What's the value of a Sponsored Post [2] on Facebook [3], or a Promoted Tweet [4] on Twitter [5]? Both are advertising tools designed to drive user engagement--and, presumably, sales--for brands, yet neither is easy to measure in terms of the product sales they end up generating.

That's the problem social commerce platform Chirpify [6] is trying to solve through its flagship technology, which allows brands to sell directly to consumers on Twitter, Instagram [7], and now Facebook by getting them to do more of what they already do--tweet and comment.

Here's how it works: Chirpify sellers, who have included Amanda Palmer [8], Adidas [9], and Taco Bell [10], can sell, fundraise, or host giveaways on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Consumers--who need to have Chirpify accounts--can respond by typing "buy," "donate," or "gimme," respectively. Chirpify takes transactional and monthly fees, and premium users gain access to features such as custom storefronts on its website.

The whole process is designed to achieve the one-step checkout process that so eludes mobile and traditional e-commerce retailers. And by building utility into the social media interactions themselves, Chirpify can easily point to how successful any given campaign is by simply looking at the number of "buys" accrued.

I wonder how long it will be until I start "buy"-ing stuff in my sleep?

[Image: Flickr user Melina Manfrinatti [11]]