There are plenty of websites which allow you to shorten your URL for sites like Twitter, but HootSuite allows you to shorten URLs and update your status all in one step with the "Shrink It" feature. Simply paste your desired link and press the "Shrink It" button to transform your URL into a ow.ly short URL.
Best of all, you can track the daily clicks of your ow.ly URLs with the "View Tweet Stats" feature. When you click on "View Tweet Stats" HootSuite prepares a graphical representation of your daily clicks organized by date.
HootSuite also allows you to schedule your Tweets to be released at a later date and time. Perfect for being the first to wish someone a "Happy Birthday" right at midnight or for other time pertinent Tweets.
Veteran Twitter users will be happy to hear that you can still direct message (DM) using HootSuite. All you have to do is type a "d" or "dm" before the username of the person you are trying to reach and finish with your message.