using ifttt to connect and spread your message (ili 2012 conference)

Using IFTTT To Connect And Spread Your Message 

Gary Green

Surrey County Council Library Servicegary.green@surreycc.gov.uk

What is IFTTT?

• A free web service (www.ifttt.com)

• IFTTT = If This Then That

• Connect over 50 online & messaging services (channels) together

• Automatically feed information/data between channels

Why is it useful?• Pull information together

• Share information across different networks

• Manage information flows

• Extend your reach & spread your message

• Backup & archive information & files

• Create alerts

• Do it all in one place

• Use limited time & resources more effectively

Which Services Connect?• Social networks

• Bookmarking sites

• Image sharing sites

• Blogging services

• Video & audio sharing websites

• File storage services

• Document collaboration services

• RSS feeds

• Email & messaging services

• Date, time, weather, stock alerts

How does it work?

• Connect 2 channels (some require authorisation)

• One acts as trigger (A)

- you specify the trigger

• One acts as response to the trigger (B)

- you specify the response

• Each trigger/response combination is called a recipe

Iftrigger “A” does This

Then“B” responds by doing That

How does it work?• Some channels can either be used as a

trigger or a response

• Some channels can only be used as a trigger or a response

• Different channels use different criteria as triggers/responses – you define the criteria

• Recipes are automatically & regularly checked to see if they need to be run

• The same trigger can be used for different recipes

• You can share your recipes with others

Different Triggers

Facebook triggers

Different Triggers

Google Reader triggers

Different Responses

Facebook responses

Different Responses

Google Reader response

Recipes

Recipe: Google Reader + Twitter1) Description of recipe2) Activity & options3) Trigger: Look for any item

in Google Reader I tagged with “ggtwitter”

4) Response: Create & post tweet using data in fields pulled through from Google Reader

In Google Reader

Examples (Library Use)• Archive mentions of your library service in a

spreadsheet (Google alerts RSS + Google Drive)

• Send you an alert if someone mentions your library service (Google alerts RSS + email/SMS)

• Save any library event photos you post to Facebook to Flickr (Facebook + Flickr)

• Tweet an alert about possible library closures if snow is forecast (Weather + Twitter)

• Share any bookmarked links to social networks (Delicious + Twitter/Facebook)

Examples (Personal Use)

• Share library news articles to a variety of social networks (Google Reader + Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook)

• Create a work or C.P.D. Log (Google calendar/Your blog RSS/LinkedIn + Google Drive/Evernote/Dropbox)

• Archive blog posts and status updates from a conference (Delicious/LinkedIn/RSS feed + Google Drive)

• Alert a colleague/yourself if a new file has been added to a shared project folder (Dropbox + email)

IfThis = “You want to collect, share & backup information quickly & efficiently via a range of services”

ThenThat = “try using IFTTT”

Using IFTTT To Connect And Spread Your Message 

Gary Green

Surrey County Council Library Servicegary.green@surreycc.gov.uk

Image Credits

• Social media beakers – iconshock.com• All other screenshots www.ifttt.com