When we talk about cloud computing, we often talk about a monolithic cloud in the sky. But in fact there are many clouds. There is the Salesforce cloud, the Google cloud, the Amazon cloud, the Microsoft cloud, the Facebook cloud, and so on. For the most part, businesses still need to pick a cloud and stick with it. But that is changing as new applications are developed to combine clouds together.
A new Facebook app from Appirio called ReferMyFriends does just that. (Yes, Salesforce and Facebook can be combined). ReferMyFriends essentially uses Facebook as a front-end for Salesforce. It allows a company’s employees, associates, or even customers to refer their friends on Facebook for open job positions or marketing campaigns.
The way that Appirio does this is by mapping the company’s contact database on Salesforce to each employee’s contact list of friends on Facebook. As marketing campaigns are created in Salesforce, there is an option to make them visible in Facebook. (Being selective is the key here). Then it will use the keywords associated with the marketing campaign to see if there are any matches with your friends. When you go to the ReferMyFriends app page in Facebook, you are presented with a list of campaigns and friends that might be good leads.
So if your company is presenting a seminar on cloud computing, for example, all your friends that have expressed interest in cloud computing would show up. Then you can choose to send them a personal note with a link with more information. Nothing is sent to them unless you explicitly refer them. This also works for job referrals, which I think is the killer app here.
Since all of this is managed by Salesforce on the back-end, if any of your friends follow up and become a customer or go for a job interview, you are notified through Facebook. So when someone in your social sphere interacts with your company, you are alerted and can intervene or make yourself available if appropriate.
ReferMyFriends is actually an update to Appirio’s existing MyFriends@Work app, which will switch over on Monday. It is not cheap either. Appirio, which makes some of the top apps on the Salesforce App Exchange, is selling two different extensions from $10,000 to $25,000 a year. That is the cost to the company to hook the app into Salesforce. The Facebook part is free.
Appirio is backed by both Salesforce and Sequoia Capital, which have invested a total of $6.7 million into the startup.
I’ve used it and it’s slick. It’s good to have Appirio pushing the envelope on cloud mash-ups … the direct ROI isn’t there yet so glad they’ve gotten PR ROI out of this to show us some neat things that can be done.
The initial myfriends@work was certainly more “neat.” Where we have been able to go with this app is to allows folks to encourage, manage and measure “word of mouth” (referrals) has a very tangible business case behind it. We all know jobs, products, services are heavily influenced by the opinion of people you trust, now there is a way for businesses to align with that without being ‘spammy’. These kind of mashups can only turn the corner for enterprises when there is a hard and soft ROI ready to be had.
Azurejournal http://www.azurejournal.com/2008/11/cloud-mashups-web-30-or-cloud-20/ has a good article about cloud mashups .. this IS the future!
You mean if my friend has this running, I can express interest in things in order to receive a marketing campaign for those things? Truly groundbreaking.
gahhhhh
freefreebiefinder.com
You had me until you said $10K to $25K per year.
Dear Professionals,
I am a undergrad student and I have developed a breakthrough solution.I developed many proposals and send to many companies ,no esponse.
Please guide me how to make some company to read your propsoal(unsolicited)?
What is right method?
Would love to hear your solution.
Dear Ross ,
the thing is how I make companies read my proposal?
Can someone refer the second person on that list to me?
Fantastic app.
On the down side, let’s hope it doesn’t end up like telemarketing with millions of invites to attend webinars popping up on your notifications page.
Please guide me how to make some company to read your propsoal(unsolicited)?
What is right method?
Can someone refer the second person on that list to me?
it’s very good , i love it. by the way,
please let me post a link…….you know that,thank you very much