The more addicted you get to Twitter, the more you need Twittering tools. If you are juggling several Twitter profiles, as many Twitters do, take a look at HootSuite. This free Web-based Twitter management tool allows you to manage multiple accounts while also offering several must-have features including URL shortening, statistics, and tweet scheduling.
Because HootSuite runs in your Web browser, there’s no software to download or update. Simply sign up for a free account, configure your account with all of your Twitter profiles, and begin tweeting – or is that hooting?
Upon signing in, a dashboard displays basic information for each Twitter profile. At a glance, you can see the last tweets sent as well as if you have any pending tweets, @replies, or direct messages. While the dashboard view gives you a quick overview, far more information is available. Click the “Jump to Profile" link and pick a profile. Once loaded, you can see the tweets of all of the people you are following as well as additional information such as statistics, favorites, and searches.
The HootSuite uses the Ow.ly URL shortening service to shrink longer URLs into smaller ones. Not only is this necessary due to the 140-character limit of tweets, it’s built in. Simply copy and paste your URL into the Ow.ly box and click the Shrink It button. In addition to the convenience, when you use the Ow.ly URL shortener, HootSuite can then provide you with statistics detailing how many people clicked your link.
Entering a tweet from within any profile is a breeze thanks to the large text box complete with avatars from each of your Twitter accounts, the Ow.ly shortener box, and a send later feature. Enter your tweet, paying attention to the character countdown as you type, and then click the avatar that you want the tweet to be from. A large green checkmark gives you a visual reminder of which Twitter profile the tweet is coming from. You can send the tweet immediately or schedule it for later.
The Send Later feature is terrific for Twitter users who want to spread out their tweets or take advantage of different time zones. Because all tweets from HootSuite are labeled in Twitter as “posted from HootSuite," other users are not aware that they are viewing previously scheduled tweets. On the other hand, tweets from Twitter scheduling services such as Twuffer and Tweet Later are fairly obvious to savvy users as having been prescheduled.
HootSuite’s search feature automatically saves previous searches, making it easy to return to your favorite searches and see the most recent tweets for those keywords. For example, if you are in the market for a new home and regularly search Twitter for mortgage rates, simply click the “mortgage rates" button and see all of the latest tweets for that phrase.
Another neat tool is the Hootlet tool. Simply drag and drop the Hootlet to your Web browser’s link bar and click it any time you want to tweet about a Web page you are currently visiting. A small window appears allowing you to pick your Twitter avatar, type in the tweet, and either send the tweet right away or schedule it for later.
One area where HootSuite disappoints is that it doesn’t offer a user grouping feature as some of its competitors do. If you follow hundreds of people, some of your favorite ones can get lost in the Twitter stream. One workaround is to create a search for each of your favorite users and then periodically click the search button to view all of their recent tweets. While HootSuite does have a “Favorites" feature, it is for marking your favorite tweets, not your favorite people.
The Internet is loaded with Twitter applications (some free, some costing hundreds of dollars). HootSuite is one of the best of the bunch and is fully loaded with useful tools. Hoot!
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