Tag Archives: content development

07.03.13
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Data Mining: Topsy

Use:  Increase engagement by surfacing relevant topics and conversations on Twitter; generate by helping ad customers target messages

Topsy is a tool that mines the full stream of Twitter tweets and, according to All Things D, “offers a set of professional analytics tools for sale, so that customers can find key data points like influential Twitter accounts, relevant content for specific time periods, even sentiment analysis around tweeted terms.”  There is also a free, limited tool at topsy.com.

News organizations can use the tool to identify topics and conversations that might suggest an interesting news story or possible story sources.  They can also use the tool to identify locally trending topics (e.g. “best lawn care tips”) that they can use to help local advertisers target promoted tweets.

Among the media organizations currently using Topsy are The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Gannett and ABC.

More:

All Things D: Data Analytics Startup Topsy Aims for the Local

 

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06.18.13
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Content Development: Socl Network Tools

Use:  Easily create content to increase user engagement or advertiser value

Socl is a social network from Microsoft’s Future Social Experiences (FUSE) Labs that offers a variety of tools that media companies can use to create compelling new content to share.  Tools include:

Collage, which allows users to drag and drop a collection of images and automatically create a stylish page that can be posted on social networks.  One obvious use is to gather a collection of photos from today’s newspaper, broadcast or Web site and use the page to promote the site.   You could also use the tool to gather a variety of images from an advertiser’s inventory to help them promote daily specials.

Video Party, provides a platform to tell a story with a series of video clips.  On the site, you create a title for your “party” (for example, “Turkey Rebellion”) and the service searches for relevant videos which are displayed in queue.  You click on the videos in the order you want to create a playlist which can be shared with friends.  You can modify the search to find additional relevant videos, as well.

Other tools include Blink, a “Vine-link” application for Windows’ OS that allow users to layer photos and video to create a short, shareable clip, and Picotale, a tool to create clever memes by typing in a headline and having the service search for interesting, matching images.

More:

YouTube: Socl Create Experiences

GeekWire: Microsoft updates ‘Socl’ network with new photo and video creation tools

PCWorld: Microsoft’s Socl network steps up its game with animated GIFs, meme generator

 

 

06.05.13
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Video: Videolicious

Use:  Increase user engagement by easily creating stories with photos or video clips on your mobile device; inexpensively provide advertisers with more compelling video messaging

Videolicious is an iOS-based app that allows you to easily put together a video or photo presentation from media on your mobile device.   You select the media elements you want to include (in the order you want them to appear) and can add narration, music, logos, etc.  The service is free for personal use, $5 per month for basic business and $10 a month for premium service.

The Washington Post used Videolicious to, among other things, quickly create a video interview the creator of a robotic vehicle at CES.  Here’s another example. Coldwell Banker agents’ use the tool to easily create narrated videos of homes.

More:

Poynter: Videolicious: One way reporters can make and file decent videos from their iPhones

TechCrunch: Videolicious Relaunches Its App For Mobile Video Editing, Raises $1.4 Million From Amazon And Others

HootSuite: Video Storytelling Using Videolicious

06.04.13
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Content Development: Creatavist

Use:  Easily develop new, multimedia products to increase user engagement and create new advertising inventory

Creatavist, from long-form content site Atavist, allows publishers to easily integrate text, audio, video and other interactive elements into an e-book or other large content package and instantly publish it across apps, e-book platforms and the Web.  Creatavist (still in Beta) is a cloud-based platform and requires no expertise to create multimedia content.

Creatavist joins other multimedia content publishing tool developers such as Vook and Apple’s iBooks Author, to help media companies re-purpose and monetize existing content or create new product lines and revenue streams.  Vook, at one time, was promoting their own self-publishing tool but it now appears that they have retreated to their original service of creating and distributing books for you.  iBooks Author does allow for self-publishing but only to the iTunes store.

Creatavist users include The Wall Street Journal, The Paris Review and TED.

More:

CU-Boulder: Innovative Digital Storytelling for News

Book Business: Future Think: Atavist

Daniel Dalton: In Praise of Creatavist