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18 Cent Friends

Usocial Lets You Buy Facebook Friends to Look More Connected

— September 3, 2009 — Pop Culture
Self-conscious about your virtual social status? Now you can buy Facebook friends thanks to uSocial.

It seems these days, the currency of "relationship" is more valuable than ever, and for some people, their personal or perceived business value stems from the amount (not quality, per se) of "friends" they have on their social networking accounts. That's why the option to buy Facebook friends for a mere 18 cents a pop could be a golden business move by uSocial.

The Australian company recognized the same opportunity among Tweeters, so they extended their serves to enable customers to buy Twitter followers.

"The simple fact is that with a large following on Facebook, you have an instant and targeted group of people you can contact and promote whatever it is you want to promote," says Leon Hill, uSocial CEO.

"The only problem is that it can be extremely difficult to achieve such a following, which is where we come in."

uSocial's business model requires customers to buy Facebook friends for a minimum of 1,000 friends ($177) at a time and up to 10,000 friends ($1,167).

While it's a genius idea for uSocial and its users, it would be a shame to find out, after hiring someone for being a virtual social butterfly, that they buy Facebook friends and paid their way to popularity.
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Social Currency - The increasing value placed on virtual relationships creates opportunities for businesses to offer services like buying Facebook friends.
2. Social Networking Influence - The ability to purchase a large following on platforms like Facebook and Twitter opens doors for businesses to target and promote to specific audiences.
3. Ethical Implications of Artificial Popularity - The rise of services like uSocial prompts discussions about the authenticity and integrity of social media connections.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media Marketing - Companies specializing in social media marketing can incorporate strategies to increase follower count for their clients, leveraging the concept of buying Facebook friends.
2. Online Reputation Management - Businesses involved in reputation management can explore offering services to enhance their clients' social standing and influence by purchasing followers and friends on various platforms.
3. Digital Advertising - Digital advertisers can explore alternative advertising methods by partnering with platforms like uSocial to target audiences based on their purchased following and create tailored campaigns.
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