Patch Content Chief: ‘We Don’t Go After Audience at the Expense of Excellence’

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When Rachel Fishman Feddersen joined Patch as chief content officer in February, the former editorial director of digital content, strategy and design at The Parenting Group was tasked with honing and refining the vision behind AOL’s local news play. Feddersen spoke with Street Fight recently about the calculus behind Patch’s content mix, what kinds of stories go viral, and what the hyperlocal network is planning for ahead of the November elections…

A Hyperlocal Co-op Hopes to Bloom in Community ‘News Desert’

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Longtime print journalist Tom Stites says the model for his Web-based Banyan Project is that of a co-op — the economic and social structure for sizable minority chunks of the American power industry and agriculture, as well as credit unions and housing developments. We talked to him recently to find out more about what his “third-way” media approach is all about…

Case Study: Portland Café Finds an Eco-Friendly Loyalty Solution

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Coffee shops and punch cards usually go hand in hand. At Rain or Shine Coffee House in Portland, Oregon, however, co-owner Molly Boyl says her eco-conscious clientele was concerned about the impact that paper cards might have on the environment. She found a digital alternative with Perka, a cardless loyalty program that works on mobile phones.

Street Fight Daily: JRC Declares Bankruptcy, OpenTable’s Reviews

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Journal Register Co. Declares Bankruptcy… Again: Is This the Industry’s First Real Reboot? (Neiman Journalism Lab)… OpenTable’s hidden stash of restaurant reviews (Venture Beat)… Hyperlocal & Mobile Data Demystified (Media Post)…

Zaarly Expands Local Marketplace With ‘Storefronts’

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A little less than year after raising $14 million in series A funding and adding HP CEO Meg Whitman to its board, Zaarly has pushed out the next iteration of its local marketplace this morning. Called Storefronts, the product provides verified sellers with curated brand pages, where buyers can browse services, engage with content about the provider, and begin to build relationships with the individuals behind the services…

While SMBs Focus on Social, Online Reviews May Have More Impact

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If they have a choice between social media marketing and better customer service or a better product, small businesses may in fact be better off focusing on the product rather than the marketing push. You can have the best Twitter patter and the finest Facebook page — but a half-star rating change on Yelp because you failed to flip that burger in time or didn’t make eye contact with a customer might ultimately have a bigger effect on the bottom line…

Poll: 93% of Respondents Check Reviews Before Dining or Shopping

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A majority of American consumers check online reviews before shopping or dining at a local business, according to a recent Street Fight poll. The three-question poll of 200 U.S. consumers points to a customer base heavily reliant on local reviews sites, particularly among the crucial 18-34 age demographic marketers everywhere covet.

Street Fight Daily: LivingSocial Partners With Starbucks, Hibu Sinks

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Yellow Pages Publisher Sinks as Creditors Circle (The Guardian)… As Starbucks Runs a Deal With LivingSocial, Groupon Stock Touches a New Low (All Things D)… What Restaurants Know (About You) (New York Times)…

Reputation Management: Making the Connection with Small Businesses

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Now that everyone has a timeline of online activities going back several years — one that family members, prospective employers, and potential life partners are looking at and judging us by — we have all become public figures to an extent, and at the same time we’ve had to transform ourselves into hall monitors of our own online activities. So why hasn’t reputation management become a de facto part of every small business marketing plan?

5 Scheduling Platforms With Rewards Program Integration

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By integrating existing scheduling platforms and with newer rewards programs, businesses can use the information they already have at their fingertips to increase customer loyalty, decrease client drop-off rates, and promote continued engagement at their establishments. Here are five integrated scheduling platforms and loyalty programs that small businesses can try…

SFD: Reviews Impact Business, Groupon Execs Back Competitor

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.How Online Reviews are Crucial to a Restaurant’s Takings (The Guardian)… Awkward Belly Dance for Groupon (Wall Street Journal)… Patch Losses Communications Direct Janine Iamunno (Romenesko)…