Hootsuite may be the service for marketing your restaurant through social media, especially if your business is growing both on the internet and at the register. If your restaurant business is beyond having just a single Twitter account and a single Facebook Page, you should check out the options designed to manage it more effectively and efficiently. If you are doing each account individually, well then you should know there are programs to make your life simpler. If you are using Tweetdeck, you should know, that although it can accommodate several accounts, it has limitations for those who are managing more complex operations. Hootsuite is the choice in the realm of marketers for those who need to juggle many different accounts. It should be stressed if you aren’t yet up to that level of sophistication (multiple accounts) where it’s essential to buy the Pro Edition, you can manage with the free Tweetdeck or Seesmic.
Nonetheless, as you may guess by the corporations that use Hootsuite, it is, before anything else, business-friendly.
Hootsuite, unlike Tweetdeck and Seesmic, is solely internet based. Despite the drawback of not taking up the same amount of screen and being therefore crowded with tabs, it allows you to use Hootsuite pretty much anywhere, on almost any computer. Tweetdeck involves downloading and changing all the settings to match the original computer. Coming with being a desktop program, Tweetdeck requires constant updates. Along with being available for desktop, Seesmic works online also and is less conducive for dealing with multiple users. The other issue with Seesmic that hasn’t been resolved is that it doesn’t have a sound business model. There isn’t significant cash flow so one may ask how long will they continue? Seesmic has said they will eventually incorporate advertisements, as Hootsuite has done for their free version (not the Pro Edition), but it is unclear how they will affect the service and the long-term viability of the company.
Hootsuite covers the most territory when it comes to networks that it streams. Tweetdeck isn’t really comparable to Hootsuite because its limitations make it poor at serving the complexity of marketing businesses. Seesmic, however, could be used for more complex operations. This is another area where Hootsuite tops Seesmic. The problem with Seesmic is that it is far behind Hootsuite with the networks it works with. Hootsuite. For example, Seesmic only has four networks (five if you include Ping FM), while Hootsuite can stream Facebook, Twitter, Linkin, Myspace, Facebook Page, Ping FM, WordPress and Foursquare. It’s comprehensive to say the least.
There’s more. Hootsuite’s Pro Edition has many features that suit businesses. They don’t limit the Social Profiles, so you could, if they were willing, convince your cook and manager to start official work-related account to help increase the profile of your restaurant. Hootsuite supports its own URL shortener Ow.ly for links over Twitter. With the Pro edition, you can follow the stats without restriction or expiration. Another treasure to marketers is the Social Insights that comes with the Pro editions so you access information about who are on your social network. This is key to enlarging your network and assessing if you need to change marketing strategy. In addition, Pro Edition hooks up to Facebook Insights and Google Analytics, ensuring that your restaurant sees bigger picture about the people in your social networks.
As social networks become a bigger investment of time, one person, in the future, will not be enough to run a network. Hootsuite is in front of the curve, fostering collaboration through Team Members. The first team member comes with the Pro Edition. More can be added a rather high monthly fee. Indeed Hootsuite has adapted to how our culture is becoming more and more mobile. Accordingly, Hootsuite has smartphone apps for iPhone, Blackberry and Android even though it only works with a select few social networks (Facebook and Twitter).
Hootsuite’s concentration on businesses has enabled them to outclass Tweetdeck and Seesmic. As restaurant social networks become more and more far-reaching and involved, Hootsuite, and in particular their Pro edition, will become more and more appealing.