By offering badges, mayorships, and other intangible rewards, millions of people are checking in to the places they go. The next step is for these apps to add greater purpose by encouraging more meaningful checkins and offering corresponding badges and stamps, thus mapping the cause universe. However, user-generated information from apps like Trapster and Waze can crowdsource more specific details, such as whether to avoid an intersection due to a toxic chemical spill. This post was written by Rob Reed. Social media has changed the world. Here are #10Ways : 1. Digg this! MORE >>

And there are “support badges” for each token that fans can upload to show their support and persuade friends to vote ( ClickZ ). Related Stories Social TV: Fans Tweet to Choose Hawaii Five-O Ending Turkish Airlines Video Ad Tops 100 Million Views Facebook Contest: Doritos Crowdsources Super Bowl Ads. Monopoly is using Facebook and Twitter to get fans excited about a change in the classic board game. From now until February 5th, Monopoly fans can vote on Facebook to save their favorite token (one of the current tokens will be eliminated) and to choose a new one. MORE >>

Crowdsourcing : A combination of the words crowd and outsourcing, it refers to asking a question via social media and collecting answers from your various communities and users. Users “check-in&# at venues using a mobile Web site, text messaging, or a device-specific application — they’re then awarded points and sometimes “badges.&# But never fear! Here’s a quick guide to some of the terms you may encounter. This list will constantly evolve — please add other terms in the comments below and I’ll be happy to incorporate them. Bit.ly : Bit.ly MORE >>

Some of the badges unlock additional (special) offers from retailers and brands, while other “hidden&# rewards are a plus to people who have earned it (by editing and correcting the store map, for example). But we have found that no one is offering rewards and badges for interacting inside the app. So advertisers could brand a badge for checking in, that could be centered around Aisle 411. You have embedded crowdsourcing into the results. So we’ll give a Special Agent 411 badge as opposed to 007 badge to make it worthwhile. What does Aisle 411 do? MORE >>

Oli Gardner reveals key tactics for converting social media followers into buyers, from using a landing page with a clear call to action and offering “social proof&# through badges and widgets to optimizing post-conversion opportunities. To help out, Sean Horrigan has compiled this glossary of social media terms from aggregator, blogs and crowdsourcing to thumbstream, widget and wikis. With the amount of helpful content about social media marketing growing faster than Facebook’s user base or Lindsay Lohan’s court appearances, it’s tough to keep up. 5 stars. MORE >>