One of my main duties here at T&S is scheduling blogs and social media. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: WordPress, Hootsuite, and I have a love-hate relationship.
Don’t get me wrong! Those tools make what we do possible by allowing us to pre-schedule social media and blogs. But getting WordPress and Hootsuite to play nice together can sometimes feel like I’m parenting my three boys!
You may use Hootsuite, Buffer, or even SocialPilot—our current favorite for digital marketing agencies that manage social media. Regardless of which of those three tools you use, there are a few ways to connect them to WordPress:
- A WordPress plugin from WP Zinc
- A Zapier account
- Other automation services
Let’s take a look at why you should even consider those options, then we’ll dive into the details of each approach.
The advantage to this approach
First, what is the big advantage to hooking WordPress into your social media management tool? Why wouldn’t you hook it directly into the social networks? Aren’t you just adding an extra layer?
Technically, yes. But it can be better this way, especially if you already have an account with Hootsuite, Buffer, or SocialPilot.
Most WordPress plugins that post to social media require direct connection to each individual social network. Then you have to make sure they stay connected on an ongoing basis.
If you’re already doing that in Hootsuite, why not keep it that way so you only have one place to check your connections? Just connect your website to Hootsuite and you’re good to go!
Connect WordPress to Hootsuite with a WordPress plugin
The WordPress plugin WordPress to Hootsuite — brought to you by the crew at WP Zinc — automatically posts to social media by linking WordPress to your Hootsuite account. It can share Posts, Pages, or even Custom Post Types. Don’t know what that last one is? Just check with the technical person who helps you with your website.
There’s both a free and a pro version of the plugin. The free version will post to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The pro version will post to Instagram (personal profiles only) and Pinterest as well. It will also let you customize your post to each social network and has some other features the free version doesn’t have.
For a weirdly silent video demonstrating how it all works, check out the YouTube video below.
Connect WordPress to Hootsuite with Zapier
If you’re not familiar with Zapier, it’s an automation tool. You can connect various services you have and automate a lot of actions. Since it connects with all the major social media platforms and WordPress, it’s not surprising that it’s another option for Hootsuite and WordPress integration.
You can automatically schedule a message when any of the following occur on your WordPress website:
- A new comment is added
- A new post is added
- New media is uploaded
There are several other options as well. If you already use Zapier for automation, it can definitely be a great option to make WordPress and Hootsuite play nice together.
Connect WordPress to Hootsuite with other automation services
Although Zapier is arguably the most popular automation tool, there are plenty of other options out there. Here are just a couple you might also consider using to connect Hootsuite and WordPress together:
- Tray.io’s Hootsuite and WordPress Integration and Automation
- Wyzebulb’s Hootsuite and WordPress Integration
Surprisingly, some other popular services like Automate.io and IFTTT don’t support Hootsuite.
SocialPilot or Buffer and WordPress
While we use Hootsuite and have for years, we’ve also recently become fans of SocialPilot for agency use. And many of the clients we train and consult with prefer Buffer to Hootsuite.
If you use either of those, Zapier, some other plugins from the team at WP Zinc, or even some other automation services can help you out.
Buffer and WordPress
Here are some options to connect Buffer and WordPress. Buffer seems to have wider support than even Hootsuite does!
- WordPress to Buffer
- WordPress to Buffer Pro
- Zapier’s WordPress to Buffer Integration
- Automate.io’s WordPress and Buffer Integration
- IFTTT’s WordPress Integration
- IFTTT’s Buffer Integration
- Tray.io’s Buffer and WordPress Integration and Automation
- Wyzebulb’s Buffer and WordPress Integration
SocialPilot and WordPress
Finally, here are some options to connect SocialPilot and WordPress. There isn’t a lot of automation support for SocialPilot, but the teams at Zapier and WP Zinc have you covered.
Get digital marketing help
Of course, you may not want to deal with any of this mess yourself. If you’re technically inclined, I say go for it. If not, it may be time to pull in some experts to help!
We would be happy to talk and see if we’re a good fit for you.