The Advent of the Rockin’ Hoot Suite 5
Our host today is Suzanne Vara. If you're interested in getting in front of the readers of Site Sketch 101, check out our guest posting invitation here.
HooteSuite has gone through a complete overhaul with the launch of Hootsuite5. The latest version supports HTML5 allowing for amazing features, a sleeker interface and much faster loading, a problem that plagued HootSuite and sent users on a mass exodus toward TweetDeck.
HootSuite5′s Killer New Features
There’s a reason that the new HootSuite dashboard has been creating such a buzz throughout the internet. Actually, there are several reason and here’s a few of them.
1. Design Themes. Choose your own theme from the three new designs: Blue Steel, Classic (the familiar green and blue) or Magnum.
2. Geo-Searching. Searching for location based tweets has never been easier on HootSuite5 with the introduction of GeoSearch through HTML5. Traveling? Find local restaurants, book stores and also new followers to meet up with.
3. Google Analytics Integration. Analyze your statistics, track leads and conversions to sales using OAuth within your HootSuite5 dashboard.
4. Facebook Links. The most requested feature has now been added. Your Facebook updates just got a bit more enticing with the ability to add a thumbnail, title and description.
5. Drag and Drop. Add images to your tweets easily by dragging and dropping the image from your desktop into your update. HootSuite5 will take care of the upload and and shorten with Ow.ly.
6. Retweets. The retweet function has been upgraded to add your own comment or a straight native auto retweet.
This latest version HootSuite5 is definitely a drastic improvement for users. The integration of Google Analytics, the easier interface, the drag and drop features, all cut down on time and allows you to stay in touch with your Twitter followers quickly and conveniently.
Are you a HootSuite user? If so, be sure to stop by below and let us know what you think of the improved interface. Is it better for you? What else still needs to be changed?
Nicholas Cardot said:
I actually just discovered Hoot Suite as a result of your writing of this article and I have to say that even as a web based twitter application, it really gives Tweetdeck a run for it’s money. It loads quickly and it looks great. I don’t understand how they pack that much functionality into it. It’s really tremendous.
Great work, Hoot Suite.
Derek Jensen said:
I love HootSuite too! It’s a great tool to organize everything that Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have to offer.
What I don’t get though is how this helps me blog with passion and/or power.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
You’re right. Most bloggers don’t use Twitter to connect with other bloggers and if they did, they certainly wouldn’t want a sleek, convenient dashboard to help increase their efficiency in reaching out to potential readers.
Gautam Hans@Blog Godown said:
I’ve always been a fan of hootsuite and now it has become unbeatable. It is always one step ahead of all twitter apps
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Nicholas Cardot said:
It really does seem like Hoot Suite and Tweetdeck are in a fierce competition to produce the #1 best twitter application and they are definitely both doing a terrific job at it.
Bruce Teague said:
Hootie has always been my favorite and I’m really digging the new version. Particularly the Google Analytics. It’s a bit limited, but good for my daily quick glance. One less thing to log into.
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Nicholas Cardot said:
I’ve never really gotten into Hoot Suite until I saw this update but I’m incredibly impressed with what they have to offer. I’m definitely a user of it now.
Suzanne Vara said:
Bruce
I believe I can say with a bit of certainty that this is just the beginning of the GA integration as well as other tools and platforms. This not only tells us the power of twitter as integration a twitter dashboard it gives us a sneak peek of where we are headed with integrating other platforms. Before long I am sure that we will be able to access our LI and FB as well as write a blog from HootSuite.
@SuzanneVara
Nabeel | Create Your First Website said:
Whoa first time I heard about HootSuite5. Looks really cool.
Where can I get it? No link in post for this cool tool??
Nabeel
Nicholas Cardot said:
Just head over to http://www.hootsuite.com and check out all the awesomeness that they have to offer.
Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing said:
I’ve been agonizing over this decision for months, i really appreciate this update.
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Suzanne Vara said:
Dennis
I looked into HootSuite, Seesmic and Tweetdeck what seems like forever ago. At the time, Tweetdeck and Seemsic were trounced HootSuite but now HootSuite has come back in the game. These changes are just the beginning and definitely have put the engineers at Tweetdeck back to interface work.
@SuzanneVara
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Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing said:
Most seem to be deciding based on desktop vs. web. I don’t really care either way, so it comes down to features and ease.
You would pick hootsuite, yes?
Nicholas Cardot said:
I actually use both. Use Tweetdeck at home because it is desktop and I use Hoot Suite 5 at work because I can’t install desktop applications on my work station.
Onibalusi Bamidele said:
I recently logged in to my hootsuite account just to find this new feature there.
I must confess this is personally great and will make way for a better user experience.
Thanks a lot for the great post,
-Onibalusi
Eric said:
I use Hoot Suite here and there and noticed the change when I logged in last. I was using TweetDeck and got rid of that just because it got annoying. I’ll have to look more into this.
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Mark Atkinson said:
I have never used HootSuite before, and have only just begun my Twitter campaign.
It sounds really promising though, will be sure to download it and give it a try!
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