#HootTip: Try “Drag and Drop” in #HootSuite
The HootSuite dashboard is packed with features and tools designed to simplify your social media management. Plus, we’re always adding more.
To help you get acquainted with the various functionality (or just give you a refresher), here’s a #HootTip highlighting a handy way to use the dash.
Drag and Drop
In the pursuit of delivering the best social media dashboard possible, our developers consider everything which impacts your user experience. A few months ago, we added a variety of tasks you can speed along with the “Drag and Drop” functionality – it’s a convenient and simple feature that makes managing your social media even easier.
You can use Drag and Drop to:
- Add Users To Lists
- Add Users To Your Tweets
- Auto-Upload Images and Files
These tips are easy to learn and can help save you time in the future.
How To…
* Add Users To Lists
There are many ways of adding users to a Twitter List and the Drag and Drop makes it quick and easy. Start with an existing list or create a new one (see our earlier #HootTip for instructions on creating a new list).
- Access Contacts in the side menu, click on Profile and select a profile under Lists.
- Drag a user’s avatar image from “People Following Me” or “People I Follow” views and drag and drop onto your preferred list.
- That’s it. That’s all. Your selected user will now be added and a confirmation message will appear.
* Add Users To Your Tweets
Ever need to add a variety of people to an update? You can quickly populate your desired recipients by dragging and dropping avatars from a stream to the message box to conveniently @mention a user. It’s super easy and makes sure you don’t miss anyone.
- First, select a social media profile – including Twitter, Facebook, or any other
- Then, drag a user’s avatar image from a stream and drop into the message box (note: when dragging and dropping users, be sure to drag the user’s avatar and not their name)
- That’s it, you’re good to go when the selected user’s Twitter handle appears in the box. Happy Tweeting!
* Auto-Upload Images & Files
HootSuite’s Ow.ly URL shortener is also a great tool for sharing images, or even .PDF files. With a simple drag and drop, your image goes from desktop to Owly and adds a pre-shortened link to your message.
- Start by dragging and dropping your image or file by directly from your desktop or folder and dropping into the Message Box
- Watch your image or file upload to Ow.ly then notice a pre-shortened link added to your message (note: depending on the size of the file – the upload may take a few moments)
- Easy as 1-2-3. You’re done! A confirmation message will appear when the upload is complete and your photo or file will live at that address permanently allowing your friends and followers to vote it up, Re-Tweet it or share via a variety of social channels
Like many updates, we’ve added these handy features based on your helpful feedback. What’s your next idea?
Keep an eye out for a new #HootTip each week – they’re short, sweet and re-Tweetable so you can share your HootSuite expertise with your friends and followers. Some lucky RTers may just find themselves with a #HootKit… It’s our way of saying “thanks for spreading the word.”
these are great tips. Love the drag and drop function. What if you don’t have an avatar handy and you want to mention someone in a tweet? Is there a way to have it show up as you start to type their names? That’d be very helpful as well. Thanks. I’m a new user to HootSuite and liking it very much.
Glad to have you onboard Jared. Once you’ve sent a Twitter to someone, their handle will auto-complete when you start typing.
Hi chaps. I’d like to post onto my fb page, as my profile, using hootsuite but cant find a way of doing this?
Please visit the help desk for tips for using Facebook. http://help.hootsuite.com
Hey Dave, this is incredible feature! I love it!
love-love the new options!! HootSuite continues to impress me with the constant efforts to update, and find new ways to handle tasks, and tweets in a most efficient manner! This is why HootSuite is the leading 3rd party App in Social Media! #LoveTheOwl
@MyAgenda
Hmm left a nice comment last night, but it’s gone this morning:(
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I love-love the new options; click and drag of avis and photos or files is a fabulous option!
All this and more makes HootSuite the leading platform in social media!
@MyAgenda
Great! The tip for adding users to tweet was new to me. I like that feature!
It would be nice if you could drag an image from a website to the message box.
Why can I not just simply @someone and have it actually work when Hootsuite posts to Facebook? The way mentioned above complicates things because the pages I am trying to link to have many times not had any interraction on my page whatsoever which makes it impossible to drag and drop their info…
Hi Deryk,
The drag and drop functionality only works for Twitter. Facebook’s API currently does not allow for user tagging. It’s certainly something we’re considering as it’s the #1 most requested feature.