A Twitter Client For Professional Use: Hootsuite – A Review

There are Sooooo many twitter apps and clients out there, including, but not limited to, Seesmic (Desktop & Web), TweetDeck, iTweet, Mixero, not to mention all the mobile apps like Ubertwitter, Twitterberry and the plethora iPhone apps…it would be nearly impossible to review them all (though Mashable & TechCrunch usually do a nice job of covering most of the worthy ones as the debut or update their service).

Anyhoo – I happen to have a particular interest in which Twitter App/Client is best suited for professional use – and I suspect many of you do, as well. Whether you’re in customer service, branding, marketing, PR, or advertising, there are certain tools that make a twitter client better suited for professional, rather than personal, use.

When Twitter was more for personal communication, networking, etc., I was partial to Mixero for my Desktop/Adobe Air platform and iTweet for my web based service. But that’s changed now that my uses for Twitter have evolved beyond simple chatter. In short, I’ve found Hootsuite to be the best for 3 reasons – metrics, multiple account management, and it’s browser-based.

I’ve included a short review of functions and features, as well as additional features I’d like to see added. But suffice it to say, between Hootsuite’s accurate and easy to read metrics and graphs on links and clickthroughs, the ability to create custom user groups, and the multiple account/use/profile option, it is really a wonderfully designed service and well suited to employ from a professional standpoint.

User Groups

Overview

• The search-column function allows for continuous monitoring of brand mentions
• The customizable user groups and tabs have allowed me to build my own personal interface – with one tab dedicated to news outlets and separated by topic and another for reporters, journalists, and bloggers, separated by beat and outlet.
• The multiple users and profile option lets people you work together with your client, or your counterpart, in-house – you can train them, show them how to use the service.
  • With the ability to teach clients basics and the best tactics and strategies, you can build up the account and hand it over to the client for full-time use and interaction, while you continue to oversee the operation.
• The statistics, metrics, and graphs on links and clicks – Clients will never stop asking you to show them the ROI of the time, money, and effort they’ll expend on anything, especially in the realm of social media. What better way than to show them how many people clicked on a link they tweeted with all the graphs and stats at your fingertips?

Features I’d Like To See In HootSuite

1. Enter/Return Key Tweets.
2. View List of Following/Followers.
3. BIGGER USER GROUPS – WHY THE 50 PERSON MAX?
4. Tags or Labels on Users/Tweets Already In Groups as the tweets appear in your stream (So you know not to add them to another group!).
5. The Ability to Drag Users into Groups/Columns/Tabs.
6. The Ability to Drag Columns to Different Tabs.
7. An “Is This Person Following Me” Feature – As Seen in iTweet.net.
8. The Ability To Send or Share Your Customized User Groups with other Hootsuiters
9. A REPLY ALL option to conversations/tweets with multiple participants
10. Integrated Twit-Picture/Twit-Video Service
11. The ability to search for keywords or topics just within the people I’m following
12. SPELL CHECK!
13. A “You’ve Got A New Follower” Announcement Message…preferable with a pleasant accompanying sound effect.

Features That Make HootSuite the Perfect Twitter Client For Professional Use

1. The Ability To Create Customized User Groups.
2. The Ability To Build Customized Tabs & Categories.
3. The Tweet Later Feature.
4. The Built in Ow.ly URL Shortener with AMAZING Stats & Tracking!
5. The Multiple Users/Accounts/Profiles.
6. The Option to save ANY search as its own column.
7. You Never Seem To Run Out Of APIs or Refreshes.
8. As a Browser Based App – it’s easier on the old motherboard and overloaded server than a Desktop client.

Stats & Metrics - Click-Throughs

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