Find Customers Through Hootsuite

Introduction:

Hootsuite is one of my favourite social media tools, and I’m sure there are many people reading this who will also agree. However, in my experience, there are still some social media lovers, who aren’t aware of exactly HOW Hootsuite can help your business.

 

In this post I’ll explain one of Hootsuite’s best features, which will help boost sales and gather leads for your business; the Keyword Search Stream.

Hootsuite allows users to import information from each of their social media accounts, which are then divided into individual streams, such as your home feed, mentions, and Direct Messages for Twitter accounts. It will also display streams such as Wall Posts and Events for your Facebook account. These streams are the most popular and will automatically update when you synchronise your social accounts. However, some users are unaware of additional streams which can be tailored for your needs. These streams allow Hootsuite to search through your social media account to look for particular keywords that may represent a value to your brand.

Here’s a quick step by step guide to setting up your Keyword Search Stream (this may be different for the mobile version):

1. Sign into your Hootsuite account in the normal manner, and click ‘Add Stream’ under your twitter account tab.

2. When the box appears, click the Twitter icon and select the ‘Keyword’ tab on the right.

3. Enter up to  keywords that will be relevant to your brand that your users will be discussing, and click ‘Add’. For example, if your company is tech support, why not try searching for ‘technology help’ or ‘technology problems’.

4. Once you have added the stream, it will appear under your Twitter tab (or the related account). All Tweets that contain those keywords will now be displayed. The stream will continually update and displays the most recent Tweets featuring those keywords.

5. You can now search this stream to help or find prospects that are talking about or searching for your products or service.

As with all social media marketing, you should provide value to the user, without immediately trying to drive a sale. Don’t send the user to your pricing page. Say hello, introduce yourself, and ask if you can be of any assistance. Remember, social media is a social tool.

Continuing from the above example, it’s easy to see how this type of company can connect with potential customer by sending them tips, helpful articles or instructions through an @ mentions, or a Direct Message if possible.

By quickly responding to queries in this manner, you are encouraging brand awareness, and placing your brand and products directly in their sight. Your company will stand out for communicating in a new and personal way.

The great thing about Hootsuite is that it allows you to add as many streams as your imagination allows. You can also add streams to your Facebook account, and as Facebook now supports hashtags, your results should be easier to find if they have been made public. Personally, we have seen success through our Twitter feed, but we will continue to search Facebook.

Consider adding these streams to your social media accounts and actively engage with potential customers. You may need to tweak and change your search depending on the results for your brand, but if done correctly, you’ll be able to quickly connect and interact with hundreds of prospective customers.