Helping to fight the disease

My personal motivation to participate in Alpe d’HuZes stems from a strong desire to help combat the disease. I've had this feeling for a long time, and it grew stronger when I started my own business. My first company sponsored good causes from the very beginning, and I was fortunate that the business allowed for it. I believe that when you are in a unique position as an entrepreneur to sponsor good causes, you should do so. Entrepreneurship is not just about starting new ventures, growing revenue, or making a profit; it is also about making connections, development, life, and contributing to society.

Coosto & charities

From the start, Coosto has sponsored various good causes, but a few years ago, we decided to fully focus on sponsoring cancer research and treatment. This includes supporting organizations like KWF, the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, smaller and sometimes personal initiatives, and we have been proud sponsors of the wonderful Alpe d’HuZes for eight years now.

Nothing is taken for granted anymore when dealing with cancer

As the years pass, I'm now 53, I have become increasingly aware of how lucky I am that my family, immediate relatives, and friends are in relatively good health. 

I often reflect on the special things in life, such as the fresh scent of an early morning or freshly cut grass, the colorful display of clouds and light during a sunset, peacefully grazing cows in a meadow, or an energizing techno percussion set blasting from the speakers during a car ride. I can enjoy these things without worry, without medical stress, and that feels like pure happiness. I wish this for everyone. All these so-called givens are no longer so obvious when you are ill or when someone you love is sick. These 'trivialities' then suddenly become special moments of happiness. 

Of course, this is different for everyone, and everyone experiences it in their own way. But if my company and I can contribute, even if it is just a drop in the ocean, to fighting cancer with the goal of increasing moments of happiness, then that is the best thing there is.

Alpe d’HuZes 2023

As mentioned, I am an entrepreneur, and from that background, I also wanted to participate and ride up the mountain as an Alpe d’HuZes participant. I love challenges, especially when they are tough.

In 2023, it was time; we participated for the first time, not just as sponsors but also by cycling and running. Being opportunistic, I thought I could just ride up the mountain. After all, it was just over 15 km; I used to cycle that distance to school, it couldn't be that hard. I started training by cycling about 40 km every weekend. With three months to go and extreme weather like snow and frost, I bought an indoor bike trainer to train at home. The advantage of this device was that I could simulate the climb of Alpe d'Huez, and that became my new training goal: climbing Alpe d’Huez as often as possible on the indoor trainer in the attic.

The first time I did it, I was in for a rude wake-up call. I started too fast, and as a result, 30 minutes later, I was completely exhausted and could barely move forward. It was one of my toughest sports experiences ever. I finished the training, but I was utterly wrecked, and the next day I could barely walk due to muscle soreness. That was a serious wake-up call. I realized I had severely underestimated it and that serious work was needed.

I began by reading up on how to train for climbing a mountain by bike. I read training schedules, watched various YouTube videos, and, on the advice of an enthusiastic cycling colleague (thanks for the tip, Stan), listened to the 'Beter Worden' podcast by Laurens ten Dam and gradually adjusted my training. I learned how to train based on wattage, how to adjust my diet, incorporate varied training, and the importance of a good night's sleep. Ultimately, the preparation for 2023 was too short, but I couldn't complain; Team Coosto did fantastic, and it left us wanting more, so we signed up for 2024 immediately.

Preperations Alpe d’HuZes 2024

This time, I planned to start training much earlier, but unexpected business circumstances threw a wrench in the works, and then my mother suddenly passed away. This combination resulted in little training. In the last few months, I have been able to train relatively well. Long rides on weekends of four to five hours, combined with hill training and intervals on the indoor trainer. The result is okay; it could be better, but I am glad I can participate given the circumstances, and I am looking forward to it immensely. It will be an amazing, yet emotional and impactful experience that I will savor to the fullest.

Regarding the sponsorship money, I have decided to personally double the final amount I raise. Hopefully, this will encourage everyone to give generously, but know that every donation is greatly appreciated.

I want to thank everyone in advance for their support, and of course, I will give everything I have on the mountain! 🙂! One last important word:

Don't forget to enjoy life, the little things, the big things, keep things in perspective, and go for it. It's not tomorrow, but now! ❤️

Do you want to contribute to Toine's mission to fight cancer? Donate here!

Coosto offers a powerful integration with Google Analytics that enables users to draw more, better, and faster conclusions from data than ever before.

This integration opens the doors to better insight into online performance, thanks to the powerful combination of social media metrics and website performance. Here are some highlights of what this new integration with Google Analytics has to offer:

• Deeper insights: The combination of website performance and social media statistics makes connecting data easier than ever before. The integration creates a complete overview of the performance on a campaign level and helps detect opportunities for more success.
   
• Quicker decisions: Thanks to the seamless integration with Google Analytics, users are able to check and analyse all content and social media statistics in real-time. The overview makes it easier and faster to draw the right conclusions. Which enables you to take quicker action and make strategic decisions.
   
• More reach and conversions: By gaining insight into which content is most effective, you can easily increase reach and maximize conversions on all platforms. Identify trends and optimize strategies to achieve desired results in a targeted manner.

Try it yourself and discover how Coosto integration helps increase your organization's online success with the newest integration. The Google Analytics integration in Coosto is available to Coosto customers and can be tested for free by interested organizations. 
 

Stan Ansems

Since 2009 I began cycling actively, started on mountain bike but currently I alternate between MTB, road bike and gravel bike. In recent years I have been cycling about 7.5 to 8000 kilometers per year.

Each year I try to make a nice challenge. For instance, a few times I participated in Scherpenheuvel -> Hapert (100 km MTB) and Diekirch -> Valkenswaard (270 km with 3000 altimeters) and last year I cycled the Pieterpad with friends (520 km in 3 days).

The Alpe d'HuZes had been on my list for a long time but had not happened until now.
Fortunately I do not have any close experience with cancer, but everyone has to deal with it directly or indirectly. So the combination of a nice challenge and raising as much money as possible for charity and that on my birthday couldn't be nicer.

he training is going well, for now I stand at 2800 km for this year, I try to incorporate as many altimeters as possible. In Brabant not the easiest of tasks, but the Gulbergen in Nuenen (old landfill and with 62m above sea level the highest point in Brabant) is a nice place to train. I recently rode up 25 times to get 1200 altimeters in one ride in Brabant. Furthermore I try to make nice longer distances, picking up the uniforms in Papendal was a nice trip of 160km via Veldhoven -> Papendal -> Den Bosch (with the train back to Eindhoven).

During the longer rides I try to pay close attention to nutrition and drinking with energy bars, powders and bananas.

And of course we keep track of everything on Strava and StatsHunters (a side project of myself as a developer).

Help Stan reach his goal and donate here.

Climb 1

At 04:00 I was already awake and ready to start the ascent. It's still half an hour until the start, and there's already a massive line of people waiting. Everyone has their lights on, even before it has begun, and I find it extremely impressive.

After a long wait, I finally crossed the starting line at 04:47. The first climb was in silence, and since it was so early, it was still dark outside. The route was beautifully illuminated with candles. In every turn, I saw a long string of cyclists, hikers, and runners winding their way up the mountain. It feels good to me, but the climb is steeper than expected. Throughout the climb, I kept my gears in the lowest setting, trying to keep my heart rate below 145. I crossed the finish line at 06:21. It feels like a victory. Almost immediately, I started the first descent. Since it's still early in the morning and the sun hasn't risen yet, it's extremely cold. Descending 14 km with a windbreaker and a jacket, it's cold but enjoyable! Down at the turning point, there's thankfully some hot coffee to warm up.

Climb 2

I take off my rain jacket, and at 07:08, I ride down to the start again. More and more people gather on the mountain to cheer us on. At 08:00, the DJ finally cranks up the volume. Different music in every few turns, the atmosphere is already great early on!

Along the way, I encountered many emotional moments—a group of friends embracing each other by the candles, a woman crying alone on a wall, a man with his son's photo under his saddlebag, and a banner with a picture of a loved one by the road. It sometimes hits you hard. I finished for the second time at 08:36. After a short break, a restroom stop, and refilling my water bottles, I descend again. I grab a soup for some extra salt and then go for it again.

Climb 3

At 09:31, I started the third climb of the day. The first few turns are still relatively easy, but the higher I go, the harder it becomes. Some pain starts to creep into my calf at turn 5. I can't shift to an easier gear. I keep hydrating, eat an extra energy bar, and hope the pain doesn't escalate.

By turn 2 (counting backward from turn 21 to 1), the pain doesn't matter anymore because the finish line is in sight. Once I cross the finish line, it's 11:02, almost 5 hours of riding, so having lunch sounds like a good idea. I take a longer break with a sandwich, a can of cola, and weigh whether another climb is feasible. Together with Toine, we decided to go for it. We descend together and agree not to wait for each other during the climb, but to go at our own pace.

