Case Study: California Fitness Studio Drives Referrals With Digital Program
Ninety-two percent of consumers trust “earned media” — like word-of-mouth referrals — above other forms of paid advertising. At b2be Sports & Wellness, a high-end fitness studio in Chula Vista, California, Emmanuel Corona is looking to capitalize on this trend, partnering with Perkville to reward customers for referring their friends…
Case Study: KBP Foods Uses Loyalty App to Reach Millennials
Customers between the ages of 18 and 34 are eating out less than they were five years ago, which is a major problem for executives like Anthony Gianino. The senior director of marketing at KBP Foods is trying everything in the book — including text message marketing, local print ads, and mobile loyalty apps — to reach his target demographic…
5 Platforms SMBs Can Use to Monitor Local Competitors
Today’s top competitive intelligence platforms give SMBs a way to go far beyond tracking keywords and mentions. These hyperlocal tools give merchants and service providers a way to identify the most important players in their local markets and analyze which of those businesses’ marketing strategies is producing the greatest returns…
6 Marketplace Platforms for Local Buyers
Limited-time promotions are an effective way to generate immediate customer demand, but what happens once the hype is over and the deal is complete? To counteract their one-and-done reputations and give merchants a way to extend their promotions, a number of hyperlocal companies are developing local marketplace platforms with more opportunities for long-tail marketing…
Case Study: Walmart Expands Mobile Efforts With Scan & Go App
The retail giant isn’t trying to dissuade customers from using their smartphones while they shop. In fact, the retailer is beefing up the carrier signals inside its stores to make it easier for customers to get online. Instead, the company is combating the threat of showrooming by encouraging customers to fill their screens with its own mobile application.
6 Tools for Creating Performance-Based Offers
As pure-play daily deals sites struggle to remain attractive to local merchants, a new model for offers is beginning to emerge. Rather than giving blanket discounts on general merchandise — a hallmark of the original Groupon deals — brand advertisers are increasingly opting to use performance-based offers as a way to drive traffic without necessarily hurting the bottom line. Here are six tools that merchants can use to create performance-based marketing offers…
Restaurant Chain Looks For Location-Specific Trends in Online Reviews
Keeping up with customer reviews and social media chatter can be especially difficult for a national chain. As the director of digital marketing at Houlihan’s, a “polished casual” restaurant chain with 85 locations, Natalie Bass is responsible for making sure the company is being found online and communicating with customers through all the most popular digital channels…
5 Tips for Building a Smarter Geofence
The number of advertisers using “geo-aware” technology in their mobile ad campaigns jumped from 17% in 2011 to 36% in 2012, according to a report by Verve Mobile, and yet there is still confusion in the marketplace over what makes a geofencing campaign useful, and when location targeting is necessary to achieve a high ROI. Here are five strategies for creating a smarter, more strategic geofencing campaign…
Case Study: Steakhouse Takes a More-Is-More Approach to Marketing
At Franklin Steakhouse, manager Frank Oliver is always on the lookout for ways to enmesh his restaurant with the local community. In addition to tried-and-true tactics like partnering with neighboring businesses and hosting fundraisers, Oliver is taking a hyperlocal approach to digital marketing through platforms like Facebook and Yelp…
6 Platforms For Booking Local Services
Platforms that allow consumers to book appointments with service-based professionals (like plumbers, electricians, and mechanics) are disrupting the way local services have traditionally been scheduled. Here are six platforms working to change the way local, service-based businesses schedule appointments with consumers…
Case Study: Nationwide Property Manager Uses PPC, SEO to Boost ROI
At Lincoln Property Company, vice president Jennifer Staciokas takes a holistic approach to marketing the 140,000+ apartment units her company currently manages. By creating independent community websites focused on the local areas that Lincoln Property serves, along with aggressive PPC, retargeting and SEO campaigns managed by ReachLocal, the management firm has been able to increase conversion rates and boost the number of signed leases…
6 Post-Couponing Tools for Merchants
Customer return rates on traditional coupons are notoriously low. So rather than saying goodbye to the customers they fought hard to acquire, SMBs are increasingly offering follow-up deals, known as “post-couponing.” Post-couponing platforms give businesses a way to drive incremental revenue by providing additional value to customers who have redeemed mobile coupons. Here are six platforms that provide post-couponing tools for businesses of all sizes…
Case Study: Duane Reade Uses Brand Advocates for Local Campaigns
Rather than relying solely on traditional advertising to promote the company’s recent rebranding efforts, the drugstore chain’s online/public relations manager Calvin Peters has expanded the company’s social media efforts and created what he calls a “VIP blogger team.” Peters has partnered with bloggers with online communities centered around the New York metro area to generate buzz and organic media in the form of user-generated content…