IFTTT HootSuite channel is a game changer



Contributing Writer
IFTTT Hootsuite channel Photo: Eagle Owl Credit: Andreas Krappweis


The IFTTT Hootsuite channel is probably the most powerful channel available in the IFTTT ecosystem.  For a network that includes Facebook, Twitter, Buffer, Gmail and many others, singling out the best network may seem like hyperbole.  It’s not.  The IFTTT HootSuite channel is a game changer for both applications.

For the uninitiated IFTTT (if-this-then-that) is a service that ties a wealth of networks together.  When something happens in one network (the “trigger”), IFTTT acts in another network (the “action”).  For instance, if you wanted to tweet a note every time a blog post hit your RSS feed, you could do that (and a million other things) with IFTTT. It’s an exceptionally versatile tool.

HootSuite is a social media management tool that allows you to manage Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn and MySpace (among others).  It has two big things going for it right now: it is the only free third-party app that allows you to manage Google Plus Pages, and it is in favor with Twitter (meaning that it has nominal risk of having Twitter cut off access to their API).

The IFTTT HootSuite channel allows you to automate Google Plus

The most unique thing that the IFTTT HootSuite channel allows for you to do is to automate your Google Plus Pages.  Hootsuite allows you to autopost to Google Plus from an RSS feed, but the function is imprecise and a little off-putting.  IFTTT allows for much more precise management of Google Plus Pages.  This is a pretty huge development for “Plussers,” even if it’s not a tool to manage individual G+ profiles.

The IFTTT HootSuite channel gives you Twitter and Facebook flexibility

The organic Twitter and Facebook Page channels on IFTTT only allow for you to tie one account to the IFTTT service.  If you’re managing multiple accounts or pages, that makes IFTTT a hassle to implement.   Because HootSuite allows you to manage multiple accounts, you can create recipes using the IFTTT Hootsuite channel that post to multiple pages and from multiple Twitter accounts.  HootSuite makes IFTTT a legit community management tool.

Good in the long-run for both?

This is another amazing win for HootSuite, enabling its users another way to use its tools and to entice them to buy more.  This is also a huge win for IFTTT, which now is a legit community management and inbound marketing tool for multi-taskers.

This is also a win for social media-philes everywhere.  IFTTT and HootSuite are much more versatile and useful because of their partnership.  Give the IFTTT Hootsuite channel a try and leave a comment to share your impressions.

Photo Credit

Jim Dougherty

Jim Dougherty

Writer and chief of miscellany at leaderswest.com

I aspire to give people something to think about rather than tell them what to do. My favorite Google Alert is “social media research,” I am increasingly compelled by Gen Z, and I appreciate good writers agnostic of where they write. At one time I was Kred’s 12th most influential social media blogger and Klout’s most influential person on the topic of David Hasselhoff. Transplant from Seattle living in Cincinnati. Haven’t entirely adopted the local sports teams yet.

Jim Dougherty

@jimdougherty

Writer about social media and tech at Leaders West, I also tweet as @leaderswest.

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Jim Dougherty

Jim Dougherty

  • http://spinsucks.com Gini Dietrich

    This might actually motivate me to finally leave TweetDeck for Hootsuite.

  • http://twitter.com/quikness quikness

    If that doesnt, maybe this will: http://leaderswest.com/2012/10/11/tweetdeck-update-kind-of-misses-the-point/

    Yes, im a little bit biased ;-)

  • http://www.wonderoftech.com Carolyn Nicander Mohr

    Hi Jim, I’m a big fan of IFTTT and of Hootsuite, so this is very good news. I will have to head over to HootSuite and check out the recipes!

  • jimdougherty

    Thanks again Carolyn – HootSuite seems to really have their act together and I think this is another amazing example!

  • jimdougherty

    Thanks Gini! I haven’t gone that far, though I’m leaning that way as well. I’m particularly interested to dive into the Instagram app and see how effectively HootSuite can manage that (or do it through IFTTT?)

  • jimdougherty

    Thanks! Maybe I’m a bit biased too….

  • http://twitter.com/RSSProjects Grant Roxburgh

    The problem I’m having, Jim, is that when I get to the Hootsuite action in IFTTT, Google+ isn’t showing up as an available network (even though it is authorised in my Hootsuite account). Any thoughts?

  • jimdougherty

    Thanks Grant – it may have been a case that I jumped the gun. But two ideas: I wonder if you can set-up a separate Hootsuite account to feed your G+ Page or if you can leverage the RSS feed /auto-post option in HootSuite proper to accomplish what you want to? Sorry to intimate you could do something you can’t….

  • Whiskey Shambles

    By the way, I tried your idea of the RSS feed (from our Facebook page) to Hootsuite to Google+, and it auto-posts just fine. Not exactly pretty, but at least it’s keeping content moving in that direction! Thanks for the idea!

    And Hootsuite is also taking care of posting to MySpace for me via IFTTT.

  • Pablo

    The google+ and IFTTT solution is not working anymore

  • jimdougherty

    Thanks Pablo! I’m not sure that it ever worked unfortunately – I wrote that before implementation. BUT you can use an RSS feed with Hootsuite to accomplish the same thing.

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