Do you use Twitter to remind your members of a meeting or fundraising event? Here's a free tool that easily creates a special map to go with your tweet, to help people find your event. Twitter users can even RSVP or add a comment, if you choose to allow those options.
Here’s how
Schmap It works:
Visit the Schmap.it
website, and enter your Twitter username and the street address of your
event -- no need to register or to login. Schmap It pulls a map from Google and then gives you a chance to
make any corrections needed to get the address right.
Tweet the link to your map as it is — or customize your event map
webpage with any or all of these details:
- Title
- Date and time
- Venue name
- Notes (up to 800 characters — or leave it blank, to display the text
of the tweet you send)
- Photos (up to 8 photos, small or medium size)
Click “Show Options” at the bottom of the page to reveal more
customization options:
- Allow comments
- Allow RSVP
- Add a link for more information
- Add a Twitter hashtag
- Change the map icon
You can also zoom and pan the map, change Map/Satellite and drag the
map icon to adjust its position, just as you’re probably used to doing
with Google Maps already.
When you’re happy with your changes, click “Save” — and you’ll be
given a custom URL for your map page.
Ready to promote your event on Twitter? Just click the “Tweet”
button.
You’ll be taken to the Twitter website (login
if you’re not already logged in) and the update text field will be prepopulated
with details of your event. Edit the wording, if you want to change
anything there, and send out your tweet as usual.
When followers click on the link in your tweet, they’ll be able to
see the map page you’ve just created — and to RSVP or comment, if you’ve
enabled those options.
When you visit the event map page you’ve created, you have
the option to sign in (using your Twitter username and password) to edit
or delete your "schmaps" and track metrics including the number of
views, retweets, comments and attendees.
I’d prefer to see Schmap It using OAuth or similar for your login, rather
than asking for your Twitter credentials. (It’s just a matter of good
security practice, to avoid giving your login information to any
third-party site.) But that’s not a deal-breaker —
no login is
required to create a map page, and views, retweets, comments and
attendees are shown on your event map page anyway. So you’d only ever
really need to login to Schmap.it if you wanted to edit or delete a map page you’ve created.
The real stumbling block is on the receiving end, however. Anyone who
wants to comment or RSVP will need to login with their Twitter name and
password to do so — and that’s far from ideal for sharing the link with
non-users of Twitter, as well as from the security standpoint.
Bottom line: we’re certainly not looking at a replacement for a
proper event registration system here. Still, as a cool, fun, free way
to add a bit of pizazz to your Twitter event notices, Schmap.it can be a useful addition to
your nonprofit’s online toolbox.
What Twitter tools do you use to help promote your nonprofit's events?
