Case Study: Cumberland Farms Partners With PayPal on Mobile App
In April 2012, Cumberland Farms teamed up with PayPal to launch a mobile payment application, which allows customers to pay for gas through their smartphones. In the 11 months since the app debuted, repeat usage statistics have been in the 88th percentile, a metric senior brand strategy manager Kate Ngo says shows how convenient a mobile payment platform can be…
5 Business Intelligence Platforms for Hyperlocals
One of the fastest ways for hyperlocal marketers and sales teams to improve their success rates when pitching to SMBs is by identifying businesses most likely to be receptive to their offerings. A number of recently introduced business intelligence platforms can make that process a little bit easier and help marketers leverage online data to pinpoint businesses that are new and thriving…
Case Study: Bakery Relies on Hyperlocal Press, Yelp for New Customers
When Donna Lawson first opened the doors at Stuffed Cakes, she ran a series of daily deal promotions through CBS Local and Urban Dealight to spread the word about her Seattle-based bakery. Now two years later, Lawson relies primarily on press mentions on hyperlocal sites like the West Seattle Blog, as well as positive reviews on Yelp, to get new customers coming through the door…
Case Study: Jelmar Reaches Younger Demo With Location-Based Promotion
The cleaning products manufacturer ran a promotion last year with inMarket’s CheckPoints mobile app, which rewarded customers for scanning CLR and CLR Bath & Kitchen products with their smartphones. As a result, Jelmar saw an immediate uptick in sales at stores where the mobile promotion ran…
6 Indoor Navigation Platforms for Retailers
Nearly three-quarters of consumers with smartphones say they would rather use their mobile devices inside a store than ask an associate for help. Here are six platforms that merchants of all sizes can use to help customers find products on store shelves and perhaps complete more transactions…
Case Study: Texas Roadhouse Goes Local on Facebook
Rather than creating a single Facebook page to serve as a hub for all 300 plus Texas Roadhouse locations, Dave Dodson and his team have created local Facebook pages for each restaurant in the national chain. Dodson says people are more likely to be engaged with local pages, leading to an increase in comments, likes, and photo submissions on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Foursquare…
5 Ad Exchanges for Local Publishers
In an effort to gain control of their ads and ensure that their inventory is being sold at the highest possible rates, more hyperlocal publishers are banding together and joining private ad exchanges. Here are five private exchanges that local publishers can use to gain control of their inventories…
Case Study: New Loyalty Program Connects ’Wichcraft With Customers
After years of using paper punch cards to promote loyalty at its 16 locations, ’Wichcraft is going digital with a mobile loyalty program. By tying customer phone numbers to ‘Wichcraft’s POS system, director of marketing Ellen Kim hopes to send targeted promotions based on individual purchase histories and build more intimate relationships with the most frequent customers…
Case Study: San Diego Smoothie Chain Favors Loyalty Over Acquisition
Frustrated by people trying to defraud his paper punch-card program, Shake Smart’s president, Kevin Gelfand, began looking for other ways to promote customer loyalty at his two San Diego locations. Gelfand ultimately chose to work with Perka, a phone app, and now awards his customers points based on the amount they spend during each transaction…
6 Mobile Tools for Managing Customer Complaints
Rather than hiring additional employees to answer customer queries, manage complaints, check inventory, and process returns, local retailers are increasingly looking for mobile solutions. Here are six platforms that merchants can use to interact with customers and resolve issues without taking their focus off the people currently inside their stores…
6 Tips for Increasing User Engagement On Mobile Apps
More and more businesses are developing branded apps as part of their mobile marketing programs, integrating location-based technology with product reviews, deal information, and even gaming elements to reach consumers. Here are six tips from experts on what brands of all sizes should consider when building their own custom apps…
Case Study: Using LinkedIn, Twitter to Cultivate Local Relationships
Chicago-based Foiled Cupcakes is a delivery-only business, but by tapping into networks on LinkedIn and Twitter, and keeping a close watch over the reviews posted on sites like Yelp, owner Mari Luangrath has been able to cultivate relationships with potential customers and position her enterprise as the go-to destination for companies needing desserts for in-house events or client gifts…
5 Location-Based Marketing Platforms for Brands Without Retail Stores
Figuring out where to purchase products from a brand that doesn’t have its own retail establishment can present a challenge for many consumers. Increasingly, major brands like Vicks and Nestlé are using location-based marketing platforms to help point potential buyers in the right direction. Here are five platforms offering brands a way to take advantage of such technology on their own terms…
Case Study: Brooklyn Spa Uses Credit Card Data to Identify Consumer Trends
At D’mai Urban Spa, owner Daniella Stromberg spends roughly $45,000 a year in credit card processing fees. Frustrated by the feeling that she wasn’t getting anything for her money, she turned to Swipely for help. Using the company’s payment marketing platform, Stromberg has been able to identify patterns and gain insight into how outside factors, like the weather, affect consumer behavior…
7 Ways SMBs Can Use Geofencing for Targeted Advertising
Although large brands have long been reaching consumers in targeted areas through geofencing, smaller businesses have been slow to adopt this new marketing technology. Here are seven tips from the experts on how small businesses can better use geofencing to target consumers in intelligent ways…