Climb 4

At 13:22, Toine and I start our final climb. Initially, I pull ahead of Toine, but at one of the last turns, I have to stop to give my legs some rest. I take this opportunity to take some photos. Suddenly, I see Toine, and I immediately get on my bike to ride together for the final climb. At 14:58, we crossed the finish line together for the last time.The entire week was incredibly impressive and a challenge never to be forgotten!

Climb 1: 01:34 hours
Climb 2: 01:27 hours
Climb 3: 01:30 hours
Climb 4: 01:36 hours

Personal contribution: €3,500.00
Total funds raised by Coosto Warriors: €10,982.04

Toine Verheul

For years, I had the idea of climbing Alpe d'Huez on my bike, inspired by the heroic images of the Tour de France, particularly the victories of Peter Winnen (1981), Gert-Jan Theunisse (1989), Lance Armstrong (2001), and of course, Marco Pantani (1995), who set a world record with an incredible time of 36 minutes and 50 seconds. Along the climb, the route was packed with enthusiastic supporters dressed in the most peculiar clothing. Every year, there was a supporter dressed as a red devil, chasing the cyclists with a trident. Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France was always a great spectacle and gained a mythical status.

On television, the climbs looked tough, and the riders suffered, but watching from the couch, I thought I could do it myself. Maybe I could even come close to a good time!

On June 6, 2006 (6-6-6), 66 people cycled up Alpe d'HuZes 6 times for a good cause, cancer research. There was limited media attention initially, but year after year, the media coverage grew, capturing my attention as well. I would love to participate one day, achieve a sports performance, and sponsor a good cause—a wonderful combination. But the years went by, and there was always a reason not to sign up. I was too busy, not fit enough, cycling wasn't really that enjoyable, supporting charities could be done in other ways, and so on. Until Corona emerged and gripped the world in a dreadful manner. The number of sick people and deaths increased rapidly, and the news mainly focused on vulnerable individuals and those with underlying conditions who passed away to a disease.

During that period, I got to know Maud Burgers and Marlies von Mansveldt from the Prinses Máxima Centrum for Pediatric Oncology. The trigger was an episode of Jeroen Pauw's program "Pauw komt binnen", filmed at the Prinses Máxima Centrum for Pediatric Oncology, where he spoke with children, fathers, mothers, and families about the impact of cancer, the fear, but above all, the zest for life. I happened to come across this episode, and I was captivated by the intensity, honesty, and the pure, sad, but also beautiful stories. When the episode ended, I had an irresistible feeling that I wanted to contribute, to help. That same evening, I sent an email to Maud, stating that I wanted my company to contribute to the good work of the Prinses Máxima Centrum. The next day, I received a positive reply and was invited for a meeting. Two weeks later, I went for a visit, and after a warm welcome, a good conversation, and an impressive and discreet tour, I was even more convinced. We must contribute, and that was the start of our collaboration.

From that moment on, the Coosto management team decided to choose one charity for sponsorship, and that was everything related to cancer research. We were already sponsors of Alpe d'HuZes, but we had never participated in the event. That had to change, and besides, it was an opportunity to climb Alpe d'Huez and make a contribution. In December 2022, I sent an email to the entire company, announcing that we were registering for Alpe d'HuZes 2023. And so it happened, but there was a small detail, and that was the preparation.

By nature, I am quite positive and somewhat limitless in my thinking. Climbing that mountain on a bike couldn't be that difficult, right? The videos on YouTube of cyclists effortlessly riding up the mountain confirmed my suspicion—climbing Alpe d'Huez is quite doable. I wasn't in a hurry to train because I believed it wouldn't be that challenging. At the end of February, I decided to do a simulation training of Alpe d'Huez on my indoor bike trainer. I started off well and got into a good rhythm, but a quarter of the way up, it started to get tough, and by the halfway point, I was already quite exhausted. At 75%, I no longer found it funny and wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into. Two hours later, completely drained and with a significant mental blow, I got off the bike trainer. With a sense of panic, I realized I had a problem—this was much, much tougher than I had expected, serious work was required.

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made a concise list of what needed to be done to cycle up the mountain multiple times. I needed to lose weight, sleep more, eat healthier, train more, vary my training routine, lower my heart rate, and, above all, find out how other climbers prepare. Slowly but surely, I made progress. My endurance training improved, my heart rate became more stable and lower, and my recovery also improved. But is it enough? Now, one week before the start, I still have doubts about whether I am adequately prepared, but the excitement for the event is growing. I think it's super cool that I can participate, and I won't disappoint my sponsors. On Thursday, June 1, I will be ready and give it my all, enjoy it to the fullest, and have a beautiful and extraordinary experience. Giving up is not an option.

Thank you for your support and generous donations, we're going for it!

Help Toine reach his goal and donate here

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Rob de Wit

I am participating because I would like to raise money for a future where cancer no longer means certain death. Cancer is all around us and two hands are no longer enough for me to keep count of all the cases in my surroundings. Sooner or later everyone will have to deal with it in some way, so I am happy to support research into ways to cure, alleviate or prevent cancer.

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Going to run up that mountain is quite a challenge. To prepare, I train three times a week. An endurance run to be ready for a long effort. An interval or high tempo run to improve my performance and a training with altitude meters, which I can only do by running up and down the former garbage dump in Nuenen. In terms of nutrition I am mainly focused on recovery during and after training: fluids and carbohydrates. For muscle building sometimes some extra protein because I hardly eat any meat.

So far the training is going well. I'll get there, but my target time of 2 hours may just become 2.5 hours or more....

Help Rob reach his goal and donate here.

The day before Alpe d'HuZes

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I expected this day to be a bit weird, maybe even difficult, emotionally charged. However, it turned out to be not as challenging as I thought. I think we were too tense, anticipating what was to come. Throughout the day, we were confronted with many images of people who died from cancer and their loved ones remembering them by lit candles. We went to see the mountain by car, and the route was surprisingly steep. Even in the car, it took quite a while to reach the top. Along the way, every conversation revolved around how we were going to tackle the challenge the next day.

I also experienced a sudden knot in my calf today. Fortunately, there were volunteer physiotherapists present, and one of them was able to massage it away, although not without some pain.

We decided to start at different times: Stan at 4:30, myself at 5:00, and Toine at 6:00. So, it was an early bedtime for all of us.

The Alpe d’HuZes

Ready, set, go!

I woke up at 4:00 due to messages from Stan and Tariq in our group chat. Trying to go back to sleep didn't help. So, I opened the window to hear the crowd gathered at the start and to feel the cold temperature of 9°C.

Yesterday, I prepared and laid out everything. Getting dressed and having breakfast was all I needed to do. I ate my brought-along milk and Brinta and headed towards the start. I had agreed to meet Tariq at the start, and fortunately, I found him quickly.

Climb 1

At 4:53, I started my first climb. It was still dark. I passed many hikers with flashlights and lights dangling from their backpacks. The only thing on my mind was not to go too fast; there was still a long way to go.

The cyclists from my starting group had already raced ahead. The first ascent towards turn 21 was already quite steep: 10%. I saw many cyclists struggling to make their way up. Quite a few managed to stay ahead of me (sometimes just barely), but I overtook the rest! The fastest ones were already at turn 20 or even further. I kept checking my sports watch every minute to make sure I wasn't exerting myself too much.

After the battlefield of the first few kilometers, I found a rhythm where most cyclists steadily passed me while sometimes offering encouraging words. The slower cyclists and hikers were usually focused on their own challenges. I kept jogging, keeping my heart rate low in Zone 3.

Apparently, it had become light without me noticing because around 6.5 km, I saw a beautiful view of Bourg d'Oisans. I stopped here briefly to take a photo and share it. It was already 05:49, and I was almost at turn 11. I realized I was already halfway there, and things were actually going quite well. I had already tackled the steepest part. I stopped briefly again for another photo at turn 9.

I continued running until I was surprised just before turn 3. The route was different from the one we took by car yesterday. In my delusion, I thought the exit we took with the car was a shorter route, but that wasn't the case, and it hit me. Suddenly, I saw countless people zigzagging up the landscape in front of me. I decided to walk a bit. Then suddenly, Stan came flying by on his descent, and I managed to shout congratulations to him on his birthday. With this boost, I started running again!

After turn 1, there was still nearly a kilometer of climbing through the village, and I tried to maintain my pace. People were cheering me on, and the atmosphere was incredible. I felt tired, but it didn't affect my mood at all. My first climb was completed at 07:03. At the top of the mountain I had planned to meet up with Tariq, he had warm clothes for me. However, he was not there yet, as the gondolas to get to the top did not start until 07:00.

