Discover Twitpay - Easy, secure social payments throughTwitter This presentation was prepared for Missouri State University, COM 509: Proseminar in Public Realtions

1. Personal Learning Project
Twitpay: Social Commerce and
Giving
By: Megan Haeffele
Missouri State University
COM 509 – Public Relations Proseminar
Fall 2011

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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 commerce
Social Commerce: allowing someone to make a purchase by
accepting an offer all within the social media environment.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. User Process
1. 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 kinds
a. 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

10. Client Tweet
User retweets to
donate (or
purchase)

11. User is directed to
register for a Twitpay
account if an account
does not yet exist

12. User Account
• With a Twitpay account,
you can
– View your participation
(track your transactions)
– Continue future Twitpay
transactions in two easy
steps

13. 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.

14. Citizen Effect: Approach
• Citizen Effect has performed
two campaigns with Twitpay
1. 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

15. Citizen Effect Japan Relief

16. 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”

17. 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 MSLLoves
u

18. 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)

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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!

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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