Case Study: Tracking the Success of an Online Ad
For Richard Stromberg, owner of Chicago Photography Classes, hyperlocal news sites and blogs have taken the place of traditional print publications. To track the effectiveness of his online ads, he uses printable coupons that new clients are encouraged to bring to class for discounted rates...
Case Study: Using Foursquare to Increase Foot Traffic
How does the owner of a business with minimal signage and a hidden fourth-floor location encourage walk-in business? For Tom Elliot of Idea Greenhouse, a co-working office space for entrepreneurs and startups in Durham, New Hampshire (pop. 14,638), location-based services have been key. Elliot uses platforms like Foursquare, SCVNGR and Yelp to let people working in coffee shops know that a more attractive group workspace is available nearby.
Case Study: Connecticut Pub Casts a Wide Net With Patch Ads
Like many entrepreneurs, Daneen Grabe, owner of Little Pub restaurant, has little time to research all the advertising platforms that are available in her town of Ridgefield, Conn. She now spends most of her marketing budget on ads in six local Patch sites, in the hopes of attracting some of the hyperlocal news network’s most plugged-in readers. Here’s why.
Case Study: Daily Deal Pitches Overwhelm SF Restaurateur
If daily deals haven’t already reached a tipping point, then San Francisco restaurateur Joe Hargrave believes that day is coming soon. The Tacolicious owner gets between four and nine pitches from daily deal salespeople each month. He struggles to understand why businesses would want to target potential customers who are only after a good deal…
Case Study: Ads on Hyperlocal Blogs Reach Local Customers
As the owner of Urban Ashes, a home furnishings company in Michigan that uses salvaged wood from local yards, parks and urban areas, Paul Hickman believes strongly in supporting local businesses and causes. This carries over to the way he markets his business: Hickman regularly advertises on hyperlocal news sites like The Ann Arbor Chronicle to connect with residents who are well-educated and want to support local enterprises like his.
Case Study: Sandwich Shop Uses Location-Based Tools to Advertise Lunch Specials
Lad Dilgard is always looking for new ways to promote his company, The Columbus Sandwich Company in Pickerington, Ohio. One of his favorite new tools for building brand awareness, increasing name recognition and bringing in new customers is SevenLunches, a location-based application that shows users lunch specials that are available nearby. Location-based advertising is still […]
Case Study: Running Deals With a Local Publisher
When Renae Click decided to run a daily deal campaign earlier this year, she knew the publisher she chose would be important. That’s why Click, who owns Tomlinson’s Feed & Pets with her husband Scott, opted to work with a local hyperlocal publisher in Austin rather than a national company.
Case Study: Online Marketing In a Small Town
When Todd Kuhns opened Pickler’s Famous earlier this year, he hoped to save money on advertising by creating buzz online. Unfortunately, the Kirksville, Mo., ice cream parlor owner has found that many residents of his small town are reluctant to use tools like Foursquare and Twitter. So, he’s developed a blended approach to advertising that […]
Case Study: Realtor Finds Value in Patch Ads
David Nelson is a real estate agent who knows value when he sees it. Since Nelson started placing ads and blogging on the Lakeville Patch, he’s seen an uptick in interest from people looking to buy and sell their homes in his area. Given the targeted audience that reads Patch — and the exposure that the neighborhood site provides — he views the associated marketing costs as a wise investment…
Case Study: Santa Fe Sports Shop Scores Big With Groupon
When Santa Fe Mountain Sports owner Dan McCarthy first got a call from Groupon, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Despite some initial trepidation, McCarthy was able to craft a deal that cost him very little and was purchased almost exclusively by new customers. All things considered, he says Groupon deals are the cheapest way he’s found to get new people through the front door at his shop.
Case Study: Optometrist Uses Foursquare to Court Tech-Savvy Patients
For self-avowed tech junkie Nathan Bonilla-Warford, Foursquare is more than just a tool for discovering new restaurants and keeping up with friends. It’s also one of the primary ways he markets his business as an optometrist and the owner of Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in Tampa, Florida…
Case Study: Why Static Ads Don’t Work For a Seasonal Business
Neal Schwartz is the director of Tutoring Club, a learning center for students in Armonk, New York. Although he advertises regularly on a number of hyperlocal news sites, he finds it’s difficult to assess the value in online advertising and gets frustrated with local publishers who aren’t responsive to his needs as the owner of a seasonal business…
Case Study: How a Nashville Salon Retains Daily Deal Customers
Julie Marler is the owner of J. Bangs Salon, a hairstyling studio in Nashville that has had great success running deals with Groupon and LivingSocial. Marler estimates that she’s retained 50% of her daily deal customers by preparing her staff ahead of time and increasing stylists in the weeks following each deal…