NEW YORK: Social media management platform Hootsuite has launched a global agency partner program to help PR firms educate account teams about collaborating globally on social media strategies.
The program, launched Wednesday, is aimed at PR firms with national or global clients and offices, said Hootsuite VP of partners Kevin O’Brien.
"We saw the challenges of PR firms that are trying to collaborate from multiple offices on a single campaign; these challenges are unique relative to what you might see in a boutique agency setting," he said. "This gives them the opportunity to collaborate on social and bring other groups into the social strategy, whether they are digital, media, creative, marketing, sales, or support."
Hootsuite will provide tailored workshops, with the goal of enhancing PR firms’ social business practices and exposing them to industry trends.
Participants will also gain access to tools such as Hootsuite Enterprise, which provides PR firms with support and technical insights to promote their agencies, serve clients, and map social footprints. Hootsuite will also designate a relationship manager to account teams.
It will also invite participating firms to become members of its partner advisory council, which is a community of agency leaders that discusses trends with Hootsuite subject-matter experts and executives.
O’Brien said the program is free, but added that the company is "specifically looking to work with leading global agencies that are making social a focal point of how they are serving strategies to their clients."
"This is an investment that Hootsuite is making in the market," he added.
The program has been in pilot mode since August. Its charter members include FleishmanHillard, M&C Saatchi, Lost Boys, and Ogilvy Digital Health.
Hootsuite to big PR firms: Let us help you explain social media collaboration
Hootsuite views its global agency partner program, launched Wednesday, as an "investment" in the market.
