Postling FAQ

About Postling

1. What is Postling?

Postling is the best way for small businesses to manage their social media accounts. It is a centralized location for you to post, respond, and engage in conversation. You can add all of your social media accounts (from Twitter and Facebook to LinkedIn and Wordpress), schedule posts to publish in the future, and see what people are saying about your business all over the internet.

2. Who built Postling?

Postling was created by the co-founders of Etsy, Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik, in addition to Dave Lifson, who was the head of product development at Etsy. Postling was created to simplify the increasingly complicated and time-consuming world of social media. We believe that empowering small businesses will help local communities thrive in a world of big brands and wanted to build a platform that would provide these tools to small businesses.

Using Postling's Basic Features

1. How do I sign up for Postling?

You can sign up for Postling here. It takes less than a minute!

2. What is a brand?

A brand is a way for you to organize your social media accounts. One example may be you wanting to keep your personal accounts in one brand and your business accounts in another. Another example may be if your business has more than one location and you want to keep the accounts separate. Our most popular use case is for individuals who are managing the social media accounts for more than one business. This helps them keep analytics, comments, and posting separate to avoid any confusion.

3. How do I add a social media account to Postling?

If you've just signed up for Postling you'll be taken to a page that asks you to add your social media accounts. To add an account click on the logo of the social network you'd like to add. Follow the steps on the screen (most of which will take you to that platform to allow Postling access).

If you've already finished registering with Postling and want to add additional social media accounts to a brand, simply click on "Manage Brands" at the top of the page, then select the brand you'd like to add the social media account under. Click on the logo of the social media account you'd like to add and follow the steps on your screen.

4. How do I remove a social media account from Postling?

If you've just signed up, added a social media account, and now want to remove it, you can click the "(remove)" under the account. If you've been using the service and need to get back to the brand management page you can do so by clicking on "Manage Brands" at the top of your screen. Select which brand the social media account is under and then click "(remove)" from there.

5. How do I publish tweets/status updates from Postling?

Once you've completed registration and have a social media account hooked up to Postling you can write a tweet or publish a status update to Facebook and LinkedIn. On the left-hand navigation of every logged-in page of Postling is "Post an Update". The first option below this is "Update Your Status". Simply click on this and start typing.

If you're publishing to Twitter we provide the 140-character counter for you so you know how long your tweet is. If you're publishing to LinkedIn or Facebook you can ignore the character counter. Once you've written your status update, check off which social media account(s) you'd like the message to be posted to. To finish, click the "Publish" button at the bottom and your update will be sent out.

6. How do I add shortened links to my updates?

Directly above the space where you'd type your update is the "Shorten a URL" field. All you need to do is copy and paste the original link and click the "Shorten" button.

If you have a bit.ly account, link up your bit.ly account by clicking "Manage Brands". Select which brand you'd like to add the bit.ly account to and follow the instructions.

7. How do I publish blog posts, upload photos, or upload videos from Postling?

Once you've completed registration and have a social media account hooked up to Postling you can write a blog post (or a Facebook Note). On the left-hand navigation of every logged-in page of Postling is "Post an Update". The second option below this is "Create a Blog Post". Simply click on this and you can begin creating your post. If you have a YouTube account linked up to Postling and would like to upload a video, you can click on "Upload a Video". The screens will walk you through the process of publishing your video to your YouTube account.

You can insert hyperlinks, images, or even format your blog post in HTML code. Once you've written your status update simply check off which social media account(s) you'd like the message to be posted to. To finish, click the "Publish" button at the bottom and your update will be sent out.

8. How do I schedule a post/update to publish at a later time?

Whether you're creating a status update, blog post, or uploading an image, you can choose the "Schedule for later" option. This is located just above the "Publish" button. Clicking on the date will open a calendar that will allow you to select what day you'd like your post to publish. Once the date is chosen you can enter what time you'd like the post to go out. To finish, simply select "Publish".

If you changed your mind and want your post to go out immediately you can click "post immediately". Again, click "Publish" to finish.

9. How do I reply to comments and mentions I receive through Postling?

There are two ways you can reply to comments. The first is through your Dashboard, which is the page you're taken to when you first login. The dashboard shows you the most recent comments you've received. Simply hit the "reply" button on the right and type your message. To send it out, click "Post reply".

You can see all of your comments by selecting "Comments" on the left-hand navigation (you can do so for all brands or in a specific brand). The response functionality is the same here as on the Dashboard, click "reply", type your response, and hit "Post reply" to send out your message.

10. Can I see my streams (the posts of people I follow on social media networks) in Postling?

Yes! Click here to see your streams. Postling pulls in all of the posts from individuals you follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. You have the ability to "like" anything on Facebook or Tumblr, directly reply to posts on Twitter and Facebook, and re-post anything to any of your social media networks.

11. What is the daily digest email and how can I change when I receive it?

Postling sends you a daily digest email every morning. We will recap all of the comments, Yelp/CitySearch reviews, and tracking results you've received in the past 24 hours. You have the ability to reply or share the posts, which will direct you to Postling to send out your message.

To change what time you receive your digest email, click "Settings" at the top of Postling. Under "Account" you can select "Email Notification". This allows you to not only change what time you receive the email, but also to opt out of receiving these emails altogether. Be sure to click "Save Changes"!

