COD: Needium helps SMBs strike while the iron is hot

Don’t you just hate it when marketing gets mock professionalized with terms like “acute need state?”

No chance of that pomposity from the people who bring us Needium, a social media lead gen solution for SMBs that is really intriguing. The Needium people call a spade a spade, meaning that they say that the ideal time for small business to contact people is when those people really really want something.

Have you ever posted looking for a dentist recommendation? Or a restaurant suggestion for that business trip to Paramus, NJ? The data record for those searches and queries is right out there in the public domain, and through these messages people have expressed an interest in getting ideas and suggestions from the larger community.

Using Needium, the small business sets up an account, defines the needs that are relevant to its businesses, and periodically reviews a dashboard of the status updates and tweets from people in their areas that are seeking their type of services.

They can then follow up on any needs that make sense for their business. In addition, the service also scoops up specific mentions of individual businesses so they can manage their own reputation.

To respond to a need or a comment about their business they simply click the respond button. They can also join public discussions and offer their expertise and solutions directly to a broader audience.

Cost of the service is $100 a month, and the focus on identifying stated needs and life stage changes makes the information extremely actionable for small businesses.

The Montreal-based start-up is active in a number of Canadian and US cities, and is expanding that list. Service is available in English and en Francais. Something for small businesses to explore — helping SMBs to drive ROI from social media discussions in a simple and easy to manage way.