Popular Pays

Img via Popular Pays

Back in May, I stumbled upon Popular Pays. I've been watching them develop over the past few months and I'm am really excited to share them with all of you. Read more after the jump.

The concept is genius. Basically, they're a hub for businesses to use social influence as currency. You can begin using the app when you have 500 Instagram followers. When you receive something from a Popular Pays transaction, you then post a photo on Instagram — consider a business "trades" you for a $3 slice of pie. When you post a photo of the trade, the business now has a reach of at least 500 (the more followers you have, the more potential you have for larger trades). Divide the cost by the follower count and you'll have the business's cost per impression, which in the pie scenario is less than on penny per follower.

Popular Pays was rad enough to send me up with some Kilogram Tea from Intelligentsia a few weeks back. They always have fun stuff in the works (some random ticket giveaways happen from time to time) and I can't wait to see how they continue to grow.

If you're in Chicago, check them out and download the app here (iOS only). If you're not in Chicago, they are taking city suggestions for potential expansion, so head over to their website and let them know that you want Popular Pays!