By: Megan HaeffeleMissouri State University

COM 509 – Public Relations ProseminarFall 2011

Personal Learning ProjectTwitpay: Social Commerce and

Giving

Company Overview• Twitpay hosts and

manages payments through social networks for∙ Online gaming∙ Social commerce with

customer deals through Twitter replies

∙ Social giving through Twitter and other social media platforms

• Twitpay has a patent pending on the execution of the financial transactions

Company Overview• John Beisner, Twitpay

President and COO, describes Twitpay as a marketing and new client acquisition tool– Twitpay helps promote

socially, which collects new clients

– Promotions lead to more than one transaction

Company History• Started in 2009, Twitpay

focused on a person-to-person payment process over Twitter

• In 2010, a group of investors came together to change Twitpay’s strategy, adding two services:1. Extend capabilities to non-

profits (for social donations) 2. Introduce social commerceSocial Commerce: allowing someone to make a

purchase by accepting an offer all within the social media environment.

Vehicles

Twitpay is advanced and expanding in several areas including virtual gift cards, Facebook, live print using QR codes, and more

For this presentation, the focus will be on Twitpay’s currently most used platform, Twitter

Clients and Partners

• Twitpay started services by providing to non-profit organizations.

• Currently Twitpay has more tan 45 non-profit clients

• Twitpay works with the top 25 game publishers in the social gaming industry

• Twitpay also has partners including Ceridian Stored Value Solutions, and Thriller New Media 

Client Process• Twitpay works with merchants

and organizations to allow them to communicate directly with their social network

• Client signs up with Twitpay• Client logs in to the Twitpay

system to create a campaign (a collection of tweets and offers)

• Offers could be– Donation requests– Purchase offers (like gift card or

other purchase items)

• Client receives a list of those who retweet

Client Process• Twitpay helps their clients

in the planning process.• Clients receive a user

guide and collection of campaign resources such as– Assignment to Twitpay

account management employees

– Best practices– Plan check list– Direction to Twitpay’s

Youtube channel– Follow up service

User Process1. A Twitter user sees a tweet by a hosting

organization or company (a Twitpay client)2. The user retweets (RT) that message to

share it with their followers and to start the financial transaction

3. The user receives a direct Twitter message of one of the two kindsa. If the user already has a Twitpay account, the

message is a confirmation request to transfer the predetermined dollar amount

b. If the user does not have a Twitpay account, the message will direct the user to set up an account, then follow through with the transaction

Client Tweet

User retweets to donate (or

purchase)

User is directed to register for a

Twitpay account if an account does

not yet exist

User Account

• With a Twitpay account, you can– View your participation

(track your transactions)

– Continue future Twitpay transactions in two easy steps

Featured Partner: Citizen Effect

Overview• Focus on citizen

philanthropists who encourage and empower others to join a charitable movement or start one of their own

• Gives philanthropists the ability to choose a project and leverage their social networks on a personal project page

• Connects philanthropists directly to communities in need to fund small but critical projects.

Citizen Effect: Approach

• Citizen Effect has performed two campaigns with Twitpay1. CitizenGulf – effort to help

fishing families affected by the BP oil spill

2. Japan Earthquake Relief - $10 donations to be matched by Eric Schmidt, Google CEO

• These campaigns consisted of multiple vehicles for their efforts including Twitpay

Citizen Effect Japan Relief

Featured Partner: Music Saves Lives

Overview• Bridge between music,

entertainment and life-saving causes

• Focuses efforts on blood donation and the bone marrow registry

• Youth-focused• Shares facts, educates

and empowers“Saving lives has never sounded so

good”

MSL: Approach• Music Saves Lives used Twitpay

to promote $1 donations through Twitter

• Campaign included several tweets such as– TwitPay to Save Lives. RT this right

now/ support MSL. It could be your life that needs MSL Twitpay $1http://twitpay.com/t/702MSLLovesu

– RT this Twitpay and CONFIRM your donation of a $1 Pass on the UpSize Meal & SAVE LIVES NOW Twitpay $1http://twitpay.com/t/704 MSLLovesu

