Tag: Hootsuite

Is your Business using Hootsuite?

If so, make sure you’ve read the following changes recently made to Hootsuite policy.

To keep users’ information safe and secure, Facebook is changing the way all partners like Hootsuite access data.  Hootsuite is in full support of these changes because they believe they are critical to maintaining trust between social media users. Some of these changes have impacted or will impact Hootsuite functionality.

As of April 4th, changes to the Facebook and Instagram APIs have impacted Hootsuite in the following ways:

  • Facebook Group, Event, and Page Search streams will no longer display identifiable user information such as username and profile picture.
  • Facebook Page Search streams will be deprecated. It will no longer be possible to add streams for Pages you do not own.
  • Facebook Events and Groups will be deprecated from the dashboard, including:
    • Events streams for Facebook profiles, groups, and Pages.
    • All Facebook Group streams: Timeline, Scheduled, and Activity.
    • Publishing to Groups.
  • Facebook Pages added or reconnected in Hootsuite after April 4 will no longer support Facebook private messaging functionality. This means that the following will no longer be available:
    • Messages stream for Facebook Pages.
    • Automation and assignments for Facebook private messages.
  • Mentioning Instagram users, Facebook Pages, or Facebook users in posts will no longer be supported.
  • Tagging Facebook branded content will no longer be supported.
  • Liking Instagram posts or comments will no longer be supported.
  • Following or unfollowing Instagram users will no longer be supported.
  • Commenting on Instagram posts will no longer be supported, except Instagram Business profiles who can continue commenting on their own posts.
  • Instagram user search streams will be deprecated.
  • Instagram data will no longer be available in Hootsuite Impact’s Brand Tracker module.

As a social media manager, these changes are sure to impact the day to day management of our client’s social media platforms and the implication of this will only be felt in the coming weeks.

Is this the start of the end for all third-party apps on Facebook?  I think so.

Karen Twomey is a freelance Public Relations and Social Media Consultant with Communications Hub  For further information Tel: 087 7642576 or email: Karen@communicationshub.ie

Why Social Media Scheduling Works

When I do social media training with businesses I never leave without having set them up on an online scheduler and, without fail, it positively affects their ability to produce good quality online content.

The benefits of using a scheduler include saving time, enabling better targeting and making it easier to implement a well-planned content calendar.  An online scheduler will also allow you to view all of your online profiles on one dashboard, which makes for easier measurement of analytics.

And they’re not the only reasons why you should be using one…

LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCEwww.communicationshub.ie

Monitor your brand, your competition, and what your customers are saying about you on social media.

ENGAGE WITH CUSTOMERSwww.communicationshub.ie

Never miss an opportunity to connect with your audience or join conversations that are important to your brand.

MEASURE YOUR SOCIAL ROI www.communicationshub.ie

Make smarter, data-driven social media marketing decisions with confidence, so you can grow your business and your revenue.

 

My favourite scheduler is Hootsuite which supports social network integrations www.communicationshub.iefor Twitter,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Google+,  YouTube, Blogger, and much more.  It also has some great downloads such as:

  • Hootlet – ‘Find & Share Anywhere’. Quickly and easily share content to your social networks from anywhere on the web
  • Hootsuite App – Free mobile app to schedule, publish, and monitor conversations
  • Hootsuite App Directory – Collection of extensions and applications business professionals can add to their Hootsuite dashboard to create a customised experience eg. Dropbox, Gmail, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Review Tracker, Survey Monkey, Vimeo.

While Hootsuite works for me, there are other options out there too such as Everypost, Buffer and Social Oomph.  Several custom pricing plans are available, and each can be tested out through a free trial period.

Conclusion

Each social media scheduler has advantages and special features, but it all comes down to what you personally prefer.  Whichever one you choose, just make sure your business is using one.  You’ll reap the benefits, I promise!

Karen Twomey is a freelance PR & Social Media Consultant who specialises in online campaigns and social media training.   For further details check out her website  www.communicationshub.ie