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Three Reasons Why I Love HootSuite Pro
HootSuite Pro – The 3 Reasons I Love It
I’d like to thank Lisa for thinking about me for this post. I’ve been going on about HootSuite Pro for some time now and you’ll soon find out why. Enjoy the read!
Throughout my first year of blogging I was introduced to tons of online tools I “just had to have.” But out of all the tools I’ve seen and been using the one that has helped me keep it together has been HootSuite Pro. Allow me to explain.
Being a work-from-home mom is a split shift between running a home and running a business. It’s a 24-hour 7-day a week job so there has to be a balance. And while I’m reading the latest on a new tool I always ask myself, can I use this while I’m on the go?
I think Lisa summed it up best in her post called The Race To Post, Comment and Share To Success in which see talks about making time to accomplish all of our “things to do” as a blogger.
We all know we have to be consistent posting new and informative content. But in order to maintain traffic and make connections we have to take time to read other blogs, comment, and share.
And how to do I that when I’m sitting in the parking lot waiting for my kids to get out of school or practice?
Enter HootSuite
I had been seeing HootSuite all over the place it was THE platform to access your social media accounts in one place. You would think that should have been good enough for me to sign up but I was okay with having multiple windows open and accessing each social media account separately. That is until it started getting busy.
I Love Me Some HootSuite!
I signed up for the free version of HootSuite. Imagine my surprise when I learn there’s much more to it than just accessing social media accounts. The free version includes adding up to 5 social media accounts, access to an analytics report, message scheduling, and up to 2 RSS feeds.
I finally found a tool that can help me save time and for a work-from-home mom on the go that is just about the best gift I can get. I didn’t hesitate to go Pro and here are the three reasons why I love it.
- You can add as many social media accounts as you’d like. This allows me to see my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and G+ accounts without opening multiple windows. I can reply quicker to friends and colleagues.
- Unlimited RSS Feeds. This feature is awesome! Now I won’t miss any new posts from my favorite bloggers and I can share the posts at the same time.
- Message Scheduling is an awesome feature for those who are always on the go. Let’s say you have an appointment in the morning but you want to share your post. You can schedule a day and time for your messages to post to your social media accounts. It keeps traffic going to your blog even while you’re away.
But Wait, There’s More
There are some other cool features as well. I’ve recently learned, wait for it…that there’s an app for HootSuite for those of us who use a mobile phone to conduct business and they launched a new feature called HootSuite Conversations that lets us talk to team members or end users in real time.
Awesome tool, huh?
To HootSuite or HootSuite Pro
If you’re still using the free version and haven’t decided on upgrading, like my friend Adrienne says in one of her posts, what the heck are you waiting for? If you’re looking for something to help you save time, this is it.
There’s even a free 30-day trial. I know you’ll love it as much as I do. By the way, I am an affiliate, so if you do decide to purchase using one of these links, I will get commission for it. But trust me folks, I wouldn’t promote something I wasn’t using myself or I thought was a questionable product. HootSuite Pro is the real deal.
Over To You
Looks like I’ve gone on and one about HootSuite Pro haven’t I. So what’s holding you back from going with Hootsuite Pro? Maybe we can talk about any questions you might have. Not that I’m an expert, but I do love solving problems. Fill in the comments section below and let’s talk.
Manage Your Social Network Settings Easily
Social Network Settings Today
Social Media Era
Manage Settings
Right Box to select your social network
● Click on the right box and select the one from available social networks you would like to change settings.
● Now click on left box and select the setting you wanna change in selected network.
● Simple enough. Isn’t it? 
Now click GO button and it will take you to where the specific setting is located.
If a selected setting is not available for your selected network, then you will get a user friendly message there saying you can’t proceed.
Do you think it’s an easy way to manage social network settings?
What Can Pez Collections Teach Us About Social Media?
The Pez Collections and Social Media
November 30 is Worldwide Take Your Pez to Work Day. It was started by one person in an office in the smallest state in the union. The person wrote to a Pez magazine about it and then it was shared on the worldwide web and before you knew it a Facebook group was formed. It went worldwide in no time.
What can pez collections teach us about social media and life itself?
- That we need to take time to enjoy the small things. It’s a just a pez right? But a small thing like that can bring people together and put a smile on someone’s face.
- The world is smaller with social media. The person that started this probably didn’t think he would talk to people from all over he world about pez collections.
- Doing something different breaks up the daily grind. It allows us all to become more creative. It can then be used in other areas of our lives.
- Social Media can really spread a movement worldwide quickly. We have seen this for many events and uprisings over the world. We can really hope it is for the good more than not.
A Little Pez History:
Did you know Pez candy has been around for over 80 years? They were made as a breath mint in Austria. Years later a manufacturing plant was built to handle the volume of orders. The first dispensers were made in 1948 to help smokers quit. They looked like lighters. In the 1950′s they made Pez dispensers to target kids and expand their market. Popeye was the first licensed dispenser for Pez. In 1974 they relocated to the United States in Connecticut. (sounds like a day trip to me coming on) Feet were added in the late 1970′s so people could stand their Pez dispensers up. In 1993 Christy’s held the first auction featuring Pez. Just last year Pez introduce 2 new flavors – Strawberry Vanilla and Raspberry Lemon. You can read about the Pez history here. It’s amazing to see how a company can grow and change over the years.
Of course I had to share it the Pez Collections story over on Twitter.
