‘Relaxing at the Top Mop.’ ‘Just finished shopping at Espinoza’s!’ These ‘Tweets’ or ‘Posts’ can catch the eyes of marketing firms and have social-media-ites receiving tons of free swag. A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) highlights the glitz and glamour social lights can have when people follow their digital profile. Depending on the amount of ‘friends’ or ‘fans,’ a person has, marketers claim they have the potential to influence what to purchase and where. Are you unemployed and have a lot of friends? Listen up. Social media firms such as Twitalyzer and Klout have established a points system to measure someone’s digital social hierarchy. Points are assigned based on how many followers you have which gauges your level of persuasion. For instance, Speaker of the House John Boehner has a digital score of 75 based on his followers and social hierarchy while teenage sensation Justin Bieber has a score of 100. But you don’t have to be notoriously famous to receive some exciting perks. WSJ interviewed a few young adults that received some impressive benefits by updating their friends on their whereabouts. One woman has earned a free Virgin America flight, a shopping spree at Mark’s Work Wearhouse, and an all-expense-paid jaunt to the New Zealand fashion week due to her successful blogging efforts. Public relations firms such as Edelman are even offering a service called ‘TweetLevel’ that grades digital profiles based on engagement, influence, and popularity. Bragging has never been sweeter.
