SocialSev

The Concept

PubliciTweet is an analytics tool designed to help businesses monitor the effectiveness of their Twitter campaigns. The service, developed by Yahoo! Software Engineer Jaisen Mathai, allows users to tweet their campaign immediately or schedule a specific date and time for the message to reach followers via the public timeline, direct messages, or both. The tracking tools provided include a graph of total clicks generated by the campaign and a mashed up Google map with markers indicating where the clicks are coming from and which follower referred them. PubliciTweet also provides a list of all of your followers. Their names are links to pages which display the same analytics tools mentioned above, specific to that follower. As the service is still in beta, the pricing structure has not been finalized. For now, the app is free to use and explore. So I did! Read the rest of this entry »

(cc) Jonathan Dingman - @dingman - http://jonathandingman.com

When I first started this blog, it had no real direction. In fact, I’m not even sure why I started it. Posts were few and far between and pretty random in subject matter. Over time, I started to write with a purpose. I highlighted the triumphs of my life. I drudged through some of my darkest moments in recent history. And I captured it all in a format that has the potential to be available for the rest of my life. And then social media stuck its claws in me and refused to let go. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m in the process of testing a new tool to help businesses track Twitter campaign analytics called PubliciTweet. The service, currently in beta, was launched earlier today at 140 | The Twitter Conference. Headed by Yahoo! Software Engineer Jaisen Mathai, this new IP aims to “leverage your followers with unique campaigns and tools to track your success.” These tools include graphs and maps to help you determine the precise effectiveness of the campaign. I’ll be using the traffic to this post referred by the PubliciTweet link to explore the depth of these tools.

Jaisen’s prior projects include Textbook Revolt, a free college textbook exchange. The service utilizes Amazon’s Search API to search by ISBN, title, or author. The site was completed in a mere four weeks. Jason was also a principle on the photo-sharing IP Photagious, a two time winner of Adobe’s Site of the Day award. While Twitter analytics services are popping up like Ashton Kutcher followers, PubliciTweet has the potential to offer a deeper, more accurate look at a campaign’s success.

I’ll be tracking the data that PubliciTweet feeds me from the clicks to this post alone. While it’s certainly not as effective of a measurement as a legitimate business campaign, it will provide me with a deeper understanding of the IP’s mechanics. I’ve spoken to Jaisen about arranging a time to talk a little bit more about PubliciTweet, so my full review will also feature his comments. If you have any specific questions about the service that you’d like me to ask, please feel free to email them to me.

I’d like to thank Jolie O’Dell for capturing this moment. I almost forgot it happened. I don’t think I’d ever told that story before that night. It might not seem like much, but the story means a lot to me. By the way, that’s Josh Kulpa and Dingman who occasionally poke their heads into the video. Had a great time with those two that night. Jazz clubs that close by midnight, liquor stores that accept WIC, and a beautiful woman with the power to seduce you to Central America. Good times.

Jolie O'Dell and Me (Photo by Bob Bell)

“We’re here!”

“You’re here? Here where?”

“We’re here here. We’re out in front of The Blarney”

“Oh snap! I’ll be right out”

Seconds later, I embraced my friend Jolie O’Dell on Monroe St. in downtown Toledo. After directing Kurty D. and Dingman to my parking garage, Jolie and I entered The Blarney. There were only seven tweeps in attendance, but they gave Jolie a rock star welcome. And rightfully so. She is a rock star.

A few minutes later, the other two RoadTwippers entered the building and the party was finally started just after 9:00 pm. Channel 13 News arrived about an hour later. Fast forward another hour and the Official RoadTwip Toleetup was little more than a memory fresh in all of our minds.

When the gang pulled out of my driveway yesterday afternoon, it was hard to believe that they were leaving already. It felt like they just got there. When I look back on it, I can’t believe that all of the preparation for their arrival occurred on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Phone calls, text messages, emails, and tweets to friends, acquaintances, and news stations… they all seem like a blur to me now. And for that matter, so does their visit.

I have a lot that I want to say about the RoadTwippers’ visit to Toledo. I mean a lot to say. But at this point, it’s just a random collection of thoughts zipping around in my mind… a confused mess… an imbroglio, if you will (that one’s for you, Apprentice Dingman). Over the next few days, I’d like to gather my thoughts and split them up into two or three posts. I told Bob Bell that I would compile a list of the local attendees, so I wanted to get something up here relatively quickly. I also wanted to at least put up a placeholder for posts to come.

So I guess this post is just a preface to future posts about the shenanigans, friendship, and inspiration that three road-weary travelers provided for a handful of lucky Toledoans in just 19 hours. Stay tuned, gang. If you don’t follow any of the attendees listed below, correct that today. It’s what made all of this possible.

• @jolieodell – Jolie O’Dell (RoadTwipper)
• @KurtyD – Kurt Daradics (RoadTwipper)
• @dingman – Jonathan Dingman (RoadTwipper)
• @kongslide – Ken Thompson
• @bek1826 – Becki Thompson
• @ScottSanz – Scott Sanzenbacher
• @BobBell – Bob Bell
• @gpowelldesign and @spokehq – Gene Powell
• @mikebrice – Mike Brice
• @SaraCityLopez – Sara Lopez
• @kulpacabana – Josh Kulpa
• @7son75 – That’s me!