7 posts and columns on Sarah E. Needleman

Many Outlets, One Voice

in Social on November 14, 2011 at 4:45 am PT

When it comes to social media, franchisers are making sure their franchisees speak with one voice.

When “Friending” Becomes a Source of Start-Up Funds

in Social on November 1, 2011 at 12:00 am PT

Social networking is pretty good for keeping abreast of far-flung friends. Could it work for entrepreneurs looking for investors?

For "B-to-B" Companies, Finding Facebook "Friends" Can Be a Struggle

in News on October 21, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

Bill.com Inc., a provider of bill-payment services, is trying to market itself on Facebook. But even though the venture-backed company has more than 10,000 clients, it has so far managed to secure only 67 “friends” on the social-networking site.

Some Game Developers Don't "Like" Facebook's New Virtual Currency

in News on June 15, 2010 at 11:18 am PT

Facebook Inc. has been rolling out its own currency, to be used by members to buy virtual goods in games and other applications. But the move has rankled some game developers, who say the new monetary system comes with high fees and creates competition for developers who have their own virtual payment methods.

Firms Get a Hand With Twitter, Facebook

in News on October 2, 2009 at 5:00 am PT

Sylvester Chisom began paying a consultant last summer to blog on Twitter, post status updates on Facebook and run marketing campaigns on both sites for his auto-detailing business. He thinks the service, which costs $450 a month, is worth it. “It’s just better having somebody else dedicated to thinking of stuff to put up,” says Mr. Chisom, co-owner of Showroom Shine Express Detailing LLC in St. Louis.

Entrepreneurs "Tweet" Their Way Through Crises

in News on September 15, 2009 at 11:00 am PT

Twitter has turned out to be a useful tool for some small businesses coping with customer-service or public-relations crises. The social-media service–where users send short “tweets” to followers who have signed up to receive the messages–came in handy for Innovative Beverage Group Holdings Inc., whose drankbeverage.com site crashed last month after a surge in traffic following a segment on Fox News for the company’s so-called relaxation beverage, which contains “calming” ingredients like valerian root and melatonin.

For Companies, a Tweet in Time Can Avert PR Mess

in News on August 3, 2009 at 10:35 am PT

A growing number of businesses are tracking social-media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to gauge consumer sentiment and avert potential public-relations problems.