KickApps Corporation today announced the launch of KickApps Version 2.0, a hosted platform designed to quickly and easily add social media experiences to any website.

KickApps provides sites of all sizes with a full range of building blocks that include user-generated content, social networking, video players, web cam applications, widget-building, media/member management and reporting.

"With this latest release of our platform, we continue to broaden an already robust set of building blocks necessary to transform existing destinations into live community-oriented open portals," said Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps. "Very quickly these building blocks will be thought of as core elements for all websites rather than optional add-ons."

Brands that have enlisted KickApps to build community on their sites include the Arena Football League, Cycling.tv and National Lampoon.

"KickApps is different than other social media platforms because we are able to tailor it to our specific social media needs," said Marc Lowitz, president, AFL (Arena Football League) Network. "We are able to bring our fans into a unique community where they can participate with us, other fans and communities across the web. This expands our reach and the fan experience beyond a static website, while still maintaining control over our brand and messages."

To learn about how marketers can take advantage of social media, read "New Social Marketing Opportunities."