Luv this!RT @lisapatb: Did You Take Your #PEZ to work today?bit.ly/Va73AD via @paperblog
— Jenn Riggle (@riggrl) November 30, 2012
@lisapatb like? ummmm it was cute. lol
— Robert Caruso (@fondalo) November 30, 2012
Do you a have a favorite Pez dispenser or another collectible item? Does it have a special day too?
Watch for my new post on Tweet Seats coming soon!
Social Media Meets Golden Age of TV with Second Screen Apps
Social Media and TV
With the high number of quality television shows available weekly, there is no denying that we are in a golden age of television. Combine that with social media’s coming-of-age, and it’s a television fan’s dream come true.
Don’t just settle for flipping through the channels and talking to your coworkers the next day about the random shows you watched. Get the most out of your TV watching experience by trying a second screen application for greater engagement through social media.
Here are seven of the top second-screen and social media TV apps for television fans everywhere:
1. GetGlue
GetGlue is a pioneer in entertainment-based social networking. After you download the GetGlue application for your iPad, iPhone, and Android, you can “check in” to whatever show you are watching. You can see what your friends are watching, and receive recommendations. You can also unlock stickers and rewards for discounts at major entertainment companies. A sign that you can expect even more big things out of GetGlue? Time Warner led a third round of funding that totaled six million dollars.
2. Miso
Miso started as an application allowing users to simply “check in” to what they were watching. As other social media networks started allowing media-sharing, the company realized it needed to add more value. It partnered with Boxee, DirectTV, and AT&T to allow users to synchronize their phone with what they are watching on TV. Imagine watching “Girls” on HBO, while you browse information on your phone about where Lena Dunham’s outfit is from and which NYC coffee shop they are gossiping in.
3. Zeebox
Zeebox is a free application courtesy of iPlayer founder Anthony Rose for your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone. It bills itself as your “TV sidekick” and syncs up with your TV and can even act as a remote control. Select what you are watching and interact with your Facebook friends via the application. You can also connect Zeebox to Twitter, allowing you to browse tweets relevant to the show you are watching, as well as Tweet from the app.
4. IntoNow
IntoNow comes to us from former search engine giant Yahoo! in an attempt to dominate the second-screen. In addition to partnering with shows like “Revenge” to offer users a chance to win week-long vacations, IntoNow gives users the ability to talk about TV shows on Facebook and Twitter. Available on Apple and Android phones, IntoNow offers fun show-related trivia as well as extra videos with social media.
5. Boxfish
In addition to being a close relative of the pufferfish, Boxfish is an iPhone and iPad application attempting to revolutionize how you experience TV. Boxfish cleverly captures the closed-caption information broadcast on shows. It then indexes the data and makes it searchable. Use your device to search for what you are interested in watching, and Boxfish will search what is broadcasting live on television to recommend a show. If you wished you could search TV like the internet, Boxfish is your answer.
Android users who own an Xbox, this one is for you. Synchronize your Android phone with your Xbox console, and you can use your phone as a remote control. In addition to altering playback, you can navigate your console’s library, scroll through your gameplay stats, and edit your Live profile. The application launched in October, so expect a lot more from Smartglass.
7. WiO
WiO is a promising new opportunity for advertisers. When a participating advertiser or product appears on the show you are watching, additional information is sent to your phone. See a TV character putting on a certain brand of makeup and a coupon for that brand may be sent instantly to your phone. It can instantly add a reminder on your calendar to use the coupon before it expires, and send information back to advertisers about your interest.
Some consumers are concerned that they are already distracted enough by their phones, but a lot of companies are betting big that social media interaction via a phone or tablet is the future.
Do you think second screens will change the way you watch television with social media?
My Pet Peeve On Using Share Buttons On Your Blog
Share Buttons Should Be Labeled, No?
I have a pet peeve that I have been seeing more and more lately and it surprised me. It’s the social share buttons I come across. When I go to share posts from blogs the share button says @wordpress.com or via @Shareaholic. I then have to manually change it on Twitter if I want to give credit to who wrote the piece. I see this on WordPress.com blogs, Shareaholic buttons and Digg Digg buttons. See below how it shows @wordpress.com? My poor friend Adrianna hasn’t added a Twitter account yet – she is too busy being a fantastic hair stylist and salon owner. But I’ll use her as the example today so I do not offend any blogging friends.
This is an easy fix and I don’t understand why more bloggers don’t use it. It helps to see who is the author and give credit to them on the social networks. All one has to do is to fill out the pieces with their user name. I will use an example of one of my WordPress sites to show how it’s done.
I’m going to focus on Twitter here but the same can be done for the other share options available. So you just click on Twitter and a screen will ask your Twitter username and will ask you for permission to connect the account.
After you authorize your Twitter handle for the share buttons it will come up like this next. Only select this option if there are more than one user of the blog. Some multi-author blogs can choose this option.
And now you can see the difference below that the share buttons will make, when someone clicks the tweet button. And the same would go for the other social share buttons too. This is one of my own WordPress.com blogs for a reunion I help put together for workers of a newspaper I once worked at.
You can also do this with the Digg Digg plug – in for the WordPress self hosted websites. You go into your Digg Digg plug-in and then to your Global configurations there and you will see this screen where you can add your usernames. You also can add your username for the Buffer. The Buffer is really a must and you know how much I love the Buffer app.
I have not used the Shareaholic share button – everytime I visit a blog with it it takes much longer to share and process. I would highly recommending going with Digg Digg for your share buttons and that app will also track your shares with its analytics. Very nice feature!
Will you change your share buttons today if they are showing up as WordPress.com, Shareaholic or Digg Digg?
