bSocial Networks Launches C2C eCommerce Engine on Facebook® Platform

New Social Commerce Model Monetizes Social Networks without Online Advertising

bSocial Networks, Inc. announced today the release of Market Lodge™ 2.0, the first consumer-to-consumer (C2C) eCommerce application available on the Facebook platform.

Moving C2C eCommerce to a true “social commerce” model, Market Lodge enables the more than 67 million Facebook users worldwide to easily create and profit from their own personalized online stores. Facebook users can create unique online stores within their profiles in less than five minutes. Once created, users can recommend products to their friends and social network. If a product is purchased, the Market Lodge user receives a 10 percent commission on the retail price.

Unlike eBay, Amazon and other C2C eCommerce sites, Market Lodge users do not have to maintain any inventory. Rather, participating Market Lodge vendor(s) and bSocial Networks directly handle all back-end transactions such as shipping, payment processing and customer service.

“Until now, social networks have used online advertising as their primary revenue stream,” said Sue Spielman, co-founder of bSocial Networks. “The next step in eCommerce is to expand the social bond of trust inherent in social networks into the actual sale of products. Market Lodge represents a radical, and much needed shift in the way business and commerce are integrated within social networks.”

Currently, Facebook users can choose from more than 1,200 products to recommend and sell through their own personal Market Lodge. Existing product categories include health/wellness, entertainment, fashion, books, sports, food/beverage, pets and self-improvement.

Additionally, Facebook members can recommend vendors or sign up to become vendors themselves. “One of the significant aspects of our application is the potential for small companies, even individuals, to sell their products through Facebook and other social sites,” said Bill Eager, co-founder of bSocial Networks. “We are opening a significant, new channel for sales and distribution, and we anticipate a rapid surge in the number of vendors and products.”

White Swan is an early vendor and beta tester of bSocial Networks’ Market Lodge. “As a wholesale music distributor, we have seen firsthand the enormous growth potential in using social commerce to increase our brand recognition and sales,” said Parmita Pushman, owner of White Swan. “Market Lodge has enabled us to significantly increase our online revenues. Now, we are very excited about the potential to enable Facebook users to view and sell our products.”

Facebook Platform is a new way for companies such as bSocial Networks to deeply integrate into the Facebook Web site and an opportunity to build a business. Facebook users communicate and share information through the social graph, the network of connections and relationships between people. With more than 67 million active users, Facebook is the sixth-most trafficked Web site in the United States.

For more information or to build your own personal Market Lodge, visit Facebook or www.TheMarketLodge.com.

About bSocial Networks

Founded in 2004, bSocial Networks, Inc. is the first company to offer Web-based C2C software for social networks, an alternative to the traditional pure advertising revenue model currently embraced. By allowing members of any social network to build and operate “personalized” marketplaces within their profiles, multiple revenue streams are created for the social network member and participating vendors. bSocial Networks is not a social network itself, but rather a provider of technology that offers existing social networks a way to enhance membership and revenue streams. For more information on bSocial Networks, visit www.bSocialNetworks.com or email info {at} bSocialNetworks(.)com.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
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