Would you want the purchases you make on credit cards public for the world to see? Allowing friends and strangers to not only see what you buy, but share their thoughts and comments about it too? Well now you can if you sign up at Blippy.com, a website started in January that allows you to, “see and discuss what everyone is buying.”
Most of us make credit card purchases on a regular basis, if not daily. I use my ATM card to purchase items sometimes several times a day instead of using cash. I know I wouldn’t want everyone in the whole world to know what I downloaded from iTunes, what books I’ve ordered on Amazon, or the shoes I bought at Zappos. And what about the purchases I make at the grocery store, Walgreens, and Starbucks? I think some things are better kept personal. Furthermore, who would care to take the time to pour over the details of my purchases?
But the hot new thing is sharing everything. Twitter is designed to share what you are doing every minute of the day. Unless you’re a celebrity – who really wants to know about every detail? My day is pretty boring consulting, flying in airplanes and speaking – so when I do post on Twitter the purpose is to link to some hopefully valuable business-related content – not factoids about MY every move. I use Facebook mostly to check in on what my 2 teenagers are saying online (they are not allowed to de-friend their mom). And I use LinkedIn to communicate and build relationships with other business professionals. But following someone’s credit card purchases…? Is there real value in something like this?
However, just because I think Blippy.com offers a questionable service doesn’t mean it hasn’t captured the interest of many people. Since the site opened to the public at the beginning of this year, members have shared more than $15 million in purchases with their friends (New York Times, March 13, 2010). But, on the other hand, it may be fun to monitor my husband’s purchases (…ok, not really, that would be kind of boring too – I hope).
What do you think? Would you share your purchases with the world?
Maribeth Kuzmeski
Maribeth Kuzmeski, MBA is the founder of Red Zone Marketing, LLC, which consults to Fortune 500 firms on strategic marketing planning and business growth. She is the author of 4 books, has frequently appeared on TV and radio, and has written articles on marketing strategies for hundreds of publications including Business Week and Entrepreneur. She regularly speaks to audiences on topics relating to business development, marketing, and sales strategies. Maribeth is author of The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009).
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