social media content you intend to publish, based on your social media calendar.

You don’t need to be online at these times, as once you schedule your content in advance, Hootsuite will publish your post at a time you choose.

The Hootsuite free plan lets you schedule up to 30 posts in a single time, with premium plans giving you unlimited scheduling.

4. Cross-Posting on Social Media Channels

The ability to post in one click on different social media platforms is what many social media managers have been looking for the longest time.

If the campaign you run requires posting on five (5) different social media accounts, that would mean copying and pasting the text four more times.

Even Instagram can’t cross-post that many, and on other platforms.

That is why the cross-posting feature Hootsuite is a coveted feature that social media managers need.

Not only can you schedule posts, but also these posts will be published at the same time on the different platforms you choose.

Roll out your promotions at the same time, without the hassles of going through your different accounts.

5. View Analytics

You can also view the performance of your social media posts through Hootsuite.

Access the reach of your posts, compute your engagement rating using the Hootsuite interface.

The analytics feature of Hootsuite is useful, especially with some social media platforms having only overviews of your social media performance.

6. Managing Advertisements

Did you know you could also manage your paid advertisements from Hootsuite?

Hootsuite also allows you to boost posts on your social media profiles so you can reach your target audience.

Set the budget, select the criteria of your targeting, how long the ad will last, and the budget without going to your different native social media interfaces.

You can also view the performance of these ads, including reach, and its engagement.

7. Hootsuite Academy

Hootsuite also has an education program that trains social media management professionals to master the art of digital media.

Called “Hootsuite Academy,” this program gives you access to free and paid training to help you keep up with the continually evolving nature of social media.

Enrollees get certifications after completing the programs, which will help in the advancement of their careers.

How can Hootsuite Save me Time?

Hootsuite saves you time by letting you access all the compatible social media accounts you manage under a single system.

No need to log into different sites, as a single system will show you everything you need.

Also, the scheduling feature lets you automate the posting process, so you don’t need to be always in front of the computer to post content for your social media platforms.

Five Smart Hootsuite Features you Need to Know

1. Monitoring Keywords

You can use Hootsuite to check keywords to help you engage potential customers.

Setup streams to track mentions or hashtags related to your brand, so you can check what people are saying.

If you have a particular niche service, you can also use this function to search for related terms, and you can introduce your product to people.

2. Track Reviews on Websites

You can install the ReviewTrackers plugin to help you keep track of how customers see your service.

ReviewTrackers searches the web for reviews made on different platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, and other services where businesses can gather feedback from previous clients.

That is useful, especially for restaurants, hotels, and other service providers.

From this feedback, you can help address any concerns raised so that customers are more willing to come back to you in the future.

3. Upload Drafts

You can have your team upload drafts before they even schedule them for posting.

Use the drafts function so you can review the works of your team and make the necessary edits to them.

4. Delegate Tasks

Since Hootsuite is a management system for social media, it would be unusual if you cannot assign tasks to your team.

Whether you are running a campaign or just the daily social media grind, Hootsuite allows you to delegate tasks to your people.

Log on to Hootsuite, and your team will receive notifications of any task assigned to them.

Cut the need for them to ask about assignments, so they can just check the task list!

5. Mobile Portability

Hootsuite comes with a mobile app to keep the team productive even when outside the office.

The mobile app gives you the same functions as the desktop web app, so you can continue the conversation outside when needed.

That comes in handy if you are handling an event with a parallel social media campaign.

You can still post updates across the different social media platforms, keep online followers engaged, answer inquiries, all through a mobile app that’s available on Android and iOS.

Which Hootsuite Plan works best for me?

Hootsuite comes in five (5) plans: Free, Pro, Team, Business, and Enterprise.

Free Plan:

The Free plan lets you schedule up to 30 social media posts at a time.

It allows you to manage up to three (3) social media profiles on your account, but only one person can manage these accounts.

If you are a one-man content creation team, this is perfect for you, as you can use this to synchronize your personal Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram account.

Pro Account:

If you need to access more social media profiles and like planning, the Pro account should work for you.

Aside from being able to manage up to 10 social media profiles, you can upload unlimited scheduled posts for your social media presence.

The Pro account is also a solo account, meaning you cannot have collaborators with you.

A Pro account costs $19 dollars monthly when billed annually.

Team Account:

If you need extra help in running several social media profiles, then the Team account is what you need.

The Team account costs $99 dollars monthly and billed annually.

This may seem like a big jump from the Pro account, but you are getting more than that.

Aside from doubling the allowed social media profiles to 20, you also get the unlimited scheduled posting, and ability to have a total of three people to manage these social media accounts.

If you are running a small digital marketing company, then this plan is for you.

Business Account:

The Business account is Hootsuite account for larger companies, such as startup ad and social media management agencies.

With the ability to have 35 social media profiles added, you can also have 5 -10 people on board this account to manage the assigned social media services.

Of course, you still get unlimited social media scheduling, with all these features.

The Business account costs $599 dollars monthly and billed annually.