The New $ocial Media
Social network activities reward the user and promote your brand.
Have you ever thought about buying or selling items with a Tweet? Would you like to trade for stuff with all those Foursquare badges you earned? Your activity on social media platforms could become the newest form of brand currency.
Imagine being able to reach a network of thousands by providing goods in exchange for 140 characters. Expertly crafted, a Tweet can become the perfect word-of-mouth promotion. Easily spreading, click by rewarding click. Pay with a Tweet is an organization that promotes paying for products via sharing on Twitter and Facebook platforms. This is where the value of the user’s network becomes a powerful delivery tool. Musicians, authors, businesses, and brands can all take advantage of this modern exchange to promote their art and/or identity. A perfect example is the Hotel Domspitzenwhich allows you to receive a locally brewed beer upon Tweeting.
Foursquare check-ins reward users with a free item or discount. Chili’s restaurant offered free chips and salsa with a check-in on Foursquare. This caused a 200% increase in check ins, increased revenue, and greater amounts of foot-traffic. Check-ins amount to badges now, but could trading those badges in for actual goods in the Foursquare store be just around the corner? Suddenly a virtual badge has potential buying power. The latest upgrade to the Foursquare platform includes an Add to my Foursquare button that you can apply to your website to promote tips, deals, specials, and events for your brand. The user now can save that clip for later use within the mobile app. Sharing between network connections just got even more flexible, informative, and rewarding.
These new methods to monetizing the Internet are creative and engaging. Barriers to marketing and brand-building for small businesses, musicians, entrepreneurs, and artists are broken down. New currencies have emerged. Now brands can partner directly with their most loyal customers to reach new ones.
