Apture - The All In One Tool For Social Media Content
Apture is a pretty nifty tool that allows you to select and control the start and stop times of Youtube Videos, Embed a real-time Twitter feed of a user or search phrase, Embed Interactive Google Street View Maps, and make your Blog posts and websites come alive with a single player and embed code that includes all the above and more. Apture now has a free online service (Builder) that will allow you to search and capture selected content, then place it into a single window that consolidates space on your Blog or site, and lets users select what they want to see.
In just a few minutes, you can select content from various sources to be displayed in the player, and Apture does the search within their custom builder. Many of my Blog posts are longer than I'd like them to be since I add video, RSS feeds, snippets, podcasts, and photos that take up a lot of space. It also takes me time to place each item in the post correctly so they look somewhat cosmetically attractive. I can see many useful ways Apture could be used for creating and posting Hyper-Local content, Listings and Community information, adding relative multi-media and more without taking up all the space on your Blog post.
Here's a sample of the Apture embed tool using various topics and links. As you explore the content options by clicking on the various windows, you'll see what I mean about saving space, time, and consolidating larger amounts of content into a single resource tool. Once you try Apture yourself, you'll see how easy it is and will most likely want to try it with your own topics, searches, and content. Just imagine how long this post would have been if I had included all these items individually.
Why embed only 1 video or slide show when you can include up to 7 items in a single player?
To see how Apture is best utilized, click on any of the images in the lower area of the window above. Each one will open a new window without leaving your Blog or Website. There will be a link to each item if your visitors want to see more. You can also use a variety of multiple content and topics from various sources. If you want to add custom or specific URLs to Apture, you'll just need to sign up for their FREE membership to do so. For more tips and tricks using Apture, see their Blog HERE.
CEO and Co-Founder of Apture demonstrates (using this tool) how to "Go Inside Congress" and create transparency by connecting tidbits of news, video, articles and information into links embedded into his Blog. Yet another great way to use Apture to create exciting Blog posts loaded with rich and useful multi-media content.
Oh great, another toy for TLW! :P
Chanda panda
Chanda - TLW might love this, she could put all her videos on her sidebar into one player. I just added one on my Blog sidebar too. :-)
Cool tool, I am going to be trying this out in the next couple weeks here and see how it works out. Thanks for the heads up on it.
Cheers!
Very cool, should help streamline some more.
Good stuff as always - another Bookmark for the collection ;)
Hey this looks fun. The sidebar idea is great! I like the way it looks too - Thanks Brad.
You know what would b be absolutely great. A tool like that for putting all our social media sites together so that we can pop into them all and do our bit each day. Or maybe there is a way to do this with Apture? Thanks for bringing this great tool to our attention.
I have been using Apture for a while now, via the Wordpress plugin. It rocks!!! What an amazing service.
Good grief. Another new tool.
Brad- I do love toys!!! This might be one I can actually figure out. Just visited your apture in your sidebar and saw your video on the iPhone Business Card. Almost makes me want to switch to AT&T from Verizon to get an iPhone. Another Bookmarked post!
Brad..You always find the coolest stuff.. I love it ACTIVERAIN...I want to SHOUT IT ..thanks..:0)
HELPFULHANNAH
Brad, this is great stuff, Thak you for all the tools you give us. I can't wait to giv it a try.
Nice tool... clean look on the side bar with the ability to link to 7 vids... I like it.
Hi Brad - This looks like a great way to package relocation content. And the cleaner look it give to our sites might encourage consumers to spend more time with us.
Brad,
As always your posts are full of so MANY details....I'll have to bookmark this one also :)
Jane - that would be a great use for the apture tool. You should also check out retaggr.com, I use it to keep track of all my profiles and sites on the web. Not only keeps me organized but allows you to share with others those same links and sites.
John - exactly what I was thinking: Relocation, Community Multi-Media, Listing Presentations etc, you can pretty much add anything to the apture player, it just takes a few minutes and some creative thoughts and juices. This could be a really powerful tool in your blogging and website arsenal. :-)
I'm working on one now that will cover the Top 7 Social Networking PowerTools, Videos, and slideshows found on the web. I plan to use it at my presentation next week. Makes presenting a topic and concept a bit quicker, cleaner, and more efficient.
techie overload techie overload!!!! LOL - Great stuff as always:) Thanks for sharing!
