We've all read about the benefits of social media in theory, but theory isn't much good for getting you really excited about something. Instead, it's practical ideas that are what really count – ideas like the brilliant Foursquare-powered Nokia Gift Machine. 

Services like Foursquare have been around for a while, and allow you to use your Nokia smartphone to interact with other mobile users and take advantage of location-based services.

Foursquare for Nokia Series 40 phones free to download

That's all fair and well, but it's not really as exciting as say a vending machine that dishes up surprise sweets simply by pressing a button on your phone's screen, now is it?

Well, the Nokia Gift Machine is in fact both – like most vending machines, it's packed with sweets, chocolates and the like, but what's very different here is that you don't nab yourself a snack by putting in some change, you do it by checking into a Foursquare-based app on your Nokia smartphone.

Simply put – check in and you get a free chocolate bar, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal if you ask us.

It's all part of Nokia's involvement as global sponsor of Social Media Week, though sadly there's just one actual Nokia Gift Machine around right now – it's located in Glasgow if you're interested.

But that's not the point here – the point is illustrating exciting and innovative new ways of bringing social media relevant to our everyday lives.

You can check out a brief video preview showing the Nokia Gift Machine in action below. Hit Play to check it out!