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Posts Tagged ‘HootSuite’

Celebrate Friendliness ~ HootSuite for iPhone Manages Contacts, Lists and Prefs

September 1st, 2010

Time flies! Already our little mobile Owl has grown one version older as HootSuite for iPhone celebrates version 1.1.6  for both the Full and Lite versions.

But what do you get an Owl for such a big day? Well we all chipped in and gave our feathered friend some shiny new features — which we suspect you’ll be excited about too.

This mobile Owl enjoys making life easier and these new tools will help you be even friendlier.

HootSuite for iPhone -- Now even Friendlier

HootSuite for iPhone -- Now even Friendlier

Contacts are Special

These people we call “followers” are reaching out to learn your thoughts and actions from morning beverage selection to philosophical discourse — now you can get to know these people on the other end of the Twitters with refined “Contact Management” allowing you to search for user to follow.

Tap the all-new Contacts tab on the main menu to quickly search for people and view profiles. Simply type a friend’s name or nickname and HootSuite will find the most relevant person on Twitter. Then you can follow her in just a couple of clicks, plus add to your lists. Try it out and see how much friendlier you become, instantly.

List O’ Rama

Search for people and lists

“Lists are the new follow,” says Owly. And now, list management is elegantly integrated into the iPhone. Lists are a powerful way to follow just the stuff and people ‘you really, really care about’ in a simplified view. Within the Lists tab, you can:

  • Add new lists — public or private
  • Manage existing lists — add and remove people
  • Modify lists — change names and descriptions
  • View lists created (or subscribed to) by others
  • Subscribe to lists created by others (even secretly)
  • Save lists as a new tab with a quick click
  • Read followed lists in a unique tab

Additionally, lists are a way to share the social affection as a sort of endorsement for your Twitter faves.

Bump, Owly Style

Bump to Follow

No longer must you fiddle with misspelling weird Twitter nicknames, typing at meetings and wasting time! Instead, just “Bump” to follow.

HootSuite for iPhone’s Bump feature has graduated from the Lab and is ready to make adding people to your social networks easier than ever.

Simply “Bump” your iPhones with a your new friend and the little owl will take care of everything else. (Note: Please, don’t get *too* excited and break your phones).

Even Shinier

To impress your eyes, everything in the new version is even shinier for iPhone 4 users –  each graphic from the icons to the interface elements are now in full hi-res so your phone will sparkle as brightly as your retinas will displays.

Custom Touches

Preferences Galore in HootSuite for iPhonePerhaps we are a tiny bit obsessive about making the app perfect for your tastes. Now with a list of new preference settings, you can adjust settings for a custom experience, including:

  • Font size from 13 – 20pt
  • Avatar size from none to large
  • Geotagging — auto on/off
  • Photo upload quality + save to library
  • Re-tweet style — classic or native
  • Timestamp — relative or absolute

Now you can really tune HootSuite to look and act as you’ve always wanted. If something is still missing, it might appear in the next release. Remember you can offer feature requests and encourage your fellow enthusiast to vote it up.

Mayor of Everywhere

Where are you? Check-in with HootSuite for iPhone

It’s important to have a bit of playtime and the popular social-geo-location “check-in” game Foursquare is ready for your leisure time in HootSuite.

Just click the “menu” arrow from the compose box and choose “geo-location” and send your coordinates to your pals.

Whether you are at the pub or the park, your friend will flock towards you — check-in frequently and you’ll earn badges … and you’ll want these badges.

More from the Owls

Owls do manage to sleep occasionally … but all waking hours are spent making this application the fave tool in your app toolbox.

Always be the early bird by following @HootSuiteiPhone for the latest updates and news. And if you have any problems or concerns, visit the fully-loaded Help Desk and/or follow @HootSuiteHelp.

Download from Apple App Store:

HootSuite for iPhone
HootSuite for iPhone Lite

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HootSuite in the Public Service ~ Approved for US Federal Agencies

August 27th, 2010

Ready for Service

Here at the HQ, we are proud to be the first and only social media dashboard in the Apps.Gov catalog and are pleased to announce that HootSuite is officially approved* has released “federal friendly terms of service” and is now listed as a social media dashboard application for United States government agencies. {Note: See clarification/update below}

This designation means that we’ve worked with the GSA New Media team to amend the HootSuite Terms of Service to address a few specific requirements specific for US federal agencies. Now these agencies can use HootSuite without jumping through extra hoops, approval queues, or application processes.

