You can now add ‘social media archive’ to the list of amazing things possible in Hootsuite.
Social media tools right where you need them
Simply navigate to the Hootsuite App directory and install Brolly for free. Once installed, current Brolly customers can log in from within their Hootsuite streams. If you’re not already using Brolly, you can start a free trial without going anywhere.

Read our user guide for how to use Brolly in Hootsuite
Do I really need need to archive my social media?
Sectors such as financial services, healthcare, government and education must comply with recordkeeping legislation that requires social media records to be captured and retained. Not every post or comment your organization shares needs to be archived for compliance with legislation and regulations.
Yet while the specific regulations may be different across sectors or legal jurisdictions, they are all consistent in their requirement to archive any record that could be considered a business communication.
If your agency uses social media for business activities, the information created is an Australian Government record and needs to be managed.
National Archives of Australia (NAA)
Local (e.g. state-based) regulations provide guidance about what falls under recordkeeping laws and your records office is the best place to start. For example the Public Records office of Victoria suggests that examples of social media content required to be captured may include:
- emergency warnings
- communications activities
- volunteer recruitment
- complaints and feedback
- crowd-sourced policy development
Sectors such as financial services have their own regulatory authorities who provide guidance on which social media records should be archived. For example the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Article 16 requires that UK Investment Firms keep records of activities that will enable the appropriate authorities to audit and take enforcement actions. Many kinds of social media interactions can fall into this category
Whether an electronic communication is a record does not depend on its format or means of communication, rather it depends upon whether it was sent or received in the course of official business.
Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office