Living on Brand Street

Twilert makes is easy to follow tweets about your clients. (And your agency.)

One of the best things about the twitterverse is that new apps  pop up to fill needs that the main system doesn’t cover. For client-centric agency types — especially those who grok the warning of the Motrin twitterstorm —manually monitoring twitter (via the search tool formerly know as Summize) has become part of our day. Now you can use Twilert, in much the same way you use Google Alerts.

“Twilert is a free Twitter service that lets you receive regular email alerts containing tweets that contain specific keywords or phrases. It's useful for those that want to track conversation and opinion on a brand, company or product on Twitter but don't have the time to sit in front of a Twitter Search page 24 hours a day.”

Full disclosure: Twilert is the brainchild of @DanLeach, who is my friend and fellow twitvangelist here at the agency. Try it and let him know what you think. (You can even Twilert @yourself  ;-)

Follow me as I follow my clients on twitter via twilert, or crosspost on BrandRepublic

Live from SF: Web 2.0 Summit

Wow, here I am in San Francisco. Epicenter of technology. And progressive tech fueled activism. Home! I used to find it a conflict that this conference happens on or around Election Day. This year it all ties together. Get ready for endless new media marketing lessons about the Obama campaign, even though many of us have always picked up on 2.0 communication innovations (like Meetup.com) via grassroots netroots politics.

For us marketers, a fun fact is that the phrase Web 2.0 was actually coined for this conference. And therefore they get to define it. (Talk about a catch phrase going viral; a copywriter’s dream.)

This year, the conference is organized around the theme “Web Meets World”. Which means “...how the Web...might be tapped to address the world's most pressing limits. Or...its most pressing opportunities.” Well I certainly agree that it is the interwebs to the rescue, or rather people using 2.0 technologies, that can change the world. There are some cool start-ups here like MightyQuiz below (more to come). Lots of reporters too. The organizers rock at PR.

More on the conference live (PST) on twitter. Or just follow twitter newbie, Al Gore.
Cross-posted at Brand Republic

Kevin Kelly: the next 6500 days

 

Kevin Kelly, one of the highlights so far for me #web2summit. I'll let him talk. I still have to think about what he said.

Idea in Search of a Brand: Umbrella Today

Adorably useful site by thoughtbot, Umbrella Today? simply answers that question for anyone in an USA zip code. When I see a charming utility like this, I file it under "Ideas in Search of a Brand" — not because they need a brand sponsor, but because brands need these kind of ideas. Someone based in London should snatch this one up for the UK, imho, like my fave shop, James Smith, or even the BBC.

I can has kitteh shooter gamz?

I don't know about you, but I need this right now.

From Brand Street to Brand Republic

I am really excited about my new blog on BrandRepublic.com. Brand Republic is, in their own words "the place to find all about the UK marketing, media and communications industries. It is the market-leading web site for the online advertising, marketing, media and PR sectors and is the holder of the PPA's best business web site award (free access) for its successful relaunch in 2007." Full disclosure, BR is one of my former clients and I was the CD on that relaunch. So of course I am a big fan. Check it out and let me know what you think.

This is what I'm tweeting about: using twitter as a social marketing tool

Whenever I give a presentation that talks about the power of twitter, even now, after all the press, some of my workmates roll their eyes. They just don't see how it applies to the work we do for clients.

Today, a great example popped up in my @ box. I had posted a purely personal tweet, in the classic mode of what I was doing at that moment. (And yes, I am a real baby about all doctors.)

And—unexpectedly—I got a personal, v sweet, yet v business 2 consumer reply.

How cool is that? Well done CapsDental. If I ever move to Minneapolis, you are my first choice for a new dentist. In fact, I will tell friends who live there to check you out.

And, how hard is that? Why can't any brand twitter track the keys words of their industry and send a tweet to anyone who might be a prospect. No reason at all my friends. This stuff is all free.

Funny business card from the internet famous

New card., originally uploaded by merlinmann.

Heh, last line sounds like a challenge, Merlin. No one who is so good at PR can really hate it, yes?

Babel Fish widgets — Je les aime

How cool is this? Feel so global now.

Everything that's linkable, will be.

I only recently noticed that users can click almost any work in an article on the NY Times web site. A small note at the bottom of the article says: "Tips: To find reference information about the words used in this article, double-click on any word, phrase or name. A new window will open with a dictionary definition or encyclopedia entry."

This functionality is powered by Answers.com. I am not sure how necessary it is, but it is kinda cool. Everything that can be digital will be. Everything that's linkable, will be.