News and Analysis
SMBs Face Long Road to Recovery in 2021
Sixty-eight percent of SMBs say they are still experiencing a negative impact from the pandemic, and the percentage of business owners experiencing “significant” impact jumped 7% to 50% from June to November.
Businesses that thought the crisis was heading in the right direction back in October are feeling differently today as they see holiday sales figures begin to roll out, and they’re scrambling to find tools, strategies, and other lifelines to help them get by.
Do Targeted Digital Ads and Privacy Mix?
Concerns about privacy are pervasive in predictions about digital advertising in 2021. The demise of third-party cookies, the passage of a more stringent California state privacy law, and the specter of future legislation in other states or at the national level are driving the topic’s popularity.
I checked in with Philip Smolin, Chief Strategy Officer at ad platform Amobee, to get his take on if and how advertisers can adapt to rising privacy standards while maintaining sustainable business models.
Why More Brands Are Asking for Local Search Data
Google search ad traffic has dropped across all devices, with mobile taking the biggest hit. Mobile traffic has been down an average of 24% since the pandemic began in February. Brands have been adjusting their digital strategies to account for the shift, including changing up their search ads with enhanced location targeting and more relevant keywords.
But achieving that high level of optimization requires a type of local search data that isn’t easily accessible through Google alone. That’s created a hole in the marketplace that the intelligence platform Adthena is looking to fill.
Commentary
How Giant GateHouse Media Performed in Harsh Duke Study of Local News Sites
I went to Bill Church, senior vice president of news at GateHouse Media—the biggest publisher of newspapers in the U.S.—with questions about the quality of GateHouse sites that were put under the microscope in a 100-community study from Duke University that painted a critical picture of news deserts across the country.
How Brands Can Create Personalized Experiences for Each Local Market
Digital properties must not only gather information about people but also use it to help consumers meet their goals in a contextual and timely manner. With changes such as the GDPR going into effect, the onus is on brands to deliver a connected experience that will leave customers feeling as though brands’ use of their data is justified.
Latest Posts
Case Study: Auto Shop Outsources Social Ad Campaigns
As social media advertising becomes more pervasive, businesses have to do more to get noticed. At Reliable Auto Repair in San Jose, California, Operations Manager Michael Jidkov says the hardest part about reaching customers on Facebook, Google, and Yelp is standing apart from the competition.
SMB Content Marketing: Avoid the Backward Approach
Whether a business is local or not, content drives the bulk of digital marketing. A successful content marketing campaign involves topics that resonate with the intended audience, creates buzz on social media and attracts high quality links. Yet, the approach that many people take to content marketing is backward.
Street Culture: Six Vertical Pivoting its Culture with its Company
Starting your own tech company often comes with a painful side effect, says Joshua Enders, managing partner of client success at digital commerce company Six Vertical: “It’s an absolute grind. It’s like getting punched in the stomach multiple times a day,” Enders says. “I’m speaking from experience.”
Street Fight Daily: Facebook Boosts Brick-and-Mortar, Native Google Assistant Integration Coming to Autos
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Facebook Rolls Out a New “Order Food” Option in its Main Navigation… Google Will Integrate Assistant Directly into