Update Your Status on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin with One Application

Sometimes it can be cumbersome to update your status on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin by having to visit the individual sites.

Your readers want to stay connected to you in various ways and some prefer different outlets.  You have to make sure that if you create a social media stream for your users to follow you, then you need to continue to use it so you don’t lose your reader’s interest.

I am a part-time blogger since I am also a full-time stay at home mom and involved in various organizations.  Even though I am considered a “stay at home mom,” it seems like we are never at home!  So staying connected in different outlets took a lot effort, but not any longer with HootSuite.

HootSuite
HootSuite is first and foremost a Twitter toolbox that has received rave reviews for many of its features.  HootSuite was recommended by many probloggers at BlogWorld 2009, so I decided it was worth trying out and I have never looked back.

Some of its features I love include:

• Easily RT, DM and Reply by selecting the username and the appropriate icons
• Ability to schedule updates
• Shorten a URL quickly and easily
• Provides analytics to track links clicked
• View the conversation for @replies

Other Features I Haven’t Tried:

• Ability to Manage Multiple Twitter Accounts
• Feed RSS to Twitter automatically
• Import Existing Lists and Create Lists
• Easily upload photos and documents

HootSuite Works with Facebook, Linkedin, and Ping.fm
HootSuite updated its application at the end of November to allow you to provide current and scheduled status updates on Facebook, Linkedin, Ping.fm, and Twitter.

I have been using this feature for about a week and it has not only saved me time from going to various sites, but it allows me to stay connected and be more active with my readers and friends.  Now I can update my status in Twitter, Facebook Fan Page, and my personal Facebook account with one application.

Will all updates go to all streams?
You can be selective in which stream you want your updates to be posted, so something that you would want to go to your personal Facebook update, won’t automatically be posted in all streams.  When you enter your status update, you select the icon for which stream(s) you want that to be posted in.  You can also update all of them with the same status.

Can you view your Facebook Friend’s updates from HootSuite?
Yes, and with pictures!  After you import your other social media streams (ex. Facebook) into HootSuite, you will see Tabs for the different streams.  Click on a tab and you can view the wall status updates of your friends and can make comments to their updates.  You can also rename, add, and delete tabs.

It Gets Even Better…
You can easily add your social media stream as a column in HootSuite so you can see your Twitter and Facebook info on the home screen.

The Downfall…
There isn’t an iPhone application for HootSuite yet.  If we could just get this awesome application on our iPhone then I would have no more excuses for not staying updated.

Do You HootSuite?
Just give HootSuite a shot if you haven’t already fallen in love with another Twitter Toolbox.  I have found that it saves me time and I love its organizational structure.  Hopefully you too will find it useful.  If it doesn’t work for you, then at least you have nothing to lose.