Collecting money for posting advertisements on your Twitter feed, Facebook wall, and other social media profiles might not be the best way to win friends (or followers) and influence people.
But your network is likely to be more forgiving, and even encouraging, if you are promoting a good cause.
The following five websites can help you collaborate with brands to support your favorite charities by endorsing their products on your social network.
1. Endorse for a Cause
This website can turn your online shopping habit into a fundraiser for the cause of your choice. When you visit one of Endorse for a Cause’s online retailer partners, you can send a tweet or Facebook update with an endorsement of brands or products that you like. You decide exactly what to say in the message, though starter tweets that begin with phrases like “I’m a fan of…”, “Shopping for…”, and “Help me help…” are provided.
When your friends click on your endorsements and make purchases, Endorse for a Cause receives a portion of the money and allocates about 70% to your cause. You can track how much money you’ve raised on Endorse for a Cause’s personal home page and earn badges for participation. Right now there are only about 10 cause choices, and they are primarily large charities like the American Cancer Society and the Humane Society. You can, however, vote to add a cause if yours isn’t yet included.
2. Rec.fm
Create a “Rec” for a product you love by telling Rec.fm exactly what you like about it. The site will generate a short URL that you can share on your Facebook or Twitter profile. When your friends click on it, they’ll be taken to a Rec.fm site with more details on the product. If they choose to buy the product, Rec.fm receives a payment from the retailer and more than half of it is passed on to the charity of your choice. You can also add a tab to your Facebook profile that shows your friends all of your “Recs” in one place.
3. SixDegrees.org
The idea behind the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” is that everyone in the world, including the prolific actor, is connected by no more than six steps of acquaintance. Although not initially pleased with the name of this game, Kevin Bacon decided to put its philosophy to use for good causes by starting SixDegrees.org.
The website partners with Network for Good to offer individuals the opportunity to create charity endorsement widgets called “fundraising badges.” These badges can be placed on their social networking profiles, blogs and websites. People who visit their sites can donate to the endorsed charity via the widget.
4. adCause
The platform adCause gives you a little more control over the money you can make from Twitter. While structured as a network where publishers (tweeters) and advertisers can sync up and seal an advertising deal, you can decide what percentage of your profits should go to charity and what percentage you want to keep. You can also split your profits between different charities.
Unlike other sites, however, advertisers need to select you based on the tweets you create. These “adspot” profiles include a short description of what you usually tweet about, how long you would be willing to advertise a product, how often you would tweet about a product, and how much you would charge for this service (the site suggests about one penny per follower).
5. SocialVibe
SocialVibe donates money to your selected charity based on participation in branded activities like surveys. A Facebook app encourages your friends to help by completing the same activity. Your friends earn points, and therefore donations for your charity by completing the activities that you post.
You can also integrate a widget into your WordPress or Blogger site.
More Social Good Resources from Mashable:
- 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Social Good
- 10 Ways to Start a Fund for Social Good Online
- Why Social Media Is a Game-Changer for Causes
- How Social Good Has Revolutionized Philanthropy
- 5 iPhone Apps to Help Fight Poverty
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Sveta
Reviews: Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, blogger, iStockphoto, rec.fm
More About: adCause, advertising, advertising on Twitter, charity, Endorse for a Cause, rec.fm, Recommendations, sixdegrees.org, social good, social media, social networks, socialvibe
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