Item: Hootsuite
Rating: 9
Author: Nicholas Shields

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I used HootSuite Pro in two different capacities. First as a very passive user when an agency we worked with brought it to us. After not finding much use other than scheduling a few Twitter updates, I was ready to end our contract. I reached out to HootSuite directly and quickly changed my tune. Once the agency was cut out of the equation I found the tools available were great. I could publish content to various social channels, review analytics and a monthly call with my very helpful account rep kept me up-to-date on the latest additions. I quickly found myself doing all my engagement via HootSuite. It was a one-stop shopping experience that allowed me to post, respond, and review social activity. Keyword and hashtag searches were easy to set up for both Twitter and Instagram and if I ever had a concern my rep was addressing it ASAP. Now that I don't use it at my new role I realize how helpful their tools were. While it is not the prettiest layout on the market it is effective. The mobile app also came in handy when out in the real world and not near a computer.

Pros and Cons

Publishing and scheduling social posts.
Continuing to build and add new apps that make life easier.
Unlimited analytics made for a numbers man dream. Creating and exporting reports was easy.
Great account rep, always attentive to my needs.

My only real concern is that some apps they provide require signing up and pay for the services. I felt that if it was being made available to me via Hootsuite which is already paid for then there should not be additional costs. I realize that this probably would drive the price up dramatically but still a bit disappointing seeing a new toy but not being able to touch it.
It's not much to look at, drab grey and black. Could be a bit more aesthetically pleasing.

Return on Investment

Increased employee efficiency
Better and more timely customer service
Ability to create and share reports with senior management in a nice package

Alternatives Considered

Salesforce.com

Much easier to use. Salesforce is great for data but can be overwhelming.

Support Rating

5

It is a neutral response. I never had to many issues that required support. I worked with a great account rep who I spoke with once every few weeks, they helped keep you in the know and provided you with additional resources to keep you upto date with what was going on in the social space.

Key Insights

Do you think Hootsuite delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Hootsuite's feature set?

Yes

Did Hootsuite live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Hootsuite go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Hootsuite again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

HootSuite Pro is perfect for a social media manager with limited time and resources to run all channels through a central hub. It is easy to set up all your channels and monitor from one location as opposed to manually running all channels natively. It is also a great way. to schedule posts ahead of time allowing you to get more done.

Customer Engagement

For me, it was a great way to centralize all of our outbound messaging, but also really keep tight tabs on all my inbound messaging. I was able to see in one place messages we received, mentions we received, hashtags used, and it was all in neat stacks that were easy to read and sort. One log in got you all the info you needed. Plus you could respond right there in Hootsuite.

Customer Support

Hootsuite's support team was very helpful, they scheduled regular calls, they kept you informed on new tools rolling out, and were always easy to get a hold of. Implementation was very easy and the help center and training resources were easy to access and easy to use. They didn't over complicate things and everything was clearly labeled without insane amounts of jumping around from topic to topic to find what you needed.

Users and Roles

3 - Marketing, Social Media, PR

Support Headcount Required

3

Business Processes Supported

Posting
Monitoring
Centralization of tools

Innovative Uses

Standard use

Future Planned Uses

None

Likelihood to Renew

9

HootSuite Pro is a solid product. Good support team, good tools, easy to use and understand. They have great tutorials, I was never left just sitting and staring at my computer wondering what to do next. It was a very intuitive and a time saver.

Products Replaced

No

Key Differentiators

Price
Product Features
Product Usability

Product features. We looked for the tool that was going to be feature-rich with little to no ramp up time. Turnkey was important.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I wouldn't, we made the right decision at the time.

Hootsuite Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	None

Exceptional Examples of Hootsuite Support

They set up calls for the first few months to check-in and see how things were going. They were responsive and always brought up the new tools they were rolling out.

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar	None

Easy Tasks

Social Posting
Adding new streams for monitoring
Analytics reports

Difficult Tasks

None, I found it really easy to use.

Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions

Yes - It came in handy on several occasions when facts changed, or I needed to address a customer service issue and was not near a computer.

Usability

9

HootSuite Pro was easy to use and they provide great support. You are never left to figure something out on your own, they make sure you are equipped and ready to roll.

HootSuite Made My Job and Life Easier

Software Version

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Hootsuite