“Welcome to AJ Bombers, where everyone knows your name — or at least your Twitter handle,” wrote The Business Journal of Milwaukee.  The burger joint in the same city has used Twitter (@AJBombers) and other social media networks to build a community — and it’s proving to be a standout case study in how small business can spread the word online.

In fact, the same Biz Journal article says social media has landed AJ Bombers articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN and even a special on the Travel Channel, called “Food Wars.”

The burger joint has taken engagement on Twitter to a whole new level hosting Tweetups, like the “Bloody (Mary) Brunch” and even introducing a popular new menu item –“Burger of the Moment” – created by one of the restaurant’s Twitter followers (@KateBarrie), according to Forrester’s Augie Ray

Moreover, it’s not just Twitter: you’ll also find AJ Bombers on YouTube, Facebook and Foursquare – all to drive real-world interaction.  For example it “used Facebook to create initial awareness of their brand via a Facebook profile picture promotion, where their customers were assigned the task of taking the most creative photo in their logoed, signature, extra large beach chairs and post that photo as their profile picture, also leaving that photo up for the entire month of July,” wrote theBarBlogger.com.

AJ Bombers offers free food to fans that hold its “mayor” badge on Foursquare, added Forrester’s Ray in the same post previously cited, but the company has also tapped the SXSW crowd to leverage the coveted “Swarm Badge” and generate some business.

To qualify for a swarm badge, 50 people or more must check in to the same place at the same time.  When AJ Bombers made the offer on Foursquare, the promotion brought in 161 patrons, which is astounding for a burger place, let alone the fact there are only a few hundred Foursquare users total in Milwaukee, said blogger Stephan Antonas.

Lesson? Engaging hard across multiple social media channels can propel a small, unassuming brand to nationwide fame.

This post was adopted from Ten (and a Half) Great Social Media Successes (should you be interested in reading the other 9 (and a half).

Foursquare, Twitter and small business social media success was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com

This past friday, we posted a note on our account funding page that we would no longer be accepting prepayment on PRWeb.  For years, prepayment served as a solution for high volume customers who wanted to avoid entering a credit card each time they sent out a news release.  Over the past year, we have been gradually transitioning high volume customers over to our subscription-based platform. 

 We are now at a point with the platform where we felt confident that there was no longer a need for prepayment on PRWeb and have permanently closed the function.  For those of you interested in purchasing a PRWeb subscription, please call 1-877-779-3201.  Otherwise, you can continue buying individual news releases as always through PRWeb.

Removal of Account Funding was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com

According to a recent Nielsen report, there are over 3.6 million iPod Touch and iPhone users worldwide.  To provide our customers with enhanced reach to this audience, we’ve released two applications – PRWeb Business News and PRWeb Technology News – now available for free download in the iTunes store.  In April, we will be releasing additional applications that will carry our healthcare news and marketing news.

Read the full release on PRWeb.

PRWeb Goes Mobile was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com

The CODiE Awards are one of the oldest and most respected awards programs in the software and technology industry.  Their mandate is to “showcase the software and information industry’s finest products and services and to honor excellence in corporate achievement and philanthropic efforts.”

This year, we were awarded the distinction of being named a finalist in the ‘Best Online News Service’ category.  Read the full release on PRWeb.

PRWeb Names Finalist for 2009 CODiE Award was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com

This morning we announced our new partnership with AOL Money & Finance.  Under the terms of the partnership we’ll be sending AOL Money & Finance a real-time feed of our private and public company news releases for syndication on the AOL Money & Finance Web site.

The partnership will be rolled out in two phases: Phase 1, which is currently live, involves our public company press releases showing up in the quotes and portfolio sections of AOL M&F.  In phase 2, set for later this year, all of our private and public content will surface through a widget on the main AOL M&F page and through AOL news search.

AOL Money & Finance is one of the leading financial resources on the Web with over 15 million unique visitors each month.  This is one more blue-chip addition to our syndication network that includes outlets like the Associated Press, Yahoo!, Topix, and Entrepreneur.com.  Through our syndication network, PRWeb news releases are available to an online audience of more than 70 million unique visitors in the United States alone.

PRWeb Announces Partnership with AOL Money & Finance was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com

We recently launched an affiliate program on the popular affiliate marketing site Commission Junction.  Through the program, publishers will be rewarded for driving their audience to sign-up for membership on PRWeb.

In order to participate in our affiliate program on Commission Junction you can use the following steps:

1. Fill out a publisher application on Commission Junction (if you have not already done so)
2. Once your membership has been approved, you can find PRWeb listed in the B2B category or by running a query for ‘PRWeb.’
3. Once you have located our program, apply for it.
4. Provided your application is appropriate we will approve it and you will be able to start earning income from driving your audience to sign-up for PRWeb!

Please note, we are interested in publishers who are focused on areas that share something in common with PRWeb (i.e. small business marketing, publicity, public relations, etc.).

PRWeb Launches Affiliate Program on Commission Junction was posted at Blogging PRWeb. | http://www.bloggingprweb.com