Self-confessed social “anti-network” site OneTrueFan has recently launched a new API, currently in beta, which provides a staggering level of access to their “Fanalytics” data.
OneTrueFan works via a combination of Facebook/Twitter integration and a custom browser add-on, which tracks your browsing behaviour. By tracking which pages you visit, what content you share and what you post about, OneTrueFan can compare and rank all their users and offer valuable insight into users’ online behaviour.
The new API makes a spectacular pool of data available for outside usage, ranging from website performance metrics to user interaction and popular content. And it doesn’t stop with website information. The API also exposes user data as well, meaning it’s possible to track individual users’ online habits across every site of which they become a fan.
In fact, the available content is so detailed that I’m curious as to how the UK’s data protection laws apply. It’s made very clear when you sign up to OneTrueFan that any data on your profile will be publicly available although they do introduce the caveat that your browsing history will never be outwith your control and can be fully audited. It also states that other OneTrueFan users won’t be able to see that you’ve checked in somewhere until they visit that page themselves.
It’s a very interesting concept and one that opens up a lot more in terms of social analytics than is currently easily accessible via any other social network. I’m planning on investigating the API in more detail over the next few weeks but I have to admit that initial impressions are extremely positive. The level of insight afforded by such habitual data is very exciting and could potentially be a social media marketer’s dream.
Check out the API documentation.