Article: Use HootSuite as a Marketing Tool via Mashable by Meghan Peters, May 11, 2011

We talked to Dave Olson, HootSuite’s marketing director, for a primer on using the platform for social media marketing.

Secure Team Setup

With the vast reach social media can have, it’s important for marketing organizations to be aware of who has access to which accounts and how they’re using them. HootSuite has put a number of features in place so managers can keep accounts secure as teams grow and change, including the ability to add and remove members without sharing passwords.

“Because HootSuite was created by an agency to manage their social media needs, the functionality is specifically designed for marketing teams and organizations,” Olson said.

After a slew of embarrassing tweets sent by brands like Chrysler and the Red Cross when marketers accidentally clicked on the wrong account, HootSuite developed Secure Profiles. The feature prompts users to confirm or cancel tweets before sending them, preventing potentially damaging updates from being posted to corporate social profiles.

The New York Public Library is one organization that takes advantage of HootSuite’s team collaboration tools. It uses the platform to coordinate a decentralized team of contributors that maintains its online presence across a number of social networks. Team members share search columns, schedule updates and assign each other tasks within the tool. These coordinated efforts helped the @nypl Twitter account dramatically grow its following while increasing traffic to the site by more than 350% in a year.