The official GSA New Media Twitter account published the announcement to alert the various agencies:

Social for the People

Today, people are reaching out in all sorts of different ways through multiple social channels including Twitter, Facebook, and more. And governments are no different.

Smart agencies, task forces and departments are effectively utilizing the same efficient and inexpensive communications tools which “regular folks” use for socializing with friends. Who’d have predicted that one day tools like Twitter would play a role in international diplomacy as well as delivering basic services and information?

Gov Watch

Here are some of the innovative USA government agencies, authorities and organizations who chose HootSuite as their social media dashboard — and you’ll find many others on the @hootwatch/gov-ngo list.

Any other US Gov agencies flying with HootSuite yet? Send us a note @hootwatch to say hello. Of course, we’re also watching municipal, regional and international governments and enjoy seeing the unique ways you are using HootSuite.

Has your organization conducted a successful social media-powered campaign using HootSuite? We enjoy hearing about these and making case studies. Let us know your ideas.

* UPDATE FROM APPS.GOV

Point of clarification regarding what it means for applications to be on the free social media page on apps.gov.

First, no application is “officially approved as a web application for United States government agencies.” Being listed on the apps.gov social media page means that the provider has amended their standard TOS to not comply with federal law.

While these TOS amendments resolve the major legal issues of the sign-up process, clarify expectations, and set the stage for productive use of these services, agencies must still comply with laws and regulations on security, privacy, accessibility, records retention, ethical use, and other specific agency policies and requirements when they use the tools. Agencies are advised to seek the advice of their counsel on whether the TOS is legally appropriate for their use.

See http://apps.gov and click on the Social Media Apps section in the top navigation for more information.

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Introducing HootSuite Freemium ~ Message from CEO Ryan Holmes

August 11th, 2010

Hello HootSuite Community,

HootSuite is pleased to announce new premium packages designed for business and organizations, while also continuing to provide a free version for most customers.

Following in the steps of industry giants like Salesforce, Basecamp and Flickr, we’ve crafted the package tiers to provide the most useful tools to as many customers as possible while also providing advanced tools to customers who need the business-centric features. We’ll keep listening closely to see how we succeeded in meeting your needs.

Tiers for All

We aim to continue providing free service to approximately 95% of our current users. Based on a customer survey (thanks again to all of you who offered your opinions), along with a comprehensive review of usage data, we’re confident we’ll achieve this goal.

This means most of you will continue to use HootSuite in much the same way you do today. Additionally, power users and enterprises with teams can confidently rely on HootSuite for critical campaigns knowing there will be continuity of service from a stable company.

What’s This Mean for Me?

Starting today (Wednesday, Aug. 11th), all new customers will be required to select a plan upon signing-up — including choosing the free option if desired.

The following week, current HootSuite users will be asked to choose a package with the help of a migration wizard to help you choose the best plan.

For all customers (aside from Enterprise-class accounts), we’ll include a 30-day free trial. This period will allow you to experiment and discover which plan best fits your needs. Again, we’ll continue to offer a free plan for those of you who don’t require advanced options at this time.

While you don’t need to select a plan straightaway, take a look at the Pro Plans and Enterprise Package to see what is included at each level.

Keep on Flying

Since first spreading our owl wings over a year ago, we’ve listened closely to feedback from all corners. In the past 8 months, we’ve rolled out iterations galore — adding thoughtful tools to help you spread messages, monitor conversation and track results.

And don’t think we’re slowing down the pace! The upcoming road-map is loaded with new tools and integrations which will make for more enjoyable surprises. Plus we’ll keep listening to your feedback and offering help as we continue to create the preferred dashboard for social media managers, community builders, marketing agencies, and passionate fans.

Thanks to You

We sincerely appreciate you sharing HootSuite with your friends, mentoring your colleagues, and telling your company about the power of our social media dashboard. We take your trust seriously and look forward to growing with you.

Stay tuned to the HootSuite blog for more info and feel free to share your thoughts with us via Twitter @hootsuite_help.

