What do the social media teams who work at Papa Johns, the Los Angeles Times, and Facebook have in common? Like me, they rely on HootSuite, a popular client, to help schedule their microblogging and monitor brand-related chatter. When the helpful browser-based tool went down last week because Amazon Web Services‘ cloud crashed, many were left wondering which HootSuite alternatives for managing professional social media needs are worth considering—either as a long term replacement or back-up during outages.

Popular alternatives include:

  • Tweetdeck
    Pros: Works for Macs and Windows users; simple navigation; robust features set
    Cons: You have to install it
  • Seesmic
    Pros: Fast; works in every browser; lots of useful features
    Cons: User interface doesn’t use screen space as efficiently as other tools
  • Twitterrific
    Pros: The latest version includes username auto-completion, easy spam reporting, and an advanced settings page that allows you to choose to not to see @ mentions from strangers
    Cons: Mac only; to add multiple accounts or remove ads from your timeline, you’ll have to pay
  • Brizzly
    Pros: Allows multiple accounts; easy monitor searches; built in “muting”
    Cons: Steeper learning curve than the other tools

Do you have a back-up plan for your day-to-day social media management needs? TBH Creative specializes in website strategy and social media planning. We can help you develop a social media strategy for your business. We keep up with social media trends and best practices so that we can help you maximize your online marketing potential.