Imagine linking queries against 3 billion records into your documentation or decision-making tools. As a dashboard type application this would mean automated reports, in the case of the web, could mean near real-time delivery information for customers. I talk a little about dashboards in my note on “Making data useful to all involved“
Google has opened the doors on data accessibility!
With a few lines of code your company can right now keep tabs on the competition, or perhaps a target account. In my case, I use Googles (beta) API system to monitor new comments on “strategic relations” and other related topics. It keeps me in touch with the latest information, plus:
- Helps monitor the distribution of my content,
- Catch copyright violations or competitive trait cloning,
- Zero effort monitoring across thousands of websites,
Think about how a similar system could look for trends in accounting, possible identify fraud on heavily transacted systems. This technology has been around for a while, but with XML/SOAP and related it is much more affordable.
To the right is an example of my data from Google: (not really, using WordPress plugin now.)
In 2008, I manage this weblog with Radio Userland. It is an example of an aggregation too that parsing 43 news sources to present as a single RSS feed. As of 2020 I use a different tool built into WordPress.
It doesn't matter what software I use to do this; the key is it saves me time doing those things I do every day anyway. I can bring all the news sources I used to have to visit individually.
You benefit because content is refreshed automatically. Rather than running around the internet, you can click through here to many feeds from one page. Can you see how this kind of integration might make your web copy more current?
SIDEBAR: Click here for tools smart marketers use to value add copywriting work for clients!
You gain information quickly but lose some of the extra proofing it gets when I process it the old way. Is this loss acceptable? I don't know, you tell me. The whole point of this story is to remind you data integration doesn't have to be cost prohibitive.
You might not do technical work in your copywriting, marketing agency, or business development consulting work. That's okay. You can partner who helps on the back end without specialized development.
My organization does marketing back office support for newsletter publishers and authority marketers who use content to generate leads. Today this kind of integration is easier than ever. With a few plugins most sites can do amazing things.
Updated (4/2/2020): It's been a long time, from Radio Userland to MovableType to WordPress. At this update blog management is done on WordPress. No proprietary programing is required anymore. That saves your clients money, making you look like a hero!
Updated (11/25/2008): In the ever-changing world of the Internet, this example breaks when Google replaces the API with Ajax controls. For more on technology for your website, visit B2B Website Profits or our How To Create Business-to-Business Web Sites That Cultivate Buying Relationships tutorial.
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