A Hyperlocal Co-op Hopes to Bloom in Community ‘News Desert’
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…
Street Fight Daily: JRC Declares Bankruptcy, OpenTable’s Reviews
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’
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
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
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.
5 Scheduling Platforms With Rewards Program Integration
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
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)…
Movers & Shakers at Gilt City, Foursquare, Maine Today, Quoin
Every two weeks, Search Influence’s Kelly Benish — who knows practically everyone in hyperlocal — covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry — like Sarah Chubb (pictured) leaving Condé Nast Digital to join Gilt City. Plus: job openings at Yext, TripAdvisor, Telenav, and Red Bricks Media.
PODCAST: This Week in Location-Based Marketing — Discover, LevelUp
In this week’s episode, hosts Rob Woodbridge and Asif Khan discuss Twitter’s shut door on developers; everyone and their mother joins the In-Location Alliance; and Paypal jumps on the Discover bus. Plus the usual funding and M&A activity, our resource of the week and special guest Michael Hagan, COO LevelUp.
SFD: Groupon’s New App, Amazon Snubs Google Maps
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Groupon’s New App Hints At A Change In Course (Fast Company)… Amazon Teams with Nokia, Snubs Google for Maps (Reuters)… Facebook to Allow Targeting by Telephone Number? (Screenwerk)…
Block-by-Blockers Respond to Borrell’s Revenue Prescription
“People are beginning to figure out that the display advertising model is a bad carryover from mass media,” says Gordon Borrell. “What does that mean for the future of hyperlocal websites? I think there’s value in them, but I honestly don’t think there’s enough value to sustain the business model in any single market beyond being a very small niche.”
How Real Estate Agents Are Using LBS to Connect Buyers and Sellers
Real estate has always been about “location, location, location,” but that maxim is truer now than ever. Mobile apps and location-based services are increasingly becoming an important part of a real estate agent’s marketing arsenal, and an important part of the way prospective buyers find places to live…
Street Fight Daily: Yelp Surges, Google Monetizes Third-party Maps
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Yelp Surges as Growth Potential Counters Lockup Expiry (Businessweek)… Google Launches New Ad Formats To Help Developers Monetize Google Maps (TechCrunch)… Square Extends Its Retail Reach, Now Sells Its Card Reader at 1k AT&T Stores, 20k total (The Next Web)…
Why Are Local Search Results Polluted With Bad Content?
Really good local is half Q&A, half search and includes enough activity and ratings and comments to provide more than temporal relevance. But many sites that come up high in searches have few ratings, and don’t provide me with particularly useful or relevant information. And there is rarely a social graph overlay…
6 Ways to Encourage User Contributions on Hyperlocal Sites
Encouraging readers to comment on stories, share news tips, and contribute content involves more than adding a commenting widget or slapping a “Tips” button on the header of a site. Here are six tips from successful publishers and editors about how independent publications can solicit feedback from their readers online…
Street Fight Daily: Yelp Bulls Get Bearish, Google Wants More Wallet
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Yelp Traders Brace for Lockup Expiration; ‘Better to Be Safe Than Sorry’ (Wall Street Journal)… Google Wallet Aspires To Hold All Your Cards and Tickets (GigaOm)… How The Web ‘Check In’ Is Growing Up (Forbes)…
Patch Content Chief: ‘We Don’t Go After Audience at the Expense of Excellence’
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…