HootSuite makes what it calls a social media dashboard. People can use the software and mobile apps to better manage the torrent of information from online services. Picture a single screen with several columns of Twitter feeds, plus from one LinkedIn and another from Facebook.

Corporations use it, too, to monitor and measure their brand, conduct co-ordinated marketing campaigns - even scout for talent. PepsiCo Inc., for instance, uses HootSuite and its connection with LinkedIn to find talent to fill open jobs. HootSuite has attracted a blue-chip list of clients, from the White House to Fox Broadcasting Co., Dell to Disney. The U.S. Army uses HootSuite as a central point from which to listen to what’s being said by people about the military across social media, to engage supporters and critics, and to broadcast its messages.

A year ago, HootSuite had no revenue. As it cracked the one-million-user mark, the company released premium versions of its product, with rates as high as $100,000 monthly for large companies. It currently brings in about $1-million of revenue a month.

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