Client Outcomes• Citizen Effect and Music Saves Lives

each were ideal clients for Twitpay because of their large network of Twitter followers

• Both Citizen Effect and Music Saves Lives reported similar outcomes (on a ratio basis)– Thousands of retweets– Low percentage of follow throughs

(which is required for the actual financial transaction)

Client Experience

• Both Dan Morrison of Citizen Effect, and Russel Hornbeek of Music Saves lives reported– Positive impression of the Twitpay

concept– Satisfaction with Twitpay planning

process– Satisfaction with promotional value of

Twitpay– Excitement for the future of Twitpay

My Judgment - Innovative

Twitpay is an exciting and innovative way to promote and fundraise for non-profits.

Twitpay is not trying to replace traditional fundraising or marketing, but is simply adding another cost-effective vehicle to be used.

The people behind Twitpay are continually brainstorming and preparing for advancement; they know they haven’t got it perfect yet, but they aren’t afraid to keep trying.

My Judgment – Dilemma

Twitpay has one, main dillemma which is obvious to all parties involved: user follow-through. Those who are retweeting offers are simply not completing the sign-up process.

As Dan Morrison of Citizen Effect and I discussed, the Twitter environment is inherently fast-paced. Users are not in the frame of mind to slow their speed in order to leave the Twitter page and complete the registration process (even though the Twitpay registration process took me about 70 seconds).

Currently, there are a limited number of Twitpay account holders; without that mass of prepared users, there is an absolute necessity for registration follow through.

My Judgment – Human Touch

Also, Twitpay lacks what many non-profits focus on, which is physical or human touch.

Many philanthropists are attached to the physical presence of a fundraiser, and some may miss that interactivity while donating through Twitter.

In efforts to help remedy this problem, Twitpay has recently developed a more branded registration process to remind users who they are helping through their RT donation process.

Future Implications

According to John Beisner, Twitpay wants to become more of a destination for social media users, that is, a place where users will come looking for deals and charitable giving opportunities.

Twitpay will also be on Facebook soon, and Twitpay plans to expand wherever the social media market leads them.

Personally, I can see a great future for Twitpay in the music industry. Imagine hearing a song on the radio and having the capability to buy the mp3 from the radio station’s #nowplaying tweets!

Special thanks to…• John Beisner, President & COO of Twitpay

• Russel Hornbeek, Founder & Director of Music Saves Lives

• Dan Morrison, Founder & CEO of Citizen Effect

Thank you for taking the time to accept my interviews in regards to this presentation and for my own

personal interest. You and your organizations have all made a lasting impression on me. -Megan

Personal Learning Network

To develop this presentation I utilized the following avenues

1. Twitter – @twitpay, @citizeneffect, @musicsaveslives

2. Twitpay.com and Twitpayblog.com

3. Blog articles through Mashable searches– Geoff Livingston articles and blog,

http://geofflivingston.com

4. Phone Interviews

These sources are identified individually in the following slide

Resources•CitizenEffect.org•Bloomberg Business Week http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=54243462•Karkaria, U. (Feb. 22, 2010). Twitter’s Cash Machine. Retrieved from http://www.portfolio.com/companies-executives/2010/02/22/twitpay-aims-to-transform-twitter-into-e-commerce-platform/•Livingston, G. (May 4, 2010). How Does Twitter’s New Social Good Initiative Stack Up? Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/05/04/twitter-social-good/ •Livingston, G. (March 14, 2011). Galvanizing Your Organization to Help in a Disaster. Retrieved from http://geofflivingston.com/2011/03/19/galvanizing-your- organization-to-help-in-a-disaster/•MusicSavesLives.org•Personal Communication with John Beisner, President and COO of Twitpay, Nov. 14, 2011•Personal communication with Russel Hornbeek, Founder & Director of Music Saves Lives, Nov. 3, 2011•Personal communication with Dan Morrison, Founder & CEO of Citizen Effect, Nov.

9, 2011•Twitpay Blog. (September 20, 2011). Make Twitter Interesting (and Make a Difference). Retrieved from http://blog.twitpay.com/?p=323