4 New Features of HootSuite That Will Make Your Head Turn

hootsuiteA while back, I wrote about this new web-based Twitter client called HootSuite. They were doing some cool things that really got me back into Twitter. There was also an article about whether desktop Twitter clients were better than web-based Twitter clients and HootSuite really sealed the deal for web-based Twitter clients in my book.

Well, HootSuite‘s at it again!  Who knew what kind of changes they had up there proverbial sleeves this time? The word is out and the gig is up because the news about their HTML 5 interface has hit the street. What’s the big deal? Now that they are using HTML 5, the new features will most definitely turn your head. Let’s go through the 4 new features that got my attention and will probably do the same for you.

1. HootSuite now has themes

Who doesn’t like customization? Well, sometimes my lazy side hinders me from getting off my backside to customize something but even I would customize something if it were easy enough. Well, HootSuite makes changing the color theme so simple that even I gave ‘er a whirl. Sure, there’s only three choices now, but who knows, maybe the future will bring us a HootSuite where we can choose our own colors.

hootsuite

2. “Baked in” Google Analytics to keep an eye on those trends

A few months ago, I sat through a free webinar that HootSuite organized and one of their announcements was about Google Analytics integration. As it turns out, I missed a few minutes of the training and the whole Google Analytics thing was kind of cryptic to me. Now, it seems that the “baked in” nature of it all seems like it has made the integration a whole lot simpler. All I really had to do was click a button to connect HootSuite to my Google Analytics account, approve the interaction…

hootsuite

…and viola! Now I can analyze clicks made on links tweeted and even view my own website analytics from within HootSuite.

hootsuite

HootSuite did have Twitter analytics before but the new part is how well integrate Google Analytics is.

3. GeoSearch for tweets in your area

Have you ever wondered who’s tweeting in your area? Now Hootsuite can know your location (if you let it) and it will let you search the tweets in your locale. Basically, type a search word into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the site.  Now if you hit “enter” it will run the search Twitter-wide.  If instead you choose to search tweets near you, just click on the circular-shaped “Geo” icon in the right side of the box.

hootsuite app for windows

Then you can scroll through the results:

hootsuite app for windows

The first time you run a “Geo” search, HootSuite will ask permission to use your location. Knowing that it is only a general location, permission granted.

4. New and improved retweeting

Now not only is retweeting in HootSuite integrated with Twitters retweeting tool, but you can also set up stream in order to follow retweets to you, by you and by your followers. Let me explain.

Retweeting in HootSuite used to be that it would add the old school “RT” before the message being retweeted.  Even while Twitter moved into a new way of doing it, HootSuite still got things done old school. Now retweeting in HootSuite is actually utilizing Twitter’s retweeting tool.

hootsuite app for windows

My only beef is that I haven’t figured out how to add my “two cents worth” at the end of the new retweets. Hey, HootSuite, am I missing something?

You can also keep an eye on the retweeting action by following retweets sent to you, by you and your followers.  All I did in order to do this was added a tab and added the three columns containing the retweeting streams.

HootSuite has also improved overall and has added a few more features I have not mentioned. I am impressed with the better response time of the site in general brought on by the HTML 5 enhancement. If you haven’t tried HootSuite in a while, giver another try. Maybe some of the new implementations will change your mind.

Two questions for the comments: What’s your favorite HootSuite enhancement?  And do you think the changes will bring people to begin using HootSuite?

Tagged: • •

Tim Lenahan

I am a 30 something year old kid at heart. I have been working on and at computers ever since high school. I enjoy finding new and interesting sites that are useful to the every day person. I have been helping and training people on tech-related issues for years and don't see myself stopping any day soon.

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  • http://www.spoilertv.com DarkUFO

    This new version of Hootsuite is fantastic. The faster loading and improved UI are very much appreciated. I’ve now completely ditched all my Desktop Twitter clients.

  • DarkUFO

    This new version of Hootsuite is fantastic. The faster loading and improved UI are very much appreciated. I’ve now completely ditched all my Desktop Twitter clients.

