Chirpify allows you to buy and sell products from within the Twitter platform. The Portland, Oregan based start-up has just announced a $1.3 million funding deal and already has brands like Hewlett-Packard, Nestlé and Powerbar signed up to its service.
Chirpify started by allowing people sell physical goods in February, 2012 but has now moved to digital content allowing artists to sell music, videos and concert tickets on Twitter.
The model is very simple. The product seller, let’s say a band selling a single, tweets about their new record and asks fans to purchase by simply replying with the word ‘buy’ in their tweet. If the consumer already has a Chirpify account, the money will get automatically deducted from their PayPal account. If the buyer doesn’t have a Chirpify account, they are prompted to set one up along with a PayPal account if they need one. The transaction is completed through a direct message to the consumer with a link to download the digital content. For physical goods, the seller will send the goods to the address listed on the user’s Chirpify account.
In addition to an e-commerce platform, Chirpify also enables peer-to-peer payments and donations. Chris Teso, founder of Chirpify said the platform is proving popular with big brands and small artists alike as it’s giving them an opportunity to monetise their social media following and sell directly to their fans.
