Why I paid for @HootSuite Pro

photo credit: hootsuite

It’s not a secret that I’m friends (and in some cases, very close friends) with many of the folks who work at Invoke Media. Entering the social media and tech communities meant that I had to get to know many of the local startups. The folks of Invoke have been good friends with me for a long time. We’ve gone out for dinner, drinks, we’ve participated in many of the same events, and at times, we’ve spoken at the same conferences.

When HootSuite decided to announce their Freemium model, I was a bit torn. I love free. Who doesn’t? My budget has never been insanely flexible to allow for payments of all sorts. BUT at the same time, I’ve written about how freelancing is not free and how people shouldn’t take me for granted and assume that I will be giving them my expertise for free, just because I’m a super nice guy.

So I figured that it was important that I spoke the language that I have always used with my own actions. Or as they say, “walk the walk as I talk the talk”. So, I took the plunge and decided to pay for HootSuite Pro. I do have a few selected clients for whom I do social media consulting (in technology and higher education, non-profits and public policy/politics), and I do execute some social platform message delivery. So I figured, whatever price HootSuite is (and it’s not expensive, $5.99 per month), I will recoup it with my next few clients.

Even for my non-profit volunteer work (I manage the Mental Health Camp Twitter account), it is important for me to maintain the ability to schedule tweets and manage multiple accounts. So yeah, I did take the plunge, and I did buy the HootSuite Pro version. And no, nobody paid me to do this post. I just thought you should know why some of us are choosing to pay for HootSuite Pro. It’s a startup that I love and adore, and it’s a Vancouver-based technology-creating company that deserves to make money because, in case you didn’t know, developing technology IS NOT FREE.

Disclosure: I am paying for HootSuite Pro for the reasons noted above, and out of my own pocket. I have never received any sort of deferential treatment from HootSuite, nor have I been ever paid to review any of their technological platforms.