Hootsuite & Time Zones: 11 Things You Should Know (Explained)

Sometimes you need to complete work while traveling.

However, if you’re planning out your campaign calendar and are in a different time zone than your audience, will Hootsuite adapt to your time, or will it still use your set local time?

Here’s What You Need to Know about Hootsuite and How it Works in Different Time Zones:

Hootsuite will post in the time zone you have selected for your profile. You can adjust your time zone in your profile’s settings. Hootsuite will publish your content based on your selected time zone, regardless of your current time zone. 

1. What Time Zone Does Hootsuite Use?

There is no one time zone that Hootsuite uses. Hootsuite uses whatever time zone you set on your profile.

2. Does Hootsuite Default to Your Current Time Zone?

Hootsuite does not default to the time zone you are in. The Hootsuite Dashboard does not change time zones when you move locations.

The composer defaults to the time zone you set in your profile.

This means that if you’re working in a different time zone, you won’t have to make any confusing time adjustments when you publish content for your audience back home.

Check also our article here about Hootsuite and content calendars.

3. Does Hootsuite Suggest the Best Time to Schedule a Post?

Hootsuite has an auto-schedule function that can help you optimize your posting times.

The auto-schedule function can spread out content and even add variation in the time of posting for a single post meant for different social network platforms. So, if you publish something to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Hootsuite’s auto-schedule can publish it on the three networks at different times based on when there is the most traffic on each site.

Check out our article How Does Hootsuite AutoSchedule Work? for more information. 

4. How Do You Change the Time Zone Settings in Hootsuite?

If you want to use a different time zone for Hootsuite, you can change the time zone under your Account Settings.

• Open your Account
• Look for Time Zone under the Profile tab
• You will be able to select the time zone you want for your Dashboard.

5. Can You Always Change the Time Zone in Hootsuite?

You can change the time zone on your Hootsuite account whenever you like.

And of course, if you are constantly moving around and would prefer not to adjust your settings every time you travel, you can opt to just remember which time zone the audience you are targeting is in and schedule your post accordingly.

In both cases, the time zone adjustments need a certain level of diligence to ensure that you get the time right when scheduling content.

Just remember that a simple error in computing the time or forgetting to switch to your audience’s time zone can affect your reach!

6. What if I’m Using Hootsuite While Traveling in a Different Time Zone?

If you travel to a different time zone and use Hootsuite, it will still use the time zone set in your account and appearing on the Dashboard.

It will not automatically switch time zones.

7. Does Hootsuite Use My Time Zone for Scheduling?

Hootsuite will use the time zone you set in your account when scheduling content.

You can choose to change it in the Profile tab of the Account Settings outlined in Question Four above.

8. Does Hootsuite’s Customer Service Have a Particular Time Zone it Works in?

Hootsuite provides 24-hour support to all its users, regardless of the time zone.

It has offices in strategic locations around the world, making it easy for the company to respond to any queries at any time of the day.

Their 24-hour support is on top of the self-service help guide that Hootsuite has made available to all users.

Check out our article Hootsuite Customer Service | 9 Things You Should Know for more information. 

9. Can Hootsuite Backdate a Post?

Hootsuite does not have any feature that lets you backdate a post.

The ability to backdate a post is only available on Facebook. You can edit a post to backdate it within Facebook, but not on Hootsuite.

10. Can Hootsuite Change the Time or Date of an Existing Post?

Hootsuite cannot change the date or time of a post on any social media account.

Like backdating, this option can only be accessed on Facebook.

11. How Good is the Auto-Schedule Function of Hootsuite?

According to Hootsuite, the Auto-Schedule function is a “surefire way to get the most out of social media initiatives.” The service uses a “smart algorithm” to post your content at the ideal time for your audience.

Sounds good, but there are a few things you should know.

Many people wonder what sort of algorithm Hootsuite uses to determine the optimal time for posting. While it is a given that Hootsuite will choose a time when there is a high volume of traffic on social media, it remains unknown as to what exactly the algorithm is for choosing the times.

Is it based on the time your followers are most active? Or is it based on the time that users of a social network are active in the page’s set location? Perhaps it’s based on the time zone you set in your Hootsuite profile.

These algorithms remain a mystery for Hootsuite users, which is why some people don’t recommend using it.

If you want to know more about the Auto-Schedule feature of Hootsuite, you can read this article.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to worry about Hootsuite’s time zones, as you can choose the time zone you prefer and schedule your posts accordingly. 

Just set your profile to the time zone of your preference, and Hootsuite will publish it at the time of your choice, no matter where you are in the world.

 

Sources:

Why You May Want to Pass on Hootsuite Autoschedule to Manage Social Media

HootSuite introduces #AutoSchedule to Optimize Social Media Messaging

Change your time zone

Twitter Tip: How To Handle Time Zones in HootSuite