12. How do I add, edit, or delete a brand?

To add a brand at any time, click on the "Add Brand" button at the bottom of the left-hand navigation.

To edit or delete an existing brand, click on "Manage Brands" at the top of Postling. Select which brand you'd like to change. The top bar gives you the options to edit a brand. You can change the name of the brand and if it's for business use you can change the address you're listed at. You can also choose to delete a brand. Please note that deleting a brand will also remove those social media accounts from Postling, even if those accounts are in other brands.

13. How do I add a Yelp or CitySearch page to Postling?

If you haven't completed your registration yet, you can add Yelp and CitySearch review pages by clicking "add account" under the respective logos. If you're a business and have already put in your address we'll try and find your business's page. If we've found the right one, click to save. If we didn't manage to find it for you, copy and paste the correct URL from Yelp or CitySearch into the field.

If you've already completed registration, you can add a Yelp or CitySearch page by clicking on "Manage Brands" at the top of Postling. Select which brand you'd like to add the review site(s) to. Once the brand you've selected loads, you'll follow the same steps as above. You can either approve the pages we find automatically or manually enter in your business's URL from Yelp or CitySearch.

14. How do I track an RSS feed in Postling?

If you haven't completed registration yet, select the "Add an RSS feed" option on the right. Then copy and paste the URL for the RSS feed you'd like to track.

If you've already completed registration, you can add an RSS feed by selecting "Manage Brands" at the top of Postling. Select which brand you'd like to add the RSS feed to. On the next page, click on the RSS feed logo and copy and paste the URL into the field.

15. How can I monitor my online reputation?

If you haven't completed registration yet, select the "Track keywords on the web" option. You can create whatever trackers you like, but we generally recommend starting with something simple like your business (be sure to use quotes!) and lead generation trackers (such as "best pizza" AND "NYC"). You can preview the results before clicking "Add Track" to add it to your brand.

If you've already completed registration, you can add a tracker by selecting "Manage Brands" at the top of Postling. Select which brand you'd like to add the tracker to. On the next page, click on the tracker logo and enter the word or phrase you'd like to track. Again, you can preview the results before choosing to add it to a brand.

16. How do I share what I find on the web, RSS feeds, Yelp or CitySearch with my followers?

Anything you find in Postling (whether it be through tracking, reviews, RSS feeds, or streams) can be cross-posted to any social media network. All across the site we have the "Share" option that allows you to post as either a blog post or status update. Clicking this will open up a window that allows you to add to or edit the message and select which social media networks you'd like the post to go to.

Unlike other platforms, Postling doesn't restrict you to stay within one network. If an interesting tweet comes up on your stream or in tracking, you can post this to Facebook, LinkedIn, or any of your blogs... and vice versa!

17. How do I delete my Postling account?

Select "Settings" at the top of Postling. The last option on this menu is "Billing History". If you click on this you'll be taken to a summary of your account. Under "Your Current Plan" there is the option to "Cancel Your Subscription". On the next page, please tell us why you're canceling your account. Clicking "Cancel My Account" will completely delete your account from Postling.

Using Postling's Advanced Features

1. How do I give other people access to manage a brand?

Click on "Settings" at the top of Postling. The first option is "Manage Users". From here you can click "Add User". Simply create a username for them, insert their email address, and select which privileges you'd like to provide the new user with. Click "Add User" at the bottom to save your changes.

2. How do I setup instant email alerts?

In Postling select "Settings" at the top. About half-way down is the option "Email Notification". On this page you'll be able to check off which accounts you'd like to receive instant email alerts for. Be sure to hit "Save Changes" at the bottom!

3. How do I see analytics for my account?

You can see your analytics at any time by clicking "Analytics" on the left-hand navigation. You can view your analytics by brand or specific account.

Billing

1. How much does Postling cost?

You can try out the full set of Postling's features for only $3 for the first month. After the first month, it costs $3 per social media account per month.

2. What forms of payment are accepted?

We accept all major credit cards. We do not accept checks.

3. Do you have enterprise solutions available?

The Postling team is happy to create custom solutions for your enterprise or agency. Please contact Supportat support@postling.com.

Miscellaneous

1. I'm having trouble linking up my Facebook Page.

If you have a Facebook Page connected to a personal account and are getting error messages trying to link it up to Postling, try logging out of Facebook entirely. Then try to link up the Facebook Page from Postling, which will take you through the login process.

If you have a Facebook Business Page (a page that isn't connected to a personal account), this is a more difficult issue. Facebook treats Business Pages inconsistently. Try the same method as Facebook Pages (logging out of Facebook entirely and attempting to link up through Postling). If this still doesn't work, please email support@postling.com.

2. What's the best way to get in touch with the Postling team?

The Postling team is available all the time! To email one of us individually, please see our contact page. You can also talk to us via Twitter, Facebook, or our forums.

3. Does Postling have a public API?

At this time Postling does not have a public API.

4. I have a feature request for the Postling team, what should I do?

You can request features on the Postling forums or email them and similar questions to support@postling.com.

5. Need help with Tracking and Reviews? Check out this video!
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