Empire Avenue: A Social Stock Market

Empire Avenue: A Social Stock Market

Written by craig coffman

{EAV_BLOG_VER:2672ea360c1273cf} Stock? Social values? Count me in. Empire Avenue is a very interesting way to find out how your Social Media is working for you. The idea is very simple: create an account, link your various accounts (twitter, flickr, Facebook, etc) and off you go. Find out how much you can increase your value from simply doing what you do anyway online.

The real kick comes in when other people start investing in you. That's right. You are a commodity. Interestingly, this is another way of showing something I have been calling social equity. People take a look at your bio, what your connections (social networks) are, even what Dividends you create and decide if they want to invest in you. This is done through a currency called Eaves If you invest wisely, your account grows as the people you bought continue to do what they do: network.

Of course there are badges to unlock and things to purchase, all of which increase your wealth. The gaming mechanics are pretty impressive for ranking / scoring. At the end of the day, though, this is a game and you do not actually get or give any real money. Sure you can pay hard cash to buy this digital currency, but it does not work the other way.

The best thing Empire Avenue offers is metrics made fun. If you have ever wondered how your tweeting / wall posts / blogging ranks you in the social sphere as related to others, then this is the place for you. And if you do join, buy a little bit of me. Hey, I need to make a social living too.