With best regards,

Ryan Holmes, CEO, HootSuite

More

HootSuite Pro Plans
HootSuite Enterprise Plans
Online Media Kit — includes logos, descriptions and interview scheduling info

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Live Twittering a Surgery Using HootSuite ~ Case Study

August 10th, 2010

Owly ImagesCompanies are using HootSuite in all sorts of creative ways and we truly enjoy discovering the ways you utilize social media to effectuate business or organizational aims.

Recently, we heard about a hospital who live-Twittered a surgery. The objective was to help educate patients about medical issues as well as show their innovative use of the new media.

With help from the hospital’s Interactive Media Specialist Kelley O’Brien (@kelleyob), we crafted a brief case study to share the tips and tactics used for, “finding new ways to engage with patients.”

Description

A hospital demonstrated a commitment to innovation and patient education by live Twittering a surgical procedure direct from the operating room using HootSuite and Ow.ly.

This campaign included some unique challenges including ensuring patient comfort, uploading surgical photos in realtime and choosing a useful #hastag.

This case study prepared with High Point Regional Hospital in North Carolina (USA) explains the objectives behind the campaign and reasons why they chose HootSuite for the broadcast.

Additionally, the report outlines social media tactics used for connecting potential patients and medical staff for a conversation about health. Thanks to Interactive Media Specialist Kelley O’Brien.

More Studies

We’ll be creating more of these in the coming weeks and will keep them stashed on Slideshare. We will also continue to feature them in the Library section on the HootSuite Blog.

Do you have a great campaign or have you used HootSuite in an unusual and creative way? Great, let us know with a note to community (at) hootsuite (dot) com with a brief pitch and your expression of interest. We’ll then send you a questionnaire to help craft your story. We especially like stories which show measurable results, plus screenshots, photos, and other interesting elements to enhance the story.

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“The Basics” ~ HootSuite Info Sheet #1

August 5th, 2010

Wondering how the HootSuite social media dashboard can help your business or organization engage with social networks and web conversations? Great! We can help.

Check out this first-in-a-series HootSuite Info Sheet called “The Basics” — a brief document explaining the core tools in HootSuite including tactics for spreading messages, monitoring conversations, collaborating with teams, and tracking results. Additionally, this document points out the integrated social networks, plus shares a few noteworthy clients and methods to get more help.

“The Basics” ~ HootSuite Info Sheet #1 on Slideshare

Share these info sheets with your collegues, teams, managers, etc. by downloading or embedding from Slide Share. Keep an eye out for more to come and find the growing collection in the Library section of the HootSuite blog.

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Constant Contact and HootSuite Partner to Social-ize Email Marketing

August 4th, 2010

Email and social media are both powerful marketing channels on their own but, when by using the best attributes of each medium, you can enjoy even more successful campaign results.

With this in mind, HootSuite and email marketing company Constant Contact have announced a co-marketing partnership which will inject a bit of social-bility into your email blasts — plus provide ways to augment your social media outreach tactics with targeted email messaging.

Certainly, marketers want access to as many tools as possible so we’re excited to announce this new relationship which will add a few more implements to your mighty tool kit.

The gist of the partnership is summed up in the press release’s tag line “Partnership Increases Reach of Two Industry Leaders; Extends Marketing and Social Media Tools to Meet Broad Customer Needs.”

Read the full release: HOOTSUITE JOINS THE CONSTANT CONTACT PARTNER PROGRAM AS A CO-MARKETING PARTNER

Here’s a quick overview of some of the benefits:

  • This agreement provides HootSuite with a marketing channel to Constant Contact’s more than 350,000 small business and nonprofit customers.
  • A co-branded landing page will create a custom gateway to Constant Contact’s services for HootSuite’s rapidly growing client base.
  • HootSuite customers will have access Constant Contact’s archive of tools, expertise, and educational programs through a partner extranet.
  • HootSuite will share revenue and can utilize Constant Contact’s online reporting tools and emailing services.

Ryan Holmes, HootSuite’s CEO, had this to say about the partnership in the release:

“We look forward to working with Constant Contact as a co-marketing partner to provide more methods for HootSuite customers to spread messages and grow audiences. With Constant Contact’s stellar reputation and vast experience, we’re very pleased to add this powerful partner to our team.”

