FACEBOOK, MySpace, Twitter - they are no longer just online spaces for people to network and have fun, but tools for companies, organisations and politicians to attract another customer or voter and earn another dollar.

The external online director for United States' president Barack Obama's election campaign Scott Goodstein related his experiences using these new media tools while giving a keynote address on Wednesday morning at ad:tech, a trade event for people in the interactive advertising industry.

He was in charge of making use of all sorts of online tools, such as social networks, online advertising, text messages and even ringtones, to market the then-presidential candidate.

For example, he worked out a text messaging campaign, where supporters could win tickets to watch Obama on popular TV host Oprah Winfrey's show in the flesh.

Mr Goodstein also described how frontman for the band Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor managed to raise about US$1 million (S$1.4 million) for a man he knew who had cancer.

Reznor had been Tweeting on the web/cellphone service Twitter, sharing insights into a musician's life to his 500,000 or so followers, explained Mr Goodstein. Having built up a relationship with them, he could 'call them to action' to donate money to support his cause, he said.

Companies and other non-profit organisations could benefit from these techniques to reach out to their customers, and turn them into their benefit, he said.

Mr Goodstein joined Obama's team in February 2007, but had worked on several campaigns, such as the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, before that.