maximize the presence of SMEs on social networks
It's not always easy for SMEs to dig up business opportunities and have an effective presence on social networks. But there is now an innovative solution to this problem... and a Montréal firm was the one to develop it. Designed by Praized Media and its founders, Sébastien Provencher and Sylvain Carle, Needium is a service that makes it possible for businesses to quickly meet consumers who, through social media, have expressed a need to deal with the business in question. The foundation of the service rests on the continuous indexing of messages posted by local Twitter users. For each client paying a monthly rate, a list of about one hundred key everyday words and expressions is prepared, corresponding to needs closely relating to the business. Needium then filters out—from among millions of messages appearing daily on the social networks—those messages that are of interest to its client. Then, one of the Needium community managers contacts the poster on behalf of the business, making the poster aware of the business and, in addition, offering a discount or a special offer. One of 16 start-ups introduced at the prestigious Le Web conference, which was held in Paris in December 2010, and recognized as a start-up business to watch in Montréal and in Canada in 2011, Needium is also established in such cities as Boston, Calgary, London, and San Francisco.