You likely know about HootSuite so here’s a little about Constant Contact in case you haven’t tapped into their services yet:

Constant Contact’s email marketing, event marketing, social media marketing, and online survey tools help small organizations grow their businesses by building stronger customer relationships. More than 350,000 small businesses, nonprofits, and member associations worldwide rely on Constant Contact’s easy-to use, affordable online tools to create and deliver personalized, professional communications that engage casual customers, members, prospects, and passionate customers wherever they congregate online — from their email inboxes to their social networks. All Constant Contact products come with unmatched education, training and personal coaching services, and award-winning technical support. Founded in 1995, Constant Contact is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: CTCT) with offices in Waltham, Mass.; Loveland, Colo.; and Delray, Fla.; and a Silicon Valley office scheduled to open in 2010.

To learn a bit more about Constant Contact check out their site and blog. Oh, and of course Constant Contact can also be found on Twitter @constantcontact and on Facebook plus a great blog Constant Commentary.  Read more about the co-partnership agreement from the press release and let us know ways you add a bit of social to your email marketing campaigns.

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International Owls Playing Friendly ~ News Round-up

July 9th, 2010

Global Owl

HootSuite is truly an international social media dashboard and we love it that way. Why? Because we find fulfillment from seeing the actions and activities of users all over the world who are helping one another learn how to use the social web to spread messages to audiences from anywhere.

We’re working on providing more people a personalized experience in their own language with translation and localization on both iPhone and web versions for HootSuite which is exciting enough to celebrate on your vuvuzela.

While we keep working at our tasks, here’s a fresh news round-up with a sampling of what people are saying about HootSuite in their countries to peruse while you watch the finals of the FIFA World Cup — after which Twitter traffic may even return to “normal.”

The original posts are translated from the native languages using the wonders of Google Translate to give you the gist of what they say.

Let’s get going:

TwitterSmash (Germany) – HootSuite im Unternehmen

HootSuite in the company – This post comes from Germany and the author describes why they have chosen to use HootSuite. They go through the advantages (Vorteile) and disadvantages (Nachteile) of the social media dashboard. Danke for the feedback.

Descary.com (French Canadian) – HootSuite5, l’un des meilleurs tableaux de bord pour réseaux sociaux

HootSuite5, one of the best dashboards for social networks – Benoit Descary is from Montreal and writes that he wasn’t the biggest fan of HootSuite until the introduction of HootSuite5. He goes on to describe many of the new features in the HootSuite5 release and calls HootSuite “a true dashboard for social networks.” Merci Benoit!

Internet Watch (Japanese) – Twitterウェブクライアント「HootSuite」が日本語化、HTML5対応の新機能も

Twitter web client “HootSuite” of Japanese language , HTML5 support new features – Japanese users are excited about the localized version for their language and in this article, they extol the virtues of HTML 5 including “drag and drop” ability and improved performance along with the Japanese-i-fication.

Midia boom (Portuguese) – HootSuite | Nova interface em Html5 e recursos aprimorados para Redes Sociais

HootSuite | New interface and enhanced features in HTML5 for Social Networks – In this post, Chico Montenegro writes about some of the new features such as geo-location and themes from the HootSuite 5 update. We hope this is helpful for HootSuite fans in Brazil.

GeeksRoom (Spanish) – GeeksRoom Review: HOOTSUITE renovado: Lo bueno, lo maluco y lo pésimo

GeeksRoom Review: HootSuite renovated: The good and the badIn this frank review of the HootSuite 5 update, Eduardo Wheeler writes that he likes the improved profile view, the themes, as well as the not so new scheduling feature.

Eduardo balances the good feedback with the bad and mentions a few other things that he would like to see improved. In the end, Eduardo remains a daily user and recommends HootSuite to professionals managing multiple social media accounts.

elNuevavodia (Spanish) – No dejes que la tecnología te esclavice

Do not let technology enslave you – In this provocatively titled post, Leanne Italie shares life-hacking productivity tips from former Google exec and congnitive scientist Douglas C. Merrill incuding using HootSuit to manage your social interactions so they don’t get out of control and control your day. Not much about HootSuite but interesting nonetheless.