On the top of Alpe d'Huez

At the top of Alpe d'Huez, it is 6°C. So I just bought some long pants here and watched the other finishers. They all crossed the finish line with different emotions. Happy, crying, with pictures of loved ones and some focused only on achievement.

Suddenly I see Toine flash by, he immediately goes on for the 2nd lap. Moments later, Tariq was also on the mountain. We talked together about how the event was and how my climb had gone. I see that everyone is going through, I decide not to wait for the ‘saamhorigheids’ climb, but to go again right now! I still feel surprisingly good and also my muscles were not yet stiffened.

To get down, it took me 1.5 hours. I had to take three gondolas and a bus. I chat with others and everyone is still going up that mountain. At the hotel I put on sunscreen and make my drinks.

Climb 2

At 10:47 I started running right in front of the hotel. In fact, this is where the start was early in the morning (moved to the beginning of the mountain in the meantime). I don't pay attention to my speed and a few turns after the steep start I feel that it is going a bit less. I walk for a while and start running again. Someone hands me an apple. I bite down and notice that I cannot eat this while running. Walking again. It is hard for me, the banners with statements of patients who have died are also suddenly more present.

I decide to walk until the next turn, then run again, alternating that way. This happens a few times, but when I end up in a traffic jam of walkers after turn 7, I only manage to run for about 100m.  

It's not a race, just getting to the top, so don't give up!

I accept that I have to do it walking and continue until I reach turn 1. The part through the village I manage to run, but it takes a lot from me. At 13:25 I cross the finish line. Tired. Very tired, but satisfied and this is actually what I expected from the first attempt. The ‘saamhorigheids’ climb is no longer an option for me. The same goes for Toine and Stan who complete their 3rd and 4th climbs after me respectively.

Times & Funds Raised

Climb 1: 02:10 hours
Climb 2: 02:27 hours

Personal contribution: €2.625,04
Total funds raised by Coosto Warriors: €10,982.04

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Eindhoven, February 28, 2023 - Coosto announced today the launch of Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, the second Coosto app available on the Salesforce AppExchange. These powerful Coosto apps enable customers to effortlessly manage their online content and social media presence directly within Salesforce.

Coosto: The content & social media marketing tool

Coosto delivers a cutting-edge content and social media marketing tool, providing practical solutions for every stage of the content marketing process. Our loyal customers rely on Coosto to generate and distribute exceptional content, expertly manage their online community, and track and analyze their results with ease. 

Coosto offers an outstanding alternative for Salesforce customers who previously used Salesforce Social Studio, as this product is being phased out by Salesforce. By utilizing the Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud app, customers can seamlessly access the full range of Coosto's features directly within the Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform.

Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud is currently available on AppExchange.

This new app is a valuable addition to Coosto's existing Salesforce app, Coosto for Salesforce Service Cloud. Together, these apps allow customers to gain real-time insights on social interactions and engage with their customers directly from Sales & Service Cloud. Coosto for Service Cloud is available on AppExchange.

Toine Verheul, CEO of Coosto, stated: 'We are proud to have strengthened our partnership with Salesforce, providing customers with the tools they need to fully manage their online content and social media directly within the Salesforce platform. With both Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud apps now available on the Salesforce AppExchange, we are excited to offer our customers a seamless and streamlined experience.’

Click here for more information
 

The more media sources you monitor, the lower the odds you’ll miss an article that is relevant for your organization. Coosto therefore offers extensive coverage of various media, including social media, blogs, message boards, radio, tv and news sites.

The new Belga.press integration provides additional coverage of all major national and regional newspapers and magazines in Belgium. This helps you get an even better understanding of what is being written about your organization or industry.

Which media are available through the integration?

The Belga.press integration grants access to multiple outlets, both in Dutch and in French language. Major titles like RTBF, RTL TVI, De Standaard and l’Echo are all included.

The Belga.press integration enables you to measure the full impact of your PR efforts, base your communication plans on a more robust situational analysis and get even more ideas for new content.

Read more about all integration options via Belga.press

Give a platform to your content

“We’re seeing many content marketers putting a lot of time and energy in creating relevant, unique content”, says Paul van den Broek, product manager at Coosto. “But success is mainly determined by the way content is distributed. That’s easier said than done, though. How can you make sure your content is actually seen? That your target audience is engaging with and clicking on your post more often? With Post Optimizer, we offer a data-driven solution that removes any of those doubts.”

100% algorithm proof

Post Optimizer provides proactive advice on the use of media, hashtags, emoji, URLs and the ideal copy length of your post. Not as a result of one-off or outdated research, but based on real-time analyses. Post Optimizer tells you what works and what doesn’t on your favorite social media platform at this very moment, making it 100% algorithm proof.

Post Optimizer is fully integrated in Coosto and available for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Book a free demo of the Coosto platform at coosto.com/en/demo.

Improve your brand experience

Instagram is the no. 1  social media platform of this time, and its DM feature is used by almost 400 million people worldwide. This makes DMs a great opportunity for brands to engage with their target audiences in a personal way. DMs are perfect for improving customer loyalty, improving brand experience and get real conversions from conversations. 

Instagram from A tot Z

Coosto already enabled users to analyze Instagram messages, schedule and publish Instagram posts, and report all stats. Responding to public comments and mentions had been supported as well. With the addition of Direct Messages, Coosto now brings the entire Instagram suite under one roof. Altogether, the marketing tool supports full support for no fewer than 8 social media channels. 

The best of both worlds

The new feature combines the best of both worlds: the popularity of Instagram DMs (including Story comments and mentions) and the reliable features of Coosto. The tool brings its user-friendly conversational interface, auto replies, quick replies and case tagging to Instagram, helping teams to work smarter and more efficiently.  

About Coosto

Coosto offers a unique marketing tool that is entirely focused on helping organizations get better results from content and social media. Coosto lets you monitor how people are talking about your organization online, it helps you find ideas for new content, enables you to reach your target audience through all your social channels, and lets you handle questions and comments on social media, messengers and live chat. Reporting is easy, through PDF reports and real-time dashboards. 

Morteza was working in the IT industry in Iran when Coosto came across his path. “An Iranian friend of mine lived in the Netherlands and worked at Coosto. During lunch, when he was visiting Iran, he talked about a vacancy at Coosto. When I got back to my desk I visited the Coosto website and read about the vacancy, looked exciting, requested a demo and walked through the product. Seemed like a cool project. I was like: are you ready for the next step? I decided to go for it.”

No doubt

Morteza has always had an adventure abroad in his mind, but it was quite unexpected. “At that time, I wasn't thinking about it at all. It came on my path and the conversations with Coosto went very well. When I was offered the job, I didn't hesitate for a moment."

As a Developer in the Social Accounts team, Morteza is mainly working at the other side of Coosto. “I work in Coosto's engine room where we deal with thousands of incoming and outgoing messages. It always challenges you to improve things everyday Coosto's customers may not immediately notice the work we do, but it is essential.”

“At Coosto developers work continuously to improve Coosto as a product with new features, enhancements and bug fixes. Coosto has various development teams that are each responsible for a different part of Coosto. Each team has their own responsibilities, way of working and the freedom to address new challenges with carefully chosen technologies, and together all teams form the fundamental basis of a working product and happy customers.”

Move

Packing your bags and moving to the other side of the world is not a small step, but Morteza would recommend it to everyone. Especially if Coosto gives you the opportunity. “Of course it is exciting, you don't know exactly where you will end up and the culture is different. At Coosto it was all great from the beginning. The colleagues are nice and very helpful. There's a good onboarding plan with a nice and cool buddy who helps and brings you up to speed very quickly. ”

Coosto also helped with the move from Iran to the Netherlands. “They arranged a home for my first month and helped with all the paperwork and arrangements surrounding my move, which I liked. This allowed me to get off to a good start without any problems and I quickly felt home. That way I could quickly focus on my work and find my way into the Netherlands instead of worrying about administrative things every day.”

His friends and family responded very well to his departure from Iran. “In the IT industry, it is quite common for people to live and work abroad. They knew it was an option for me too. Now I regularly speak to everyone via Whatsapp, for example. That is the advantage of these days. You are far away, but you can see everyone on a daily basis.”

Covid and working from home

Morteza was in the Netherlands for only two months when corona started in the Netherlands. From that moment on it became working from home and visiting his friends and family in Iran was no longer an option. “That was a sad situation, but it is what it is. It's not ideal if you just live in a new country and have a new job and then suddenly find yourself at home alone. But I can see it as an opportunity somehow. In the normal situation I would work from the office and my wife and son may get bored at home in a totally new city and country. Also for me it would be the case. but working from home gave me this chance to be with Mahdieh (my wife) and Parham (my son) and now we all don't feel new-in-town anymore.”

