For non-profit and small business staff juggling multiple social networks, Hootsuite is a lifesaver.

If you’re not familiar with the social media management tool, here’s the run-down: Hootsuite allows you to manage most of your social networks in one place.

Like a web browser, you can set up one tab per network, so you can toggle between, say, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Within each tab/network, you can monitor a home screen (feed, wall, etc.), your own sent and scheduled messages, and searches and mentions of your brand or specific keywords.

Furthermore, you can create and schedule messages, on one or many networks, with features like shortened links, images, location tagging, and more.

Benefits of Hootsuite:

 

The major benefit of Hootsuite is that it consolidates your social media work, whether on your desktop or smartphone. All of your networks are in one place, for monitoring, scheduling posts, or just reading the latest messages.

Other benefits include:

• Schedule messages across multiple channels at one time. This is a major time-saver.
• The automated search function allows you to do that “social listening” everyone keeps talking about. You can set up searches for keywords, hashtags, your org/business name, a competitors name, etc. Then, each time you look at Hootsuite, those searches are right at your fingertips.
• Shorten links right within Hootsuite. And you have easy access to analytics telling you how many clicks those links got.
• The Hootsuite iPhone app gives you nearly all of the functionality of your account in a single mobile place.

Advanced benefits of Hootsuite:

• Use the AutoSchedule feature to schedule your posts for the optimal time on any social network.
• Geo-target messages and searches for where you are or where you know your customers are.
• Access Hootsuite videos, tutorials, and their blog for the latest product features, as well as some of the best social and marketing advice available.

If you want a peek under the hood, this instructional video is brief, informative and gives you a visual on what the tool looks like:

For many small shops, the free plan will work just fine. You can manage up to 3 social networks with access to the scheduling feature and basic analytics reports.

The pro plan is where I’ve been for a while. I can add other users, manage up to 50 social networks, and schedule or store drafts of messages in batches. This plan is still inexpensive, but we can get you a free 30 day trial here [affiliate link].

Hootsuite is not for those non-profits or small businesses only managing 1-2 social profiles on a very sporadic basis. Hootsuite would be too big of a tool for the job.

However, if you’re managing 1-2 social profiles every single day, or juggling 3 or more profiles overall, or if you want to take your social listening to a new level, Hootsuite is something you should consider.

How are you currently managing your social media profiles?

Are there questions you have about managing multiple profiles? I’m happy to help. Leave a comment or contact me.