TechVibes – Hootsuite’s Vorsprung durch Technik

Techically written in English but TechVibes’ Jeffery Simpson has some fun with Google Translate in writing about HootSuite’s localization: Forgive Babel Fish’s shoddy German, but it just did not feel right to title a post about the addition of localization support to Twitter manager extraordinaire HootSuite without at least trying to make it multilingual.  Localization support for Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and German joins the previous translation services that the application offered in its last update.

More HootSuite

Remember, you can catch all the HootSuite news via the social bookmark stream and/or by following @hootwatch for the full firehose feed of media mentions.

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HTML5 is Alive ~ User Vids, Pods and Blogs about HootSuite5

June 25th, 2010

The HTML 5 Vibe is Alive

After yesterday’s mighty launch of HootSuite 5, this nest of Owls is ready for a weekend of replenishing the fingers and brain. But before we shift to summertime leisure mode, we want to share a few awesome vids, pods and posts made by HootSuite users about the new release.

Owly at Launch Party 9 Vancouver

The Owl loves the attention - photo by @jasonkovacs

Video Fest

The video offerings include 2 versions of instructions about choosing your ReTweet style, a disco-fied review of new features, plus a getting started guide for new HootSuite users.

HootSuite5 & HootSuiteLuv from Nicole Yeary

HTML5 meets HootSuite ~ HootSuite5 smashed it again with incredible updates, of which I couldn’t pick one favorite. So Amazing – You really have to try for yourself, but I wanted to share HootSuite5 from my perspective. *Of course this is not an official HootSuite video

How to change back to “normal” retweets in Hootsuite107designs

Along with Hootsuite’s new interface came Twitter web retweets, which I’m not fond of in the least. After I discovered that it was optional, I thought I’d share how to change it back to “normal”. Hope this helps. :)

New Hootsuite Features on thegrandmamaryshow

Hootsuite 5 came out and it looks fabulous! One vital change you need to make is to change the RT feature and I show you how in this video.

Quick Start Vid

This one is handy for new HootSuite is a great foundation for new users but was released before the update. How to Use HootSuite -– A Quick Start Guide for Beginners by Technically Speaking

More Treats

Seeking audio commentary? Download this podcast:
Generally Speaking Production Network #046 Social Media Serenity

Seeking alpha-geek commentary? Mashable’s your source:
HootSuite Adds New Features and Fresh Interface with HTML5

{Update} Seeking stats knowledge? Evolutionary Designs has a post:
Quick Tip: Learn How to Integrate Google Analytics with Hootsuite5

Seeking a little bit o’ funtimes? Here ya go:
Four of the Most Awesome Hootsuite Updates | expertSEM

  1. Blue Steel and Magnum- Way to go with class and choose two of the Derek Zoolander’s mind-alteration, hip gyrating looks.  Points simply for being that cool.  But, beware Hootsuite, “it’s not easy being really really good looking.”
    blue steel

More Hoots

For more HootSuite5-specific news from around Inida, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Japan …. well you get the idea … check out the HootSuite social bookmark stream and/or follow @hootwatch for the firehose of coverage.

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HootSuite iPhone Update: Language Localization, Instapaper and Email

May 19th, 2010

Languages, Email and Instapaper

Hoot hoot! We’ve listened to your feedback and suggestions added new tools into a fresh update to the HootSuite iPhone apps (both Full and Lite versions). This release includes localization for four languages plus makes sharing content even easier – both with others via email and yourself with Instapaper.

Translation to 4 Languages

First off, on the internationalization front: HootSuite for the iPhone now has native support for Japanese, German, Spanish, and Portuguese!

We’re excited to make HootSuite easier to use for non-English speakers and wonder “What language would you like to see next?” Let us know in the Feedback channel.

We’ve also made it a little simpler to see what people are saying in other languages with a single click to translate a tweet into your phone’s default language rather than scrolling through 50+ choices. This is extra handy for monitoring brand sentiment from other countries as well as tapping into local conversations when traveling.

Tweet to Email

Want to send a tweet or link to someone who doesn’t use Twitter? Perhaps an interesting link or compelling comment about your company? … No problem.

