Hootsuite’s drive for profitability may come at a price
Hootsuite, a “social media dashboard” that enables users to manage multiple social media accounts, is celebrating an important milestone today.
Launched in December 2008 the service has now exceeded one million users thanks to the explosive growth exhibited by social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Like others in the digital industry though the site has been searching for ways to monetise its success and, since August, has begun charging up to $1,500 per month for access. Raising questions over whether it can sustain that popularity against free rival Twitter platforms, such as TweetDeck.
Hootsuite’s pricing structure currently ranges from free, which allows up to five social networks (with adverts) to be run, but with no additional team members; to a range of other options from $4.99 to $99.99 and up to the $1,499 “Enterprise” package, which allows 30 team members..
A key problem for the service is, ironically, Twitter’s popularity. Frequent tweeters will be uncomfortably familiar with the beached whale being held aloft by Twitter birds, signifying the site has exceeded its bandwidth.
Though outwith Hootsuite’s control it becomes a much bigger problem when paying customers are inconvenienced.
Twitter’s reaction could prove crucial as well, they may not be too happy at an interloper siphoning off some of their potential profits.