Future

Morteza hopes to be able to work at Coosto for a long time to come. “I like the job and the people at Coosto are great. It is a very open organization in which you can come up with your own ideas. Everyone's input is listened to and that's nice. There are a lot of interesting events and opportunities such as Hackathons, self improvement budget, weekly knowledge sharing meetings, fun and sport and a lot more. If it is up to me, I will continue to work at Coosto for a long time.”

Career switch

Sofie initially had a different career in mind. After her communications studies she started as a marketing & communication employee at an recruitment agency, but she missed the passion in that job. “It was not a match. I had previously worked in the hospitality industry for six years and I always loved the interaction with people. That disappeared in my role at the agency.”

Sofie made the step to Swiss Sense and got to know Coosto . “As a customer service employee at Swiss Sense, I worked with Coosto on a daily basis and that is how I got to know the company. The more people I spoke to, the more often I thought, "That seems like a great company to work for. "I decided to apply and that's how it all started."

After a few good interviews, the click was there and Coosto hired Sofie as a Support employee. From the beginning, there was the intention to help Sofie, who is eager to learn, grow to the CSM role in the future. "I liked that plan and I didn’t hesitate for a moment to accept the offer."

Warm welcome

Sofie says she had a warm welcome at Coosto. “I felt at home from the very beginning. Of course all the nice colleagues play a role, but the HR process has also helped. Nothing is left to fate here. A first working day is often very exciting, but at Coosto I knew exactly what to expect. Before I started, I already received a complete plan from HR. Everything had already been arranged for me; training, introductions and so on. I immediately knew what to expect.”

That feeling never disappeared after that. “Everyone is so nice and helpful. You also notice this during activities outside of work. I have to mention the Christmas party. When I arrived I heard that it would be legendary and I experienced that myself for the first time in 2019. What makes it so legendary? I can’t explain, you need to discover it yourself.”

From Support to CSM

So Sofie took the first steps within Coosto as a Support employee. There she got to know the tool in detail and helped customers with questions or issues. After almost two years at Support, it was time to take the next step. “The initiative for my promotion to the role of CSM came from Coosto. Of course that was the approach from the start, but the fact that I never had to ask about it and they took the initiative, indicates to me what kind of employer Coosto is. Agreements are kept and that is not self-evident everywhere."

The CSM role fits perfect for Sofie. “Making people happy has always given me a lot of energy. Actually, I can do that full-time now. I have my own customer portfolio with nearly three hundred customers.”

As CSM, every day is really different, according to Sofie. “It is very diverse. One day I am busy onboarding new customers and the next day there are screen sharings where I help customers to get the most out of Coosto. I actually shut down my laptop every day and I think to myself: "This was a really nice day." Of course there are also less fun things to do, but compared to all the positive sides, it's nothing."

Managing success

Sofie is regularly asked what a Customer Success Manager exactly does, and her answer is simple. “I always say that I do exactly what it literally says, haha. I manage the success of my clients. As soon as Sales has concluded a contract, it is transferred to a CSM. We contact that customer to get acquainted, to schedule training courses and to help them get started. From that moment on, the CSM is their contact person.”

A CSM actually builds a bond with customers and that is exactly what makes the work so fulfilling, according to Sofie. “I have a lot of conversations with customers and always try to make them happy. Of course, I also sometimes have to deal with a customer who has a complaint or a problem, but I see that as a challenge. Making those customers 100% happy again is what drives me and gives me the energy I need.”

The connection between Sofie and Coosto is a good one and if it is up to Sofie it will remain so. “I really enjoy my work and I have great colleagues. In addition, Coosto simply is a nice and good employer. At the moment I am happy and I get up to work every day with a smile. I only have one wish at the moment and that is that we can all see each other again soon at the office. I have nothing to complain, but I do miss everyone. ”

The 33-year-old Alexander became acquainted with Coosto while studying technical computer science. “It started as a side job on weekend days when I was studying at Fontys. Even when I went to the university after that, I continued to do so. After my studies, they wanted to hire me and I stuck around.”

Employee from the very beginning

Alexander witnessed the entire growth of the company. “If I am right, I was employee number nine. I signed my first contract in April 2007, a long time ago. I have seen the company grow from a very small start-up to a large and professional organization. It now employs more than a hundred people, which was hard to imagine at the time.”

Alexander, born in Deurne, still enjoys working at Coosto. “The advantage of Coosto is that you are always challenged. You're not a code monkey here (someone who just writes code). Within Coosto you get the opportunity to do your own research and you get a lot of freedom in your job. You get the chance to develop and for that reason you never get bored. I came in as a rookie and have grown from there and I am still growing. I am learning every day.”

The hidden side of Coosto

Alexander is currently working on the "hidden side" of Coosto. “You don't see my work right from the front, but it is essential. I mainly work on the back of the tool. I am responsible for the links with our sources. Coosto has many sources such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, blogs, forums and so on. That produces a lot of data and that data is collected by programs that I have co-written.”

Alexander's work brings the correct data to the surface in Coosto. “All data must be cleaned up and in the correct format. In addition, we also don’t want any junk, spam or old data in our tool. It is my responsibility to ensure that those processes run smoothly. If the connection between the sources and Coosto does not work properly, then nothing will come out of the search engine. So I think my work is quite important haha.”

Special organization

In addition to the fact that Coosto continues to challenge you, Alexander also likes the working culture. “Coosto is a very flat organization. Everyone is equal and there are no ranks and classes. It is very free and open. I never feel that things are being discussed behind closed doors. Everyone thinks along and helps and everyone is taken seriously. You are always listened to and when you have a good idea, it is implemented.”

The connection between employee and employer is a special one, according to Alexander. “Coosto thinks along with you. When you want extra training, when you are sick, when you have an idea, you are really taken into account. I feel appreciated and I think that I am not just speaking for myself. Even now that we all work from home, Coosto regularly let you know that they are thinking about you. This can be through a flower or a nice message. They care about you and that is genuine. That is very much appreciated throughout the company.”

Every idea is a welcome

Activities outside the daily work are also appreciated. “Coosto is somewhat known for that. That is in the company's DNA. Successes are celebrated in a big way and Christmas is a big hit. Then everything is possible. But it's not just Christmas. All sorts of things are organized throughout the year. Such as a Hackathon, which I have been co-organizing myself for years. That's great. The involvement of everyone within Coosto is great anyway.”

To indicate that everything is possible at Coosto, Alexander touches on last year's winter sports trip. “I had the crazy idea to throw in a winter sport and I indicated that to HR. The Coosto-way is then: "Cool idea, look at the options and arrange it." So we went on winter sports. That was great. No matter how crazy your idea is; within Coosto they are always listened to and if possible, you can implement it. ”

Coosto challenges you

According to Alexander, anyone who wants to work at Coosto must have ambitions and want to develop themselves. “Of course I look at the technical side of Coosto, because that is my field. And if I look at that, you can go in so many directions at Coosto. You receive a personal development budget, you are allowed to go to conferences, you are given the space and freedom to conduct research and do you have an innovative and good idea? Then you can pitch it and perform it.”

However, those who prefer to get their work prepared is not in the right place at Coosto. “You really have to want to challenge and improve yourself. You get a lot of freedom within Coosto, but that also includes a lot of responsibility. You are expected to take it too. I really like that myself. That is why you always keep learning. When you come up with a good idea and are allowed to implement it, then that is really your project. That will not be taken over by someone from above who will advertise it. Isn't that cool ?!”

Alexander has been around since Coosto's foundation, but is far from tired. “Of course I have my ambitions, but I can realize them very well within Coosto. I am happy to work here and I am definitely not thinking of leaving. I appreciate Coosto and I have the feeling that that appreciation is mutual.”

In een samenwerking tussen Adformatie, Jaap Toorenaar en Coosto maken we opnieuw de lijst op, dit keer over 2020. Toorenaar: ‘Reclamezinnen in de berichtgeving van de adverteerders zelf zijn niet meegeteld, alle variaties op slogans wel: Opa, je bent een rund als je met je buurvrouw stunt.’ 

De meeste reclameboodschappen zakken volgens Toorenaar meteen weg in het moeras van ons geheugen. ‘Dit zijn de reclamespreuken die overleven, gewoon omdat we ze gebruiken.’ Hij voorziet de woorden en zinnen van kort commentaar. We beginnen met de top 20 van 2020 en tellen terug.

