This post is a tutorial for bulk scheduling messages in HootSuite dashboard using a csv file. You can schedule multiple messages, posts and tweets in bulk in HootSuite with specified date and time. For scheduling messages in bulk, you must have a HootSuite Pro account or a HootSuite Enterprise account.
To schedule messages in bulk in HootSuite, follow the below given steps:
1) Create a csv file: You can use MS excel for creating a CSV file. Open a excel worksheet and add columns as given below:
i) First column: Add date and time in mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm or dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm format. I prefer mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm format. For Example, if I want to schedule a message for 06/01/2014 to be scheduled at 08:00 hours, then I will enter first column as: 06/01/2014 08:00
ii) Second column: Here you can add your message. You need to make sure that if you are scheduling in Twitter, then, you have a limit of 140 characters.
iii) Third column: Here you can add the URL.
Also, you need to make sure that,
a) You have to add one message per row. If you want to add another message, use the next row.
b) Posting time you are entering must end in a 0 or a 5. For Example, you can schedule a message for 08:30 and 08:35 but not 08:31.
c) Posting time must be a future time.
For Example, here I am scheduling five messages for June, 1st and June, 2nd, 2014 with different time.
When you are saving the file, click on “Save as” and select “Save as type:” as CSV (Comma delimited).
2) Now, click on Publisher menu in HootSuite dashboard:
3) Then, click on Schedule in Bulk button.
4) In Bulk Schedule Updates dialog box, choose file under “Upload csv file” and choose a date format. This date format must be the same which you used in your csv file. Under “Click to select a social network” drop down menu, select social networks for which you want to schedule messages. Here, I am selecting Twitter and Google+ social networks for scheduling my message. Click on “Submit”.
If you have done everything correctly, then you will get a message, Successfully scheduled n messages, where n is the number of messages you have scheduled.
Now, you can go to the Publisher page to see your scheduled messages. You can also edit or delete the scheduled messages for each social network.
