Hootsuite dominates social media marketing

In this day and age, most people are glued to their mobile device and information gets thrown at us from left, right and centre. So when a brand is competing for attention, especially through social media, they need to be eye-catching, useful and trustworthy – and maybe a bit humorous.

Hootsuite – the social media management giant

Anyone who wants to become more social media savvy has heard of Hootsuite – if you haven’t, it’s okay, you’ve found this blog and now you know.

Basically, they are the keeper of all things social media – they do it all – they educate, connect, manage, schedule, etc.

“We are not just a social relationship platform. We are not just a tech company. We are creators, innovators, and builders dedicated to revolutionizing the way you communicate.” – Hootsuite, 2017.

And an added bonus, they are a Canadian company!

Increase brand awareness / Distribute content

When investing time and money into social media, you want the best webinars, expert insight and easy-to-follow resources, so you can become your companies expert, especially if you are starting out.

I believe Hootsuite sets a great example of ‘trying before buying.’

They produce so much free content that you have no idea where to start reading, but you can’t get enough. They are always coming out with new content, so you never not want to be disconnected from them. Their online social presence and website is clean and professional and isn’t cluttered with ads. My first impression was they know what they are talking about and they are not going to push product on you. If you truly love their content, you will share it on your social platforms. And if you’re a one-person team and need all the help you can get on a small budget, you will buy their management system based on their content and customer service alone. They care about their followers, paying or not.

Hootsuite has created such a following and established legitimacy that they have their own social media education branch. This company has become the leader in social media which has allowed them to create courses and exams, alongside experts and universities, that are recognized by many business and companies as formal training.

Legitimize a brand

Each week the company hosts a #HootChat on Twitter. It is an hour of online discussion that anyone can participate in which covers an array of different topics (ie: how-tos, dos and don’ts, best practices, etc.). This seemingly simple marketing tactic generates a lot conversation around the brand in a way that is inviting, knowledgeable and positive – so much so they often are one of the trending Twitter topics in Canada. They have social media and marketing experts that lead the conversation in order to provide their point of view of the online world and provide guidance on how we, as non-experts, can excel in the work we do.

See you again for #HootChat next Thursday where we’ll have @MadalynSklar here to discuss how to run a successful Twitter chat! pic.twitter.com/WAtkf1sp4c

— Hootsuite (@hootsuite) June 22, 2017

According to Nick Martin‘s bio, the Social Engagement person at Hootsuite who helps facilitate the chat, these weekly events take place on Thursdays at 12PT/3ET. If you are ever interested in joining in on or listening to one of these conversations, don’t be afraid to pipe in, there is a lot you can learn. The more people who join in, the larger Hootsuite’s community grows. Also, the people and experts who participate are fun and full of insight.

Increase sales

As one of the social media people at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), we rely on their social media management platform, daily. It has helped us to organize, analyze and monitor all three of our social channels in one spot.

We chose to buy into their product and company because of the content they produce, the knowledge that they share and the customer service that we’ve received. Now, here I am, writing a blog about a product and company I, personally, and as an employee of an organization, trust.

Lessons for Others

• Host an online chat. Get people talking about you or your company. However, don’t do one without a plan. Make sure you have questions prepared you would like people to answer and give insight on. Or open up your business and company for a Q&A and let your followers ask you the questions. It can show transparency. Many athletes do this on their down time and it is always a hit. Have a plan and messaging ready if you can anticipate the questions.
• Don’t be afraid to share free content.
• Make sure you have a consistent look and feel to your website and online presence so people feel like they can trust your brand.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

---

References