Great... another toy to play with. Like there aren't already 1M on the list... Thanks... ;^ )
Looks like a really useful app...we'll be checking it out over the next few weeks. Can you do any filtering of the live content feed from Twitter?
Way cool again Brad. Another bookmark as it's getting late - but defintelty a must, thorough, read. Thank you.
Wow, I do try to stay up with technology, but am about a full year behind the curve right now. I keep trying to catch up, but am always a step behind it seems. Hats off to you for being so great at this sort of thing.
Dora and Vincent - Not sure if you can "filter" out specific or individual twitter feeds, but you can use any user name or topic.
I watched the video on Congress - it reminded me a lot of the video I watched on google wave but for blogging vs. email
Brad~ Thanks for sharing looks like another great app. I just added the video of the backflip to my Facebook that you had on Twitter it also was amazing, as are you!
Brad,
You are the Babe Ruth of real estate social media tips, tools, and tricks! Any thoughts on what a mortgage originator might put on an Apture post?
Hey Phil - Apture will work for any part of our Industry or Business. You just have to decide what you want to be available in the player. Maybe some posts you've written, a video explanation of the loan process, a mortgage rate calculator etc. Let me see if I can put one together for you real quick... be right back..
OK... I'm back. Here's a link to a quick apture player I put together. Take a look and then decide how you would want to use it for your area and business you're trying to generate. Let me know what you think. :-)
http://www.apture.com/view/HYJP3tZFGX/
You can copy this embed code below if you want to try it in a post:
<embed id="aptureEmbed_HYJP3tZFGX" src="http://static.apture.com/media/embed.swf" class="aptureEmbedPlaceholder" quality="high" width="400" height="270" flashvars="linkToken=HYJP3tZFGX&domain=http://www.apture.com&shareId=6106798&prevShareId=0" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
Good stuff!
I think I am hopelessly behind the times. Fortunately, the tried and true methods still work well enough in San Diego real estate to keep me going in my niche market.
Brad, as always, this is just great stuff!
One question though.
Which blog type (blogger, wordpress, other) plug-in should we download for ActiveRain?
Let me know as my creative juices are bubbling over with this one!
Hi Craig - this portion of Apture is using just the "Builder" application. You can use the apture widget on AR Outside Blogs, you'll find it under the widgets installer tab. I have never tried to use it on the Internal AR Blogs. That's something I'll have to look into when I get a chance.
Gotcha!
I'm running with it.
This new tool seems way too cool!
Thank you Brad!
Brad, Apture - The All In One Tool For Social Media Content is great, as soon as I figure out how to load it!
Sonny - it's easy. Once you select the media files you want to show, Apture provides you with an embed code that you can place on your post, website, or sidebar, the same as you do with a video, slideshow, or widget. The fun part is deciding what you want to display in the Apture player. :-)
Brad, another cool tool, but I can't even keep up with all the old ones. How do you do it?
Hi Brad- Great meeting you at RainCamp. Apture is so interesting, but we're not there yet. I have bookmarked this post to add to the "to-do" list. Thanks for all that YOU and the rest of the AR staff DO!
Brad - this looks like something I've got to check out! Thanks for sharing. (BTW - sorry I had to miss you guys when you came to Arizona - will make a point of the next time!)
Blog-N-Roll Brad...
Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-Weet !!!
Are you really sure I should let this Cat out of the bag? :)
TLW...ROAR!
Great stuff Brad. I have seen this before and now I will give it a try. The blogger with the most toys and gadgets rule!
Brad I just cannot seem to keep up with the technology. It changes so fast, but at least i am ahead of most REALTORS in my age range. I have had a personal website now for over 5 years. I now have an Outside Blog with AR.
Sybil - keeping up with all the latest technology is an ongoing challenge. That's one of the beauties of AR, there are so many members here doing that and willing to share making this place one of the greatest "Libraries" of content I've ever witnessed. It doesn't just "Rain" here, it pours! BTW - Congrats on your new Outside Blog. :-)