Nate Riggs: Social Business Strategies; communication, social web strategies, & passion in Columbus, Ohio.

I’ve been a HootSuite user for some time now, and while I won’t be signing up for the HootSuite Certified Professionals program anytime soon, I’m digging the new release of HootSuite5.

I’ve been playing around since about 6 a.m. this morning when I received the notification of the update.  This post is purely an initial review of HootSuite5 and only my first reaction, as well as the reactions of some of my Twitter followers.  I’m pleased to feature some of their opinions.  Thanks for the insight, folks!

What’s Different about HootSuite5

You don’t have to write code to know that Google’s HTML5 is creating a ton of buzz across the web.  It seems like a good move that HootSuite has invested time and energy into building on the new web standard. Geo-search capabilities aside, I think the most promising ability that innovation offers is an improved ability to drag and drop various media objects, much like how Apple products work.  Improved refresh speed is a plus, as well.

Review of HootSuite 5 – My Initial Reactions

• Redesigned Interface – I like the aesthetics of the new release much better.  To be clear, I’m accessing HootSuite 5 from Google Chrome, so I’m not sure how it operates from other browsers.  Amanda L. Sage also seems to be a fan of the new design and themes and speed:
  
  

  Mike Bowers also has an interesting take on the new design:
  
  I agree with both points.  With Amanda, it is nice to have the ability to customize the look and feel of the dashboard.  I think that some aspects of the functionality are faster and some are still a bit clunky.  I’ll attribute that to the usual bugs that happen in early releases of a new version of software, coupled by exploration into HTML5.  From a product standpoint, HootSuite has always been good with releasing fixes fairly quickly.

• Site Analytics – It’s going to take me a few more days to wrap my head completely around where HootSuite5 is heading with these updated features.  I will say this, though: the addition of Google Analytics seems to be a win for me, simply from a convenience standpoint.  Integration was also a two-click breeze and the display dashboard is pleasing.  I’ve not yet played with the Tweet overlay, but it’s in the foreground of my immediate radar of experimentation.
  
• GeoSearch – This feature does require an HTML5-ready browser, but I can see some relevant applications of geo-sourcing conversations and mentions of specific keywords.  This could be a helpful feature in a variety of front-end research projects for strategy development or even marketing campaign planning, especially for companies at the local level with franchises, dealers, retail locations and even small business.  For the league JetSetters (you know who you are), what will be interesting to see is how traveling users apply this feature using mobile devices.  The HootSuite iPhone app has become one of my mobile weapons of choice.
• Drag & Drop Upload – This works beautifully from what I’ve experience thus far and was voted a favorite feature by my friend, Christian Adams.  Drag-and-drop functionality simply makes things easier and less time-consuming.  Enough said.  Well done, HootSuite5.
• Enhanced FaceBook – This is one of my personal favorites thus far.  From a consumption angle, the new display is much more pleasing.  At some points, it changes my display when I submit a status update, but at this point, I can’t say for certain what triggers that change.  I’ll be digging into this more as well.
  
• New ReTweets – I’m not much of a fan about how the ReTweet function works as is on Hootsuite5, in that it automatically sends the message without allowing me to add my own text into the message.  However, the savvy Traci Knoppe shared a work-around that she has discovered.  It works nicely!
  
• Localization – This is not new to social media aggregators in the same category.  In fact, Tweetdeck has had this functionality for months.  While it’s a great idea, it does typically require a more specialized user to take advantage of this feature.  As is, I can see it being applicable in terms of individuals tasked with global and international business development, or even in the European market where folks speaking a different language may only be a short train ride away.  In the US, not so much. Also, I want to be able to change my geographic location.  For instance, talking with Mike Brown today, I learned that Twitter was abuzz with talks of a new social media club in Kansas City, MO.  From a research standpoint, I might want to then search for the terms “Social Media Club” and geo-target that search to the appropriate zip code (per Mike’s suggestion).  Do you see where I’m going with this?
• Instaload – I’m not entirely sure I notice a difference on this just yet and need some more time to play.  That said, the real issue in my mind is with Twitter itself.  It seems that recently, I’ve been receiving the ever-popular “Twitter API is down” message across the top of my columns.  What’s that all about, Twitter?
• Themes – I like that I can now personalize my dashboard with themes.  Users can pick from any of the three current options available!  Hmmmm. One suggestion would be to release additional themes or give users the ability to brand the application to their business or even their own personal liking.  Jason Velliquette, for instance, fancies seeing HootSuite5 “Zoolander inspired themes!” Who knows?  Maybe custom HootSuite5 themes will provide an additional quick and easy market opportunity for freelance designers.  It did for Twitter backgrounds.

This is round one for me.  If you are using HootSuite5, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on feature sets, design, and anything else you are experiencing.

What’s your take?

nateriggs

I advise mid-sized & large organizations on how to adopt and use social media to market through organizational culture and better serve their clients. I'm also a blended family dad who enjoys music, photography and distance racing. When I'm not writing here, you can find me writing over at the Content Marketing Institute. Like what you've read so far? Then why not subscribe HERE?

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