HootSuite, known for its social media management system has bolstered its App Directory with the introduction of social app plugins.
App Plugins enable HootSuite’s users to access social network content from the dashboard, with the option of sending individual posts (native to Twitter or Facebook) to third-party applications outside the dashboard.
To mark the launch, the company has announced the addition of three new app plugins, including Evernote, ZenDesk, and Storify.
The Evernote plugin allows users to save conversations directly to their Evernote account. A stream of notes can also be viewed within HootSuite so that they can be edited and shared to social networks.
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The Zendesk plugin means that users can create tickets directly from posts in HootSuite, complete with Twitter conversation history or Facebook comments. Not a bad method of drawing in customer issues that now commonly arise on social networks and require attention from brands to reach resolution.
During ticket creation, users can also edit subjects and descriptions to suit their needs as well as selecting ticket type, status, priority level, and assigning tickets to specific team members.
For Storify fans, the new plugin allows them to add Twitter or Facebook posts directly to their Storify accounts. Users can select which story elements they’re after, or create a new story to add an element to, and have the option to share these stories to their social networks through HootSuite.
HootSuite is certainly marching on a pace to add new features and evolve. Just last week the firm rolled out single sign on for users to log in with their work email, and a little before that the much requested AutoSchedule for the Hootlet browser extension was launched for ‘smart’ timed tweeting.
App Happy
According to HootSuite, the company now has nearly 5 million global users, so it pays to keep things fresh and add features in order to increase that customer base.
The App Directory was launched in 2011. Instagram, Edocr, Slideshare and Zuum were added last month and the latest round of application integration helps users choose which tools they prefer to use in a single dashboard environment.
Ryan Holmes, CEO of HootSuite says, “With the addition of app plugins, we’re making it possible for our users to monitor their social media properties from the dashboard, then delegate messages for additional handling in external, third-party applications. This tighter coupling between HootSuite and its integrated apps extends the power of both.”
Until now, the HootSuite App Directory featured tools created by third-party developers to extend the capabilities of the dashboard that focused primarily on populating streams within HootSuite.
Interestingly the company notes, “You can expect to see more apps that will make use of this functionality for customer support, CRM, digital marketing, publishing, content curation and more in the near future. These app plugins are just the first in a series HootSuite has planned.”
At this rate, having a million tabs open (we may be exaggerating) to control your social media accounts will no longer be an issue. So long as we don’t forget there’s more Internet out there to keep exploring.
Image Credit: g_kovacs
Check out the demo video below to see how the plugins work on HootSuite:
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