Top 20

20. Geschikt/ongeschikt
Van de Landmacht. Voltreffer in de wervingsgeschiedenis van Defensie.

19. Het zou verboden moeten worden
Vindbaar met de gekste begrippen in plaats van Autodrop.

18. Niet omdat het moet maar omdat het kan
Was bekend in kleine kring, groot gemaakt door Tele2.

17. Drank maakt meer kapot dan je lief is
Een van de 12 slogans van de Rijksoverheid in deze lijst. Wie vindt ze?

16. Komt wel goed, schatje
Uit een commercial uit 2007 van Roosvicee.

15. I amsterdam
Veelal gebruikt door buitenlandse toeristen die niet konden komen.

14. Goeiemoggel
Stond in vorige Coosto-hitlijst nog op 2. 

13. Alles voor een glimlach
Uit de geloofsbelijdenis van Coolblue. 

12. Zo. Nu eerst een Bavaria
Wordt ook illegaal overgenomen. ‘Zo. Nu eerst een wijntje.’

11. Je bent een rund als je met vuurwerk stunt
Onverwoestbare pay-off, de enige met een scheldwoord erin.

10. Even Apeldoorn bellen
Misschien wist nog niet elke Nederlander dat de regel van Centraal Beheer was, maar nu loopt er een campagne die tot werkelijk niemand doordringt.  

9. Een beter milieu begint bij jezelf
Dit jaar bekritiseerd in het boek ‘Een beter milieu begint niet bij jezelf’. 

8. Koning Toto
Absurditeit werkt  

7. Er gaat niets boven Groningen
Correctie op wat in mijn boek staat: bedacht door Constance Cranendonk.

6. Wij van Wc-eend adviseren Wc-eend
Reclamespreuk die uitgroeide tot Nederlands gezegde.

5. De Bob
Opgenomen in de Grote Van Dale. Net als nr. 6, 21, 26 en 62.  

4. Het houdt niet op, niet vanzelf
Gebruikt bij regen en ander onheil. Uit een campagne tegen huiselijk geweld. Een sullige, volgens sommigen.

3. Foutje bedankt
Vorige keer op 1. Van Rijk de Gooyer in de roemrijke campagne uit 1991 voor Reaal.

2. Alleen samen krijgen we corona onder controle
Of krijgt alleen een vaccin corona onder controle? 

1. #Doeslief
Online megahit van de Sire-campagne tegen hufterig gedrag. Ook bekend van de variant #Daslief.

Deze ranglijst is gemaakt op basis van analyse van Coosto samen met Jaap Toorenaar, copywriter bij het Rotterdamse reclamebureau ARA. Dit artikel verscheen eerder op Adformatie. Bekijk hier de volledige top 80.

Veilig en betrouwbaar

Coosto faciliteert de betrouwbare, officiële Instagram-koppeling. Je kunt dus met een gerust hart inplannen, in de wetenschap dat posts veilig en automatisch geplaatst worden. 

Het meest complete platform van Europa

Coosto ondersteunde het geautomatiseerd inplannen van social media posts eerder al voor Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube en Pinterest. Daar wordt nu dus Instagram aan toegevoegd. Het social media management platform biedt daarnaast mogelijkheden voor het reageren, analyseren, monitoren en rapporteren van social media berichten.

Maak vrijblijvend kennis met onze software in een gratis online demonstratie.

Of lees meer over Instagram in Coosto.

Pinterest voor meer verkeer naar websites en -shops

Pinterest heeft in Nederland zo’n 3,5 miljoen gebruikers, waarvan 89% aangeeft het platform te gebruiken voor aankoopbeslissingen. Pinterest is daardoor vooral populair binnen e-commerce, mede vanwege de mogelijkheid om pins direct te linken aan artikelen in webshops. Zo levert Pinterest een belangrijke en rechtstreekse bijdrage aan meer websiteverkeer, sales en omzet.

Totaaloplossing voor social media management

“We willen graag dat onze klanten meetbare resultaten boeken met social media, en Pinterest is daar een uitgelezen kanaal voor. We zijn daarom zeer tevreden dat we Pinterest aan ons product hebben kunnen toevoegen”, vertelt Paul van den Broek, productmanager bij Coosto.

“Bovendien zien we dat social media het meeste resultaat opleveren als merken het publiceren van content combineren met het luisteren naar hun doelgroep. We bieden die mogelijkheden al geruime tijd voor grote social media kanalen, maar zoeken ook altijd nieuwe kansen om dé totaaloplossing op het gebied van social media management te blijven. Met de toevoeging van Pinterest zetten we die ambitie kracht bij.”

Meer informatie: www.coosto.com/nl/pinterest

*Bron: https://www.marketingfacts.nl/berichten/social-media-in-nederland-2020

Over Coosto

Coosto ontwikkelt en levert online en social media software die volledig gericht is op het managen van online gesprekken. Met behulp van Coosto kun je vragen via social media, messengers en livechat beantwoorden, jouw doelgroep bereiken met social media posts en je online communicatie verbeteren door het analyseren van online data over jouw organisatie of markt. Zo helpen we mensen aan organisaties te verbinden.

Livechat voor meer conversies en tevreden klanten

Waar Livechat tot voor kort nog werd bestempeld als ‘nice to have’, zijn de tijden door corona in rap tempo veranderd. Het online klantcontact is binnen veel organisaties explosief gestegen, waardoor een vlekkeloze online klantervaring aan belang heeft gewonnen. 

Livechat is hiervoor een uitstekend kanaal, aangezien uit recent onderzoek blijkt dat 79% van consumenten de voorkeur geeft aan communicatie via Livechat. Meer dan 30% verwacht ook dat een organisatie livechat op de website aanbiedt. Voordelen voor organisaties zijn er ook: onderzoek toont aan dat websitebezoekers die chatten 2 tot 5 keer sneller converteren en 60% meer uitgeven dan bezoekers die niet chatten. 

Livechat waardevolle aanvulling naast social media kanalen

“We zien een toename in het aantal berichten op social media platformen en een toenemende vraag naar Livechat, dat onze klanten willen inzetten naast de huidige social media kanalen. Doordat we Livechat nu naadloos hebben geïntegreerd in Coosto, kunnen klanten alle conversaties efficiënt managen en afhandelen”, aldus Paul van den Broek, Product Manager bij Coosto.

Joshua Schoenaker, Co-CEO bij TalkJS: “Sinds onze oprichting vijf jaar geleden ligt onze focus op het ontwikkelen van een flexibele chat-oplossing. Livechat is voor zowel consumenten als organisaties efficiënter en gebruiksvriendelijker dan traditionele vormen van communicatie. We zien onze partnership met Coosto als een mooie kans om de transitie naar moderne communicatie en betere klantervaringen te versnellen”.

Over Coosto

Coosto ontwikkelt en levert online en social media software die volledig gericht is op het managen van online gesprekken. Met behulp van Coosto kun je vragen via social media, messengers en livechat beantwoorden, jouw doelgroep bereiken met social media posts en je online communicatie verbeteren door het analyseren van online data over jouw organisatie of markt. Zo helpen we mensen aan organisaties te verbinden.

Over TalkJS

TalkJS is een tech startup die zich richt op het ontwikkelen van een chat API en messaging SDK waarmee bedrijven makkelijk chat functionaliteiten kunnen toevoegen aan apps en websites. TalkJS faciliteert inmiddels maandelijks miljoenen chatberichten van gebruikers op websites en applicaties in verschillende sectoren, zoals e-commerce, social, gaming, en online educatie. TalkJS focust op het constant doorontwikkelen van de chat-oplossing om consumenten en organisaties de beste ervaring te geven.

De ISO 27001 is een internationaal erkende norm voor het opzetten van een managementsysteem voor informatiebeveiliging. ISO 27001 beschrijft hoe je procesmatig kunt vaststellen welke informatie van belang is en hoe je deze het beste kunt beveiligen. Het doel daarvan is om de vertrouwelijkheid, beschikbaarheid en integriteit van informatie klanten, medewerkers en derden zeker te stellen. Denk hierbij aan het beschermen van persoons- en/of bedrijfsgegevens en bescherming tegen hackers en inbraak.

Victoria van Roosmalen, Chief Information Security Officer bij Coosto, legt uit: “We zijn trots dat we dit certificaat hebben behaald en willen hiermee duidelijk aan onze klanten en leveranciers kenbaar maken dat we informatiebeveiliging en privacy-informatiemanagement serieus nemen. Elke dag werken we hard om ervoor te zorgen dat alle gegevens beschermd blijven. Dankzij het ISO 27001-certificaat wordt nu aangetoond dat wij informatiebeveiliging en privacy risico's in kaart brengen, deze mitigeren en blijven monitoren. Deze processen en resultaten worden ieder jaar door een onafhankelijke instantie getoetst, zodat we continu kunnen blijven verbeteren."

