When Social Media and Commerce Converge

Inherently, Social Media is made up of community connections.  These connections typically form around location, relationships, interests and other like-minded activities.  Within the dynamic of social media, business and commerce is beginning to flourish in the form of Fanpages, Brand following and Social Marketing.

We know this right?  Maybe not.

As a long time sales, marketing and technology executive I have watched social networks sprout up, take hold and grow, while others have wilted and died.  Since 2008, I have contemplated how this new medium should connect with commerce to enable major brands as well as the local business thrive, while at the same time delivering value to the end-user.

Human beings tend to cluster in groups, as I pointed out in the first paragraph.  Here is what we know;  People tend to hang around people like them, relate to people like them, buy from people like them and even purchase similar things as those they connect with.  This is the reason fanpages even exist and why we have followers on Twitter.  It’s why we have “friends” on Facebook and connect on Foursquare.

Nobody has taken these facts of human nature and used them to bring consumers together around local through national brands, making value and benefit the center.  Nobody has developed a system for business to effectively use those detailed purchase preferences to facilitate commerce and clear ROI using social media.  Until now…

With a fanpage, you never know what the reason someone “liked” it.  There could be 80+ reasons.  A friend invited them.  They ate there once. They love it and purchase from the company frequently. They are a competitor and so on.  The reasons are endless.  It’s like creating a direct database of prospects that at best are warm and at worst wont ever see your mail piece because they are rarely home (eg it flew by their newsfeed and never saw it).

fondalo allows consumers to join together in “mobs” around local, regional and national brands and products to build buying power.  Just like being Microsoft when you buy laptops from Dell.  You better believe they don’t pay what you and I do on our own.  With fondalo, YOU say what retailers you want deals from by creating and joining mobs.  When a deal is posted you get it.  No waiting for anyone else to accept it.  No bothersome daily emails.  Isn’t that how it should be?

The fondalo business platform enables companies to target their exclusive deals based on the location and purchase preferences of anonymous mob members.  Since everything is segmented by local, regional and national, the local business can compete with the national chain.  What’s more, it is not a one time hit and run marketing solution like the Groupons of the world.  It’s a trackable social media commerce solution that integrates into all other social venues.  It delivers results today and throughout the year by allowing the business to include an offer every month.

Social, viral and simple makes fondalo valuable and fun for consumers, yet brings ROI Social Media Commerce to business.  Check it out for yourself:   http://apps.facebook.com/fondalo

Since fondalo has a “mob” theme, I thought the following video “The Mafia Busted using Social Media” would be appropriate to end with.  Meet Vinnie…

Advertisement