Lately it seems like everyone is vying for a coveted invite to the latest and greatest in social media sites. We all want to be part of the excitement, and most importantly, we want to experience it first. The major source of this invite frenzy is Google+, a social networking site that focuses on targeted sharing within specific Circles you create. Upon launch, people were tweeting and updating their Facebook statuses about their desire to score an invite; everyone wanted to be the first to know what the hype is about. Once people received invites, other people were eager to jump on the bandwagon, and people were signing up without even realizing what the site was about.

There’s some marketing for you, folks. How do you get people to sign up for something they aren’t completely 100% sure about? Generate a buzz on Twitter and Facebook, and watch it go viral. From such a reputable company, Google+ came pre-loaded with success; people would sign up just because it’s from Google. It markets itself.

Also recently launched was Spotify, a music streaming service that offers a large library of music that is able to be played instantaneously. Spotify even incorporates social media into the mix by allowing people to easily share their musical choices on Facebook. Although invites were limited, users who have high Klout were able to score a free pass to the front of the invite line. Klout measures users’ influence online by analyzing the impact of posts and who/what they are influential about. Spotify recognized that if the program merged with social media, it should reach out to those who had a large level of influence, as they would, in turn, be promoting the service. They even offer the option to purchase a membership if you don’t want to wait to receive an invitation. What does this mean? Well, if influential Twitter and Facebook users receive a free Spotify invite and are constantly talking about how awesome the program is to all of their followers and friends, then other people are going to be more likely to pay the fee to join in on the trend.

It’s almost impossible not to jump on the bandwagon with social media sites acting as a platform for people to vocalize their excitement for these new innovative programs. There’s no doubting that Google+ and Spotify prepared strategic marketing plans surrounding their launch periods, but for a lot of people, it was the user-generated social media campaign that generated a good chunk of awareness. Good call on their part because people tend to really embrace peer recommendations.

So all of those hashtags, updates, and statuses you post are definitely not going unnoticed. We think you deserve a pat on the back for all of your promo work. And perhaps an invite?

Are you using Google+ or Spotify? If not, what invitation do you most want to receive?