Kun jij je een emoji-loze digitale wereld voorstellen? Wij inmiddels niet meer! Dit is dan ook alweer het derde jaar op rij is dat we het Nationaal Emoji Onderzoek uitvoeren. Dubbel feest dus! Om dat te vieren kun je het rapport hier gratis downloaden. In dit artikel delen we alvast een aantal opvallende conclusies.

Virus & mondkapjes

Geen vuiltje aan de lucht in 2019. We tellen in de eerste zes maanden van het jaar 2.100 berichten met een mondkapjes-emoji, en maar 52 berichten met een virus-emoji. In 2020 is dat wel anders. 0,5% van alle tweets met emoji’s bevatten een mondkapje of virus-emoji. Het COVID-19 virus is een trending topic en we tellen 23.758 berichten waarin een emoji met mondkapje wordt genoemd en 9.952 berichten met een virus emoji.

We knipogen wat af

We zien dat elk jaar het gebruik van emoji’s groeit. Inmiddels bevatten 10% van alle twitterberichten één of meerdere emoji’s. Emoji’s zijn een vast onderdeel geworden van onze manier van communiceren. Daarbij is er wel een verschil in emoji-gebruik tussen mannen en vrouwen. Zo knipogen mannen het meest (de casanova’s) en gebruiken vrouwen de meeste hartjes in hun berichten ♥️.

Populairste emoji

De ‘tranen van vreugde’ ? emoji won, zowel bij mannen als vrouwen, de afgelopen twee jaar de populariteitsaward in ons Nationaal Emoji Onderzoek. In 2019 hebben we echter een nieuwe top 3:

Love at first bite

Eten en drinken blijven ook dit jaar onze favoriete onderwerpen. Afgelopen jaar zijn er 100.214 tweets verstuurd met eet- en drink-emoji’s. In de food-categorie blijft de taart-emoji de absolute winnaar. Als het gaat om drinken, gebruiken we het vaakst de ‘klinkende glazen’- emoji. En laten dat toch ook meteen de ingrediënten zijn voor een feestje ? Proost!?

Wat zeggen emoji’s over onze emoties?

We gebruiken emoji’s om te communiceren en nog belangrijker; een emotie uit te drukken. Met het Nationaal Emoji Onderzoek 2020 laat Coosto zien dat emoji’s een hulpmiddel kunnen zijn om context te bieden en data te duiden. Dit doen we door te kijken naar trends, ontwikkelingen en actualiteiten. Waar zien we uitschieters in data, wat zeggen mensen op social media en hoe voelen we ons daarbij? Dat geeft een extra dimensie aan social media data. Zo zien we onder andere dit jaar dat boosheid, verdriet en angst flink aan het stijgen zijn. Daar staat gelukkig tegenover dat de meeste berichten nog altijd vrolijk zijn ?

Benieuwd naar de rest van ons onderzoek? We bespreken onder andere pieken in positieve en negatieve gebeurtenissen van 2019 én we kijken naar de impact van 2020 op het gebruik van emoji’s en onze emoties. Download het volledige rapport.

It's completely understandable that we often get the question what makes us unique. We think the best way to show this, is by telling you why our most satisfied customers continue to opt for Coosto with great conviction.

1. Market-leading software

Over 1600 organizations in 15 countries are daily using Coosto to manage their social and online media. Our extensive experience with thousands of users means that we precisely know what works and what doesn't, and we use this knowledge to further develop our platform.

2. Quality assurance

Our platform sets the very highest of quality standards. Guaranteed 24/7, in writing.

3. Result driven

Our platform is carefully built for your marketing and communication goals. In practice, this means you will achieve better results in less time using Coosto. Whether you want increasing conversions from social media content, a higher customer satisfaction, a better brand reputation or higher reach: with Coosto, it's all within reach.

4. World-class assistance

A team of Customer Success Managers and analysts is always by your side to help you achieve your goals.

5. Dutch quality

Our customers appreciate the fact that they can rely on a solid product of Dutch origin.

6. Unique features

As a Coosto user, you have a whole range of unique features at your disposal. For one, Coosto is the only platform in the world that doesn't only monitor messages in which your brand name is mentioned, but also all comments on those messages. This gives you a 40% more comprehensive picture of the buzz surrounding your brand.

7. Multilingual support

No automated menus or hassle. By phone, chat or mail: our multilingual support team will answer any question you might have in no time.

8. Partnerships and integrations

Coosto can be seamlessly integrated with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, CM.com, Belga.press and many more. Take a look at all of our integrations.

9. Feedback platform

We value your ideas, and use your feedback to further develop our platform. You can track our progress in the transparent Feedback platform.

10. Data protection and Privacy

Security and privacy officers guarantee the integrity of data. All Coosto data centers are based in the European Union, and all software is assessed based on applicable rules and standards. Coosto is ISO27001 certified.

"We zijn ontzettend trots en blij met onze terugkerende hoge positie in de lijst van Emerce", verklaart marketingmanager Bjorn van Antwerpen. "De lijst geldt als toonaangevend in onze branche, en het is een groot compliment dat we in de ogen van onze klanten bezig zijn met de juiste dingen. De toppositie is geen doel op zich, maar het is prettig om uit de markt de bevestiging te krijgen dat we software ontwikkelen die gewaardeerd wordt. Dit voelt als een bekroning op ons werk."  

​

Over het onderzoek

De Emerce Top 100, die in samenwerking met onderzoeksbureau Motivaction werd samengesteld, is gebaseerd op imago-onderzoek en relevante marktdata. In totaal zijn de resultaten in ruim 50 categorieën verdeeld. In de categorie social software scoort Coosto 5 sterren - de hoogste plaats voor all-in-one tools en goed voor een 3e plaats in totaal. 

Bekijk de volledige top 100 hier

The Coosto Hackathon is a yearly internal event, in which we challenge our colleagues to work on their own creative and innovative ideas. The most important precondition: you have to present the fully-fledged and worked out idea within one day to the rest of the company.

An event like the Hackathon helps Coosto to remain creative and renewing. It is the perfect occasion to think outside the box and maybe find new usable features for our product. Let’s call it a training in innovation.

Coosto + 1

No time to lose, we had to get right to it. The theme of this year’s Hackathon was called ‘Coosto + 1’, which meant we had to think of an idea that contained a combination of Coosto and a concept, feature or idea of another tool or app.

A variety of 8 interesting projects, worked out by a total of 33 colleagues, emerged from this theme. The ideas in a nutshell:

Tinder-like message approval

What would you get if you’d combine Coosto with the swipiness of an app like Tinder? This project decided to find out an presented a working prototype. A simple swipe gesture to the left or right would allow you to handle messages in Engage.

Did you know...

...the search helper in Coosto Listen derives from the winning project of the 2017 edition of the Coosto Hackathon?

Coosto Cards

This group presented a feature that was copied off the filters of Google Cards. Instead of setting general filters, you would be able to set Coosto filters in the search results. This would mean you can exclude the language, author and/or topic in every search result.

Coosto Periscope

Do you remember Microsoft’s Clippy? Why wouldn’t we try implement the little assistant in a Coosto theme? The goal of this project was to help customers directly in the tool, without having to navigate to the Support Center.

Lunch platform

This project didn’t find its inspiration in the product of Coosto, but in the internal lunch. They came up with a platform on which employees could make food suggestions and manage their attendance. This would help our lunch staff to prepare the right amount of food and stop waste.

Coosto LMS

This team came up with an idea to make a Coosto training more interactive. They set up a Learning Management System; one interface for all training information, using quizzes and tasks to assess whether a trainee masters Coosto sufficiently.

The podium

No hackathon without winners. A skilled jury chose the 3 best projects at the end of a great, tiring day.

Bronze: Coosto Loyalty

What if the daily use of Coosto would challenge you a little bit more? Let’s make a game out of it, this group imagined. By analyzing data in Listen, handling conversations in Engage en scheduling posts in Publish, you would earn points and badges. This would start a competition with your colleagues for the funniest and most legendary badges. Who gets the top spot in the leaderboard?

Silver: Coosto Break

A mini-game in Coosto. Fun, but what’s the point of it? This team had the answer: “Break stuff and recharge!” Every Coosto user who wants to express their frustrations after the umpteenth complaint of their customers, would have to start this game. Press a button and use a mouse to drag all Coosto elements to the edge of a screen and demolish them one by one. Wow, that’s a relief. You’re fully recharged to yet again be sympathetic to your customers.

