Finding a bargain has never been easier. Thanks to sites like Slickdeals , you no longer have to rifle through Sunday clippings. While Slickdeals has been one of the most widely used bargain sites, social media is quickly catching on as the go-to place for deals. As companies continue to look for ways to attract customers, the increase in the number of companies sharing deals via Twitter and Facebook continues to grow.

Don’t Make Me Look

If you look at the average shopper, the most common trait that you will find is the “now” factor. Living in a society where information is just a click a way, shoppers are much the same in that they prefer to know exactly what the best deal is and where. They don’t want to go to 5 different websites, they want to go to one and find it immediately.

Social media promotes this through its real-time updates. The great part about social media is how information and content is shared through networks. Unlike Slickdeals, where content stays within the forums, social media allows you to ‘extract’ that information and share it to your networks. Once ‘extracted,’ it has the potential to spread like wildfire, thanks in part to others in your network re-tweeting and ‘liking.’

People Love Free Baja Fresh Burritos

Most people would agree that the best kinds of deals are the ones that are free. Like a magnet, when someone sees the word “free,” they are paying attention. Baja Fresh is a great example of a company that has been successful in its social media efforts with its Facebook Fan Page .

Aside for being known for there delicious food, Baja Fresh is known for their Free Burrito Day on Facebook. By joining the Baja Fresh Fan page, you can get free burritos during their promotions. A unique part to their campaign also involves leveraging college students by marketing specifically to certain universities. Baja Fresh also relies on these same students to share it with there fellow classmates through Facebook invites and wall posts.

Baja Fresh also uses their Facebook Fan page to let people know about new store openings as well as exclusive Facebook only coupons and deals.

Sprinkles Cupcakes “Word Of The Day”

As mentioned, consumers love free. Like Baja Fresh, cupcake boutique, Sprinkles, realized this and introduced their word of the day promotion.

Everyday, Sprinkles announces their ‘word of the day’ on Twitter and Facebook . Customers can then whisper the word at stores in exchange for a free cupcake. Speaking with one of the Sprinkles employees, they told me that on average, the contest only lasts a couple hours before they are all out. With nearly 17,000 Twitter followers and over 83,000 Facebook fans, Sprinkles has been able to take their already delicious cupcakes to new heights thanks to social media.

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Thanks to social media, we not only have new ways to stay in touch with our friends and family, but can also make sure that we really are getting the best deal in town. So the next time you are at the store and wondering if you should buy that flat-screen TV, just hop onto Twitter or Facebook and see for yourself.

Joseph is the Director of Marketing at Viralogy.com & works in social media & sports consulting. Read more about him at http://JosephAYi.com .

Tags: Baja Fresh, Bargins, Facebook, Slickdeals, Social Media, Sprinkles, Twitter