  • dman977

    Twitter? What is this Twitter thing people keep annoying me with? I got rid of some app on my Hero that had something to do with Twitter. What is this thing?

  • dman977

    Twitter? What is this Twitter thing people keep annoying me with? I got rid of some app on my Hero that had something to do with Twitter. What is this thing?

  • V.Pushparaj

    Yes, the new changes in hootsuite is awesome. I switched over to HS from some annoying desktop clients. Reading the conversation option is what I think the highligh of HS.

  • V.Pushparaj

    Yes, the new changes in hootsuite is awesome. I switched over to HS from some annoying desktop clients. Reading the conversation option is what I think the highligh of HS.

  • http://momathome.com Judi Sohn

    Look in the preferences. There’s an option of whether or not to use the new Twitter retweet (the default). Unchecked, and you get the old “RT: @…” way so you can add your own comments.

    • http://timmyjohnboy.com/ timmyjohnboy

      Thank you for mentioning this feature… I’ll prob make use of it!

  • Judi Sohn

    Look in the preferences. There’s an option of whether or not to use the new Twitter retweet (the default). Unchecked, and you get the old “RT: @…” way so you can add your own comments.

  • http://113tidbits.com tonyknuckles

    You hit it right out of the park on all these new features. Great piece!

  • tonyknuckles

    You hit it right out of the park on all these new features. Great piece!

  • Shaking Head

    The old way of retweeting WAS the way to add your own two cents, wow you guys kinda missed the boat by seemingly dissing the old way then complaining that the new way doesn’t do what you want (which again, is why the old way was invented in the first place!)

    thank god you can still change the settings to go back to the old way, which is exactly like the new way but you CAN add your two cents (the whole point!)

    the old way was invented by users and kinda screwed up when twitter tried to direct implement it but chose to keep out the adding your two cents part, i have NO idea why hootsuite tried to implement this new way and call it an improvment, even worse that you guys got caught up in it without really understanding why both ways were the way they were.

    • http://timmyjohnboy.com/ timmyjohnboy

      One reason I like the new way is that the “RT” doesn’t take up character space. With only 140 characters available, I could use the extra space.

  • Shaking Head

    The old way of retweeting WAS the way to add your own two cents, wow you guys kinda missed the boat by seemingly dissing the old way then complaining that the new way doesn’t do what you want (which again, is why the old way was invented in the first place!)

    thank god you can still change the settings to go back to the old way, which is exactly like the new way but you CAN add your two cents (the whole point!)

    the old way was invented by users and kinda screwed up when twitter tried to direct implement it but chose to keep out the adding your two cents part, i have NO idea why hootsuite tried to implement this new way and call it an improvment, even worse that you guys got caught up in it without really understanding why both ways were the way they were.

  • Aibek
  • timmyjohnboy

    Thank you for mentioning this feature… I’ll prob make use of it!

  • timmyjohnboy

    MUO also has a Twitter guide: http://www.makeuseof.com/pages…

  • Anonymous

    I want to be able see everything in my home feed. By default, it excludes DM’s. Yes, they can be set up as separate columns (inbox/outbox), but why complicate things for people like myself who aren’t followed or following hundreds of people. An option to include DM’s in the home feed could be easily added.

    • http://timmyjohnboy.com/ timmyjohnboy

      Personally, I prefer the DMs separate. I like a clean line between what’s publicly written to or about me and what’s privately written to me. It’s like a private inbox.

  • rogson

    I want to be able see everything in my home feed. By default, it excludes DM’s. Yes, they can be set up as separate columns (inbox/outbox), but why complicate things for people like myself who aren’t followed or following hundreds of people. An option to include DM’s in the home feed could be easily added.

  • timmyjohnboy

    One reason I like the new way is that the “RT” doesn’t take up character space. With only 140 characters available, I could use the extra space.

  • timmyjohnboy

    Personally, I prefer the DMs separate. I like a clean line between what’s publicly written to or about me and what’s privately written to me. It’s like a private inbox.