Gold: Coosto Assistant

The winners presented an impressive piece of ‘Coosto + 1’, according to the jury. Their starting point: managers want to be up-to-date with their brand’s latest social media statistics fast and easily. That is why this project combined the intelligence of Google Assistant with the power of Coosto. No need to log in to Coosto, just ask your Google Assistant for the current situation on your smartphone or smartwatch. Coosto would push the data and Google would read your statistics aloud. An almost flawless demo showed it can be done!

Let’s make Coosto even better

There’s that. After this Hackathon we’re fully recharged with new inspiration for product improvements in 2020. Do you as a Coosto user have your own innovative feature requests? Please, share them with us. Hit the Feedback button in Coosto to submit your idea or vote for existing ideas.

Here’s to a beautiful and innovative 2020!

Coosto is active in a constantly changing world. Various stakeholders (customers, interest groups, social media partners, governments etc.), with often conflicting interests, play an important role in this. As Coosto, we pursue a policy based on ethical considerations, against a background of greatly increased attention to privacy.

Despite all the measures we have taken – and will continue to implement - as part of our policy, we have apparently failed to convey our position on this issue sufficiently. We find this regrettable.  We want to state clearly and transparently what Coosto stands for, and show that we do take privacy seriously.

For instance, the article of Bits of Freedom states that Coosto would allow social media surveillance. This information is outdated, and goes back to the time when social media data was a relatively unexplored territory. At the time, the market was mainly exploring the possibilities and limits of social media, and privacy was not given enough attention.

However, Coosto is constantly evolving, as is the world of social media. We have prohibited any form of surveillance through Coosto, which our contracts and general conditions state as well. Coosto is a tool for marketing and communication, and can only be used for goals such as customer satisfaction and brand awareness. We enforce this with the help of technical and legal measures.

Along with these measures, we have parted ways with several governmental customers that were unwilling to accept our changed vision and conditions, against our commercial interests. The article mentions how the police and NCTV would use Coosto. However, these organizations have not been a customer of Coosto for a long time now, partly because of above developments.

We do not make these decisions just because it is what can be expected from us, but because we value privacy. We constantly evaluate our services for their possible impact on social interests, including privacy. When necessary, we draw lines and change our product. Even when that means we leave commercial potential unused. This is part of who we are, what we stand for and what we are our proud of as a company.     

Bits of Freedom does very important work for our society, but it is a shame that in this case they do not have a clear overview of the current state of affairs. Nonetheless, this nomination has encouraged us in our commitment to communicate better about the balance between privacy and technical developments from our point of view.

WhatsApp is wereldwijd de populairste messaging app, en voor klanten een zeer toegankelijke manier om contact op te nemen met organisaties. Met WhatsApp Business kunnen organisaties eenvoudig en op een persoonlijke manier reageren op deze inkomende berichten. Met WhatsApp Business in Coosto krijgen webcare-medewerkers bovendien zicht op hun volledige gesprekshistorie met een klant. Daarnaast kunnen ze gemakkelijk onderling samenwerken en snel reageren op vragen, zodat ze de ervaring voor hun klanten verbeteren.

Maintaining privacy
Well before the GDPR came into force, we have informed our clients about the impact of the new law. As part of our preparations, every client has received a GDPR information kit, including interactive webinars and an informative guidebook. Since then our dedicated privacy team has been the point of contact within Coosto for all GDPR related questions clients might have. This team yearly checks and verifies what we agreed upon with our clients, in terms of the GDPR. 

Data management feature
We have enriched Coosto for our customers with the Data management feature, which was specially developed for GDPR. This feature enables Coosto users to independently comply with requests for access, deletion, limitation or transfer of their own and customers’ personal data from within the tool. 

Privacy is a high priority for Coosto. We are happy that we were able to help our clients in complying with GDPR in time. But it does not end there. We are closely following and supporting developments in this domain, and we will continue our efforts to protect the privacy of Coosto users and their customers. 

Coosto offers a powerful integration with Google Analytics that enables users to draw more, better, and faster conclusions from data than ever before.

This integration opens the doors to better insight into online performance, thanks to the powerful combination of social media metrics and website performance. Here are some highlights of what this new integration with Google Analytics has to offer:

• Deeper insights: The combination of website performance and social media statistics makes connecting data easier than ever before. The integration creates a complete overview of the performance on a campaign level and helps detect opportunities for more success.
   
• Quicker decisions: Thanks to the seamless integration with Google Analytics, users are able to check and analyse all content and social media statistics in real-time. The overview makes it easier and faster to draw the right conclusions. Which enables you to take quicker action and make strategic decisions.
   
• More reach and conversions: By gaining insight into which content is most effective, you can easily increase reach and maximize conversions on all platforms. Identify trends and optimize strategies to achieve desired results in a targeted manner.

Try it yourself and discover how Coosto integration helps increase your organization's online success with the newest integration. The Google Analytics integration in Coosto is available to Coosto customers and can be tested for free by interested organizations. 
 

Lees hier alle highlights van onze bevindingen rondom emojigebruik op X. Wat zijn de populairste emoji’s? Zit daar nog verschil in tussen mannen en vrouwen? In dit artikel delen we alvast een aantal opvallende conclusies.

Download het volledige rapport hier gratis.

Dit zijn de populairste emoji’s 

In dit onderzoek gingen we onder andere op zoek naar de meest populaire emoji’s op X. Jarenlang stond de ‘tranen van vreugde’-emoji steady op de eerste plek: in ons onderzoek van 2019 en 2020 kwam deze emoji ook al als beste uit de bus. En ook dit jaar is daar geen verandering in gekomen. Gevolgd door ‘rolling on the floor’. Gelachen wordt er dus zeker!

Welke nieuwe emoji’s zijn het meest populair?

Afgelopen jaar werden er 31 emoji’s toegevoegd aan het al uitgebreide repertoire aan emoji’s. Deze nieuwelingen werden meteen met veel enthousiasme in gebruik genomen! Deze nieuwe emoji’s vielen het beste in de smaak. 

Wat zeggen emoji’s over onze emoties?

Emoji’s zijn de perfecte manier om een online boodschap extra kracht bij te zetten. Met behulp van emoji’s breng je gemakkelijker emoties over en geef je context aan een bericht. Extra belangrijk in de digitale wereld, waar online berichten meer dan eens ruimte overlaten voor interpretatie. 

Daarom hebben wij een kijkje genomen in het online sentiment rondom het emojigebruik op X. Goed nieuws! Het gebruik van de positief gestemde emoji’s ligt veel hoger dan het gebruik van negatieve emoji’s. 

Download het volledige Nationaal Emoji Onderzoek 2023

Benieuwd naar alle bevindingen van het Nationaal Emoji Onderzoek 2023? We bespreken onder andere het verschil tussen man en vrouw in emojigebruik, opvallende pieken in positieve en negatieve gebeurtenissen van 2022 en welke emoji’s gebruikt werden tijdens deze spraakmakende momenten. 

Eindhoven, February 28, 2023 - Coosto announced today the launch of Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, the second Coosto app available on the Salesforce AppExchange. These powerful Coosto apps enable customers to effortlessly manage their online content and social media presence directly within Salesforce.

Coosto: The content & social media marketing tool

Coosto delivers a cutting-edge content and social media marketing tool, providing practical solutions for every stage of the content marketing process. Our loyal customers rely on Coosto to generate and distribute exceptional content, expertly manage their online community, and track and analyze their results with ease. 

Coosto offers an outstanding alternative for Salesforce customers who previously used Salesforce Social Studio, as this product is being phased out by Salesforce. By utilizing the Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud app, customers can seamlessly access the full range of Coosto's features directly within the Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform.

Coosto for Salesforce Marketing Cloud is currently available on AppExchange.

This new app is a valuable addition to Coosto's existing Salesforce app, Coosto for Salesforce Service Cloud. Together, these apps allow customers to gain real-time insights on social interactions and engage with their customers directly from Sales & Service Cloud. Coosto for Service Cloud is available on AppExchange.

Toine Verheul, CEO of Coosto, stated: 'We are proud to have strengthened our partnership with Salesforce, providing customers with the tools they need to fully manage their online content and social media directly within the Salesforce platform. With both Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud apps now available on the Salesforce AppExchange, we are excited to offer our customers a seamless and streamlined experience.’

Click here for more information
 

Christian García, Creative Copywriter & Community Manager en la Agencia Aquí hay Marketing, nos cuenta cómo han conseguido mejorar la eficiencia de su equipo y duplicar su número de clientes usando Coosto como única plataforma de gestión.

