Small businesses need to think like the brands they are. They should follow the same protocol now being established by content marketers: create a portfolio of content; use the new distribution channels and social media to get the word out; and learn how to curate....

Over time, the torrent of user-generated and user-organized visual media will cascade into greater consumption and adoption of video over text as the preferred way to receive information. As that evolves, small businesses will need to create more original video content, giving consumers an easier, more descriptive way to assess their business...

Curation services are coming of age because people are increasingly using their smartphones to upload pictures and videos on the fly. As user-generated media continues to flourish, its local manifestations (and curated collections of contributed content) will paint a far more diverse and detailed picture of a community than coverage by paid media...

Does anyone believe that a traditional media company could have created a digital product that would grow to be as quickly valuable as Instagram or Pinterest? The answer is no, but a few organizations are hoping to change that perception by bringing digital media entrepreneurs into the fold...

Google Adwords, Twitter's new Promoted Tweets product for SMBs, Facebook ads, and even Groupon, all deliver relevant geo-targeted consumers on a pay-per-performance basis. These social media ad networks will pressure traditional local publishers to match their offerings on price and accountability...

"Cash mobs" are the first evidence of community-coordinated mob activity organized by traditional civic and business groups. In a cash mob, a local store or restaurant is designated as the recipient of a one day promotion where customers spend at least $20, using Twitter and other local media to broadcast the event...

There's a huge opportunity to aggregate potential leads across these siloed services in real time, and notify or proxy respond on behalf of local businesses so they can service leads immediately. In this online new paradigm, small business no longer needs to wait for their customers, they cherry-pick on demand...

The "shared economy" being ushered in by startups like Airbnb, Getaround and Toolspinner is creating new marketplaces where locals can rent their homes, cars, and tools to neighbors. This new trend enables the efficient sharing of resources and goods that are used on occasion as an alternative to outright ownership...

The elevation of standards in local marketing imagery is creating new opportunities for local professional photographers, above and beyond events like weddings and school pictures...

Everyblock and Nextdoor may need to go where the local conversational action is, Facebook. For example, microlocals could partner with Facebook and allow their subscribers to create a Facebook group for their neighborhood with all the bells and whistles (classifieds, recommendations, events listings) associated with their web application...