Developed to make your days easy and increase your ability to post on multiple outlets at once with one single click, Hootsuite at Tweetdeeck are third party social media management systems.

Allowing you to monitor all elements of your social media profiles at once on one screen, the management systems have come about as individuals have become saturated with an ever-growing number of outlets and a small amount of time.

There are a number of management systems available but those at the forefront of the market are Tweetdeck and Hootsuite, this post will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each system so that you can make an informed decision on which system is best for you.

Lets kick off with the best point for both systems, they are free! This is something that we all like to see in the current climate.

The concept of both systems is very similar, they both allow you to manage your social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn quickly, easily and effectively. The first difference comes in the form of where the software in which each system lives. Hootsuite is a web-based application that allows you to manage your profile from a browser window, allowing you to log in or out as you need to. Tweetdeck on the other hand, is a downloadable desktop based application, which can make it an automatic problem for those who require permission to download software to their company PC. This leaves room for other issues because the desktop nature of the system, means that it can’t be used on more than one computer.

Hootsuite 1 Tweetdeck 0

A benefit for both Hootsuite and Tweetdeck is the ability it gives you to schedule updates, tweets and posts to all your social networks at a time decided by you,  that can even be when you aren’t at your desk. In theory.  Hootsuite allows you to do this even when your machine is off, by sending your scheduled tweets to an alternative server ready for when you have set them to go out. Tweetdeck however, falls at the particular hurdle, only posting out scheduled tweets if the computer you are using is on and connected to the internet. Which does put a dampener on the service.

Hootsuite 2 Tweetdeck 0

You can create a column on Tweetdeck that is dedicated completely to new followers. This gives Tweetdeck some serious points back after the scheduling tweets disaster. This column which correlates followers on Twitter, new friends on Facebook and connections on LinkedIn gives you instant news regarding your increasing social influence. Attempting to use this on Hootesuite is quite difficult to do and understand.

Hootsuite 2 Tweetdeck 1

The searching abilities on Hootsuite are definitely worth shouting about, giving you the option to search geographically to find topics that are relevant not only to your industry, but also to your area. I have yet to find an area on Tweetdeck that offers this service, though since it has been bought out by Twitter, this development may be on the cards.

Hootsuite 3 Tweetdeck 1

Both profiles give you access to insights about your online presence, from the people who like your page, the way in which your content is shared and who is sharing it. The Hootsuite analytics feedback is a little more in depth than that provided from Tweetdeck so the point for this round has to go to Hootsuite.

Hootsuite 4 Tweetdeck 1

Youtube can be incorporated into Tweetdeck, meaning that from your desktop application you can share and watch videos, without leaving Tweetdeck. Hootsuite does not offer this feature, which can be really useful for varying your post format.

Hootsuite 4 Tweetdeck 2

Who has recommended Hootsuite?

“HootSuite is an essential tool for managing social networks by allowing teams to efficiently track conversations and measure campaign results.” Is what social media expert Pete Cashmore SEO of Mashable said.

Who has recommended Tweetdeck?

“Tiny programs that make Twitter easier to use… TweetDeck.” Said publication, Time magazine.

Given the influential figure within social media giving his time to recommend it, the point has to go to Hootsuite.

Hootesuite 5 Tweetdeck 2

So the winner is…  Hootesuite, but obviously the choice is yours. If you prefer Tweetdeck, let us know why!

This is what Kate Rose from Business to Community said about why she chose Tweetdeck:

• Can do audible and visible notifications for tweets and can even be turned on for specific lists of tweets (Hootsuite alerts on any tweet and doesn’t have visible notification)
• Can add many accounts free (Hootsuite only allows 5 free then you’ll have to upgrade)
• Can see who has retweeted me more easily (better visual view of retweets)
• Tweetdeck’s mobile application has proven to be more reliable (on my Droid X) than Hootsuite which doesn’t send all my messages all the time (booo!)

Looking at the possibilities open to you by using social media management software, it is amazing that people are not taking full advantage. By scheduling posts and  saving searches, your time online can be spent far more effectively, especially if you purchase a premium package that allows you to schedule up to 40 updates to go out when you decide. Let us know which management software you choose and why!