Aquí hay Marketing es una agencia de marketing digital con una clara misión en el sector de la comunicación: cambiar la forma en que las marcas conectan con su audiencia a través de estrategias creativas y disruptivas. En una entrevista con su equipo, hemos hablado sobre los principales retos que presenta el sector digital y cómo Coosto ha sido fundamental para maximizar sus resultados y ofrecer un valor añadido incomparable a sus clientes.

“Hace ahora aproximadamente un año que empezamos a utilizar Coosto y en este tiempo ha sido muy significativo cómo hemos logrado conocer mejor a la audiencia de nuestros clientes y aumentar el alcance de las publicaciones; esto nos ha permitido crear contenido más relevante y personalizado y maximizar el rendimiento de las cuentas que gestionamos.” - nos comenta Christian

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El reto de las redes sociales

En una agencia de marketing digital, la optimización de recursos es un proceso continuo. Es importante analizar cada etapa, desde la conceptualización hasta la ejecución, con el objetivo de presentar soluciones creativas y eficaces a cada uno de los clientes, a la vez que se consigue trabajar de manera más organizada.

Dentro del equipo funcional de Aquí hay Marketing, las diferentes tareas se definen para ser asignadas a cada miembro con una planificación detallada en la que establecer objetivos claros y un marco temporal para cumplirlos. 

"Sin embargo, descubrimos que nuestro mayor desafío era gestionar eficazmente las redes sociales de nuestros clientes y optimizar los tiempos de publicación de contenido."- nos cuenta Christian. Necesitaban una herramienta  que maximizara el impacto de sus acciones y mantuviera una estrategia personalizada para cada cliente.

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La importancia de la inspiración en el Content marketing

Dentro de la estrategia de comunicación que planifican junto con sus clientes, uno de los principales objetivos de esta agencia es fomentar la interacción creando una comunidad más fuerte y conectada y construir y fortalecer la relación con la audiencia de sus clientes. Pero según su experiencia, a veces es complicado encontrar inspiración constante que les lleve a crear un contenido interesante y con relevancia para el público al que se dirigen. 

“Atendemos a clientes de sectores tan diversos como el retail, la industria de alimentación y bebidas, o del sector informático, como nuestro cliente JNC Informática 360. Planificar y crear contenido personalizado para cada sector, manteniendo un tono actual y relevante es fundamental para conectar con la audiencia de nuestros clientes", nos comenta Christian.

“Con Coosto Discover, disponemos de una herramienta excepcional que no solo nos proporciona inspiración, sino que nos capacita para crear contenido efectivo y sincronizado con las tendencias del mercado. Esta plataforma ha sido clave para potenciar el impacto de nuestras estrategias, como lo demuestra el incremento del 26% en el número de seguidores logrado con este cliente en particular, JNC, en la red social LinkedIn. La fortaleza de Coosto Discover radica en su capacidad de analizar millones de fuentes en tiempo real para identificar tendencias clave y generar ideas de contenido relevantes. Su herramienta no solo inspira la creación de contenido, sino que también ayuda a descubrir oportunidades en el mercado, analizar el sentimiento del público y evaluar el alcance potencial de temas populares. Con este enfoque analítico, permite crear contenidos que resuenen profundamente con la audiencia y fortalezcan la estrategia de comunicación.”

Un aspecto fundamental en la gestión de redes sociales es el análisis constante de la actividad generada por los contenidos publicados. En el último año, Aquí hay Marketing ha observado cómo uno de sus principales clientes ha experimentado un crecimiento significativo en sus indicadores clave de rendimiento: el porcentaje de clics se disparó a un impresionante 924%, mientras que las reacciones de la audiencia aumentaron en un 204%, como se muestra en la imagen a continuación. Estos resultados reflejan el impacto positivo de una estrategia centrada en contenidos relevantes y bien segmentados, demostrando el valor de un análisis continuo para maximizar el alcance y fortalecer la conexión con la audiencia. 

"Nos resulta muy valioso poder detectar cómo reacciona la audiencia ante determinados temas en tendencia, ya que esto genera un mayor nivel de interacción con el público. Gracias a Coosto Discover, hemos logrado aumentar la tasa de interacción hasta en un 190% con nuestro cliente JNC, simplemente seleccionando mejor los temas que resuenan más con su audiencia", concluye Christian.

Medir como clave para mejorar 

Medir cada campaña es, sin duda, un camino al éxito. Solo así se puede  identificar qué contenido ha funcionado mejor o cómo se deben plantear futuros posts en el calendario de contenidos y en general: determinar si la campaña es un éxito o no. Esta tarea requiere llevar a cabo análisis detallados y mantener una comunicación transparente con el cliente con el fin de determinar si los resultados cumplen con sus expectativas o si es necesario hacer ajustes. En una agencia, es esencial disponer de datos precisos sobre cada campaña realizada y comunicar estos resultados de manera efectiva a los clientes para tomar decisiones más estratégicas basadas en información concreta. 

Según Christian, -“Tomamos mejores decisiones estratégicas gracias a los completos informes de Coosto Report. Esta información nos ha permitido ajustar, junto con nuestros clientes, cualquier estrategia de contenido, al mismo tiempo que nos ofrece una visión más completa de la presencia online que conseguimos con nuestro trabajo en la agencia, lo que se ha traducido en un impulso fundamental en nuestro negocio.”

“Además, nos resulta muy sencillo extraer estos informes con los datos clave para un análisis más profundo, facilitando así la asesoría a cada cliente y el seguimiento de sus estrategias."

El poder del trabajo en equipo

Para la agencia Aquí hay Marketing, la colaboración entre los distintos miembros del equipo es clave para crear campañas de una forma más eficiente y con resultados tangibles.

Coosto les ha permitido centralizar cada estrategia en una única plataforma. Usando la herramienta, pueden programar con antelación todo el contenido a un mes vista y en una fase previa a la publicación final todos los miembros del equipo tienen una visión clara del calendario editorial y pueden aportar sus ideas en tiempo real.

¿El resultado? Ser más eficientes en la gestión de recursos y timing, permitiendo una mayor dedicación a tareas como la atención personalizada al cliente y la prospección de nuevas oportunidades.

“Desde que usamos Coosto hemos casi duplicado nuestro número de clientes, ya que hemos conseguido colaborar mejor y crear mejor contenido como equipo.” 

“Con Coosto Publish, hemos mejorado nuestra eficiencia en la programación de contenido. Una de las funciones más útiles es la previsión del rendimiento de cada publicación junto con las sugerencias del Post Optimizer. Esta herramienta nos permite optimizar el contenido añadiendo hashtags, emojis o enlaces según el objetivo deseado: mayor alcance, clics o interacciones. Todo el proceso es sencillo y eficaz, facilitando mejores resultados en las publicaciones de nuestros clientes."

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Coosto y Aquí hay Marketing: una estrecha colaboración

Desde que esta agencia comenzó a utilizar Coosto como su herramienta de gestión de redes sociales, ha experimentado una transformación profunda en su forma de trabajar, adaptándose de manera más ágil a las nuevas necesidades de sus clientes y del sector. Contar con una plataforma que integra múltiples funcionalidades ha permitido no solo optimizar procesos, sino también anticiparse a diferentes escenarios, lo que ha representado un salto cualitativo en la definición de sus estrategias de negocio. En términos de resultados, la evolución ha sido notable para sus clientes: tanto el crecimiento en el número de seguidores como el aumento en el alcance y el engagement han mostrado cifras muy positivas, consolidando un avance significativo.

Pero lo que realmente les condujo a usar esta herramienta de gestión es el soporte y asesoramiento personalizado que nos explican que han recibido por parte del equipo de Coosto.

“Con respecto a otras herramientas similares, destacamos de Coosto el trato personal de nuestra “Customer Success Manager” y el soporte técnico que nos ofrece. Gracias a los trainings personalizados que hemos tenido con ella hemos podido comprender y mejorar nuestra experiencia de uso para obtener un mejor rendimiento de la plataforma según nuestras necesidades como agencia y los objetivos que perseguimos. ” 

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Y tú, ¿quieres lanzarte a conquistar las redes sociales?

Cambia la forma de gestionar las redes sociales y multiplica los resultados de tus clientes igual que la agencia Aquí hay Marketing. Con Coosto, ahorra tiempo optimizando tareas, obtén datos valiosos para la toma de decisiones y mejora el rendimiento de la  estrategia de contenidos de tus clientes. 

¿Quieres saber cómo beneficiarte de todas las ventajas del Coosto Agency Program? Logra más alcance para tus clientes y gestiona todas sus cuentas de redes sociales desde una única plataforma de una forma eficaz. Solicita tu demo gratuita y descubre el impulso que necesitas para hacer crecer a tus clientes.

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