(The Root) — Apparently, being Twitter-famous has its perks.
As of Tuesday, American Airlines has teamed up with Klout, a website that tracks users' influence on social media sites, to offer perks to folks with the most pull online. Among the available hookups: admission into the American Airlines Admirals Club, a lounge that offers free Wi-Fi, snacks and — ahem — adult beverages.
It's a pretty smart move in an era when companies are ramping up efforts to dazzle potential customers online, recognizing social media as a valuable advertising and brand-development tool. Consumers are quick to take to Twitter and Facebook to share their customer experiences with the world, good or bad. Want folks to tweet about how awesome your company is? Give them something awesome to tweet about.
That's just what American Airlines' promotion aims to do, and it's not the first with the idea. Online retailers, hotels and car companies have all teamed up with Klout to offer awesome perks to social media's top influencers.
Read more at Daily Finance.
Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.