What is an API? API’s are everywhere and are vital to inbound marketing in today’s content focused environment. To understand how APIs can be a factor in your marketing strategy one must first understand what an API is and what they can contribute to facets of your business.
Don’t worry, we’ll keep this simple and by the end you’ll have a good understanding of what an API is and be able to have deeper dialogue with your web developers and marketing team.
What is an API?
API is short for Abbreviated Programming Interface, which is a series of rules. The APIO serves as an information middleman between an application and a piece of software so that the information can be used within the application or for data analysis.
In the most plain terms, an API is a set of rules that lets your things talk to someone else’s thing. In this sense your thing is the API endpoint.
What is an API Endpoint?
The destination of the API requested by a website or application owner.
Why Are API’s Important?
A lot of people ask why companies are giving away data for free.
The simple answer? For scale. Companies grow and resources are limited, so those developing the software overcomes the lack of resources to bring ideas into reality.
By creating an API, it encourages adoption of the software by third parties, thus encouraging the development of the ecosystem as usage becomes more widespread. As adoption increases and companies rely on the API, additional opportunities for revenue can develop.
How to Use an API
First you must understand the value of a particular API and what information is available through the API. To find out what a particular API can do for you there are 2 ways you can find out.
- Discuss the API with a web developer.
- Research on your own. You don’t need to have a high level of technology knowledge, it’s common to have easy to understand documentation available for most APIs.
API Documentation
Below we’ll look at the API Reference Documentation for Twitter.
A driving force in Twitter’s growth is due to outside developers. The Twitter API has evolved from its basic form into an index of APIs that skilled marketers can use to determine what information might be of value to a developer in API form. and how to include the API on your website.
If you look at the website or clicked the link above to view the page, you’ll see whole categories of information. If you see an API you’re interested in, click on it and see what information is available through the API. Let’s look at the Timeline API.
Viewing the information for this API, you can see the explanation of how you can take a user’s timeline and display them in a clickable form on your website. The API includes Tweet volume limitations, the API resource URL, and what you can and can’t display through the use of the API.
Applying an API on Your Website
If you add the API resource URL to the back end of your website, you’ll see the information that you called for displayed on the front end of your website. You can see some creative uses of this API on sites like Tweet Flight (audio enabled site). On the site its used to display the lyrics of the song that’s playing.
One last thing about using an API, you might be required to use an assigned API key to officially use a developer’s API.
What is an API Key?
An API key is a unique identifier assigned to the user of an API. Essentially it indicates that the user is allowed to use the API on their website. Some developers require an API be requested before using an API and some others may assign it upon your first request.
You can think of your API key the same as an authentication token or code. The key identifies what you’re suing the API for and verifies that you’ve been given permission to use the API by the API’s owner.
The API key does not give the API owner access to your personal information or system.
APIs & Marketing Platforms
Inbound marketing is all about companies developing useful services and applications to drive customer retention. Brands need to become conduits of customer communications and move beyond just advertising here and there.
APIs can facilitate the data that’s needed to solve customer’s problems.
API Examples
Twitter Mentions
You can display tweets on your website that mention your brand or articles from your company news updates or blog. To do this you need to understand what the API can display and if there are specific URL requirements by reviewing the API documentation.
Embedding YouTube Videos
When you right click on a YoTube video and select “Copy Embed Code”, you’re requesting to use YouTube’s API. YouTube makes it very easy for anyone to embed videos on websites outside of YouTube.
APU Terms of Service
We all know terms of service are boring and no one reads them, but they are important, especially when it comes to using an API. Most APIs have usage restrictions. You might waste a lot of time and money developing a resource that becomes invalidated by the API owner. Many APIs have “call limits”
What is a Call Limit?
An API call, or API request, is the instance of an API user “calling” for use of the API. Saving, logging into the developer’s website, and queries all count as API calls or API requests.
The API call is the number of times you can request information about an API from a service within a defined amount of time. The terms of service will clearly define these limits for those looking into using an API.
API sharing applies to the full spectrum of businesses across virtually all industries. Almost any business that has a web-based component to their business uses an API, and even if they’re not an ecommerce business or focused on digital publishing. Some organizations will have larger obstacles than others, especially when things come to the Legal Department.
Select the APIs most useful to you and can be run sustainably for your business.
Do you want to learn more about APIs and how they can help your business? Contact us and let’s see how APIs can help your business.
Let’s Talk About Your Brand
shane@3catslabs.com | Call +65-3159-4231
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