With the new “Email Tweet” option, you can pass content along to your non-Tweeting friends and co-workers with a quick click using your phone’s built in mail app.

Save it for Later

Also new in this version is another frequently requested feature: support for Instapaper. This popular web tool allows you save web content to read later with a quick click directly from HootSuite. This allows you to peruse the content at the end of a link when you have the time.

How sweet is that? Folks commuting by transit or mining brand mentions will certainly love this feature. Let us know it makes life easier for you.

Both the Email and Instapaper tools are accessed from an expanded menu with finger-friendly buttons … starting by clicking the arrow.

More Down the Road

That’s not all from the HootSuite iPhone team as even more updates are in the works with even more compelling features coming soon to make HootSuite iPhone the fave choice of jet-setters, commuters, marketers on the go and anyone with a need for convenient communication.

Have a great feature idea? Please contribute to the Feedback channel which allows other users to vote for your idea … plus you’ll experience lovely warm fuzzy feelings each time you use the new feature that you requested.

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Coordinate for Efficiency and Accuracy with HootSuite Assignments

May 6th, 2010

Many customer service groups, support desks, and collaborative teams depend on social networks as a primary way to manage requests. With HootSuite’s new assignment feature, these teams can ensure all messages are handled quickly and efficiently by the correct personnel. When implemented, these tools will help teams assist customers and clients more quickly, more accurately, and with less redundancy.

Assign-ability

With the new tools, updates are quickly assigned to team members — along with a note if needed — plus responses are tracked for accuracy from a single view. Additionally, teams stay coordinated with shared columns, and responding is even easier with shared Drafts. Teams can share their workload and email updates to others — all without leaving the HootSuite social media dashboard.

Ready to Work

Imagine a scenario where hundreds of messages come in daily via a company’s multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts — some updates are comments or kudos, some are complaints, and others pertain to specific requests or projects. However, the one common trait is that each requires follow-up of some kind. The manager knows that some messages need a specific response, others require further investigation, while others need to be logged for sentiment analysis.

Using HootSuite, the team manager easily assigns the messages to the appropriate team member — perhaps one person manages support requests, another manages complaints, and someone else offers thanks for kind words. The messages are quickly answered by the team, who sees all their assignments in a single view rather than sorting through unfiltered columns and possibly providing redundant responses. Occasionally, a team member knows that a colleague could better handle the request, so she forwards the assignment to him with a explanatory note.

Meanwhile, the team manager keeps an eye on responses to ensure quality and to monitor how the team is performing. The team manager also notices the consistent reply messaging thanks to a shared Draft view, and even takes a moment to forward a few interesting updates to executives via email — all from within HootSuite.

The manager sends a team invitation to a new employee, granting him access to post from a few social network accounts. Starting at the “Launch” button, inviting a new user to the team only takes a moment. The new employee will be up to speed quickly, since columns are now shareable within the team.

The happy manager then sits back to admire the efficiency of the team’s collaboration and realizes these tools provide more time to pursue new initiatives — resulting in happier teams and happier customers.

The best part is, all this is possible and ready to go now using HootSuite.

Social Media Springboard

HootSuite’s new Launch Button puts all your account management and team management tools in one convenient new location. Click Launch Button in the lower-right of your Dashboard to quickly access your account settings, manage your team, view your assignments, drill down into your clickthrough stats, or jump back into your Streams to continue monitoring your brand.

Meet Your New Tools

  • Message Assignment — Delegate Twitter and Facebook updates to team members via a pull-down menu
  • Message Annotations — Add notes to the assigned messages to provide context or instructions
  • Assignment Forwarding — Not the correct department? Re-assign a message to a colleague to ensure accurate reply
  • Assignment Tracking — Quick view of a message’s status, including which are resolved, handed-off, or outstanding
  • Shared Columns — Collaborate with team members by viewing the same set of columns and messages
  • Shared Drafts — Utilize pre-written responses and share with your team to ensure consistency and efficiency
  • Forward Updates by Email — Share messages outside of the team by forwarding to anyone by email
  • New Launch Button — All options, settings, and tools are available from a single starting place for your convenience

Resources

Media kit: http://blog.hootsuite.com/media
Press release: http://blog.hootsuite.com/hootsuite-adds-assignments

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