INDIANAPOLIS -- In the final days of the holiday shopping season, savvy bargain hunters are turning to social media sites to connect them with much more than just long-lost friends.

Stores like Target and Toys R Us are offering fan-only discounts to loyal customers on Facebook.com, while others are utilizing Twitter.com or sending special offers straight to customers' cell phones, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.

"There are there are a lot of fan pages and groups that will let you know about stores having sales," said shopper Laura Micklich.

Big-name retailers are also using Twitter to lure shoppers in with deals, like Target, Toys R Us and Walmart, while services like Cheaptweet collects deals from across the Web.

Butler University media professor Allison Harthcock said appealing to online shoppers is catching on fast because it's easy and free for the business.

"It certainly benefits the stores, but it's also benefiting individuals," she said. "You feel special. It's like I'm getting a discount nobody knows about."

There are also services devoted entirely to finding deals, like Yowza, which offers coupons iPhone users can access from their phones, and Bizrate, an online collection of deals.

August Trometer of Carmel developed the Yowza application for Apple.

"It tells you the offers that are near you, so if you're looking for a deal, you don't have to go across town to find it," he said. "Lots of major brands are participating, and it's just a fantastic way to save money especially this time of year."

Yowza and Bizrate also update deals on their Twitter pages, twitter.com/Yowza and twitter.com/bizrate, respectively.