BingTweets – Fusing Search and Twitter

July 14, 2009 · Comments

I just checked out a project from Federated Media called BingTweets.com. It sniffs Twitter’s trending topics and merges that with Microsoft Bing search results (note: parts of Microsoft are client of NML, but NOT the folks at BING).

What’s cool about that is there are MANY times when we see trends on Twitter and we wonder what the backstory is. In my example, I clicked half-blood prince and got local showtimes for the new Harry Potter movie (hmmm, I could sneak off and watch THAT). I think this can be pretty darned useful.

But think about this: this is actually an ADVERTISEMENT, and yet, it’s useful. Chew on that a bit. It’s a relationship with an application built by Federated Media to help Microsoft promote Bing.

This beats the HELL out of a banner ad, don’t you think?

What’s your take?

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  • I think Microsoft is giving Google a run for their money with their new Bing search platform and BingTweets website.

    I'm interested in seeing how all this ends up playing out.

    It seems with all the new things coming from Microsoft lately that they are really stepping up their game.
  • If it worked, I'd like it more. ;) It seems that (at this point anyway) all BingTweets will let you see Tweets AND search results for have been pre-selected. I think that defeats the purpose of being a worthwhile/useful ad. I think they've got a great idea, however, and maybe once it's completed it will fulfill that promise.

    Unfortunately, by posting it up when it's not working, they've lost me.
  • Did you know that MSFT and Mediabrands are already working together to build a software system that lets various marketing functions “talk” with one another. By bringing everything from search advertising and e-mail newsletters to CRM systems to TV buys under one platform, MSFT is attempting to enhance decision-making for marketers much in the same way that Bing is supposed to enhance decision making for users.

    So seeing someone already bringing Bing and Twitter together isn't all that surprising. MSFT is kinda of outright encouraging it. After all, your experience with Harry Potter show times is precisely the kind of "cloud-vertising" that MSFT is trying to make possible: http://is.gd/1yOMX
  • I think this is a great idea for promoting Bing. Microsoft has done some interesting things lately (exectweets, reality show with the Welch's).

    I would recommend them to test the site with older browsers though..
  • Thanks Chris for this post.

    IMHO, there is still a major weakness with BingTweets. Who are those tweeters on the side? Do we trust their opinion?

    The tweets are just noise, unless there's someone (or a community of people) we TRUST making comment.

    Just saying...
  • seems to me that if you had bad news for stockholders and/or the public, all you have to do is wait for a movie to come out or a celebrity to do anything then your story will be buried. Network news is a complete blackout of real news when something happens to a celebrity, and there's only so many trending topics people take notice of so you can use this to your advantage in business....
  • Ed
    Honestly?

    What's going to get me to BingTweets to begin with?
  • While this provides solid utility to the user, Bing's uphill battle is not just against Google's utility, but learned user behavior. Bing successfully drive trial, but shifting natural user behavior away from Google as a verb and Google as the natural search destination will likely take more than this.

    That said, Federated is on fire.
  • brandmybrand
    I think that anybody who can monetize video search is doing good. Movie trailers work perfect for this because brand awareness is an effective approach to advertising entertainment products. By the way, check out this video of yours truely

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgWg3KXQ1zU
  • Oh goodness! I can't wait. Very excited to see new stuff about the movie. Even though we should already have seen the movie itself by now! But.. I bet it will be worth the wait! :)
  • vincestev
    I'm really interested in staying informed on how these social media tools like twitter can merge input with Google and Microsoft. This type of interaction will add a new dimension to our daily activities. Rgds Vince
  • Agreed. Totally useful. I've wanted this for a long time. You can sit there, do research and follow and engage the conversation all at once.
  • I think Federated & Bing have come up with an intelligent marketing campaign...whenever you can combine advertising with something the public will actually use it's a hit, then add in the viral effect and you've got a home run!
  • Yeah, I think Bing is taking steps to have an advantage over Google. And what better way to do it but to work with Twitter. It's useful and convenient, despite the obvious yet subtle advertisement.
  • Very good blog I have come across.It's really very interesting and informative. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for the information.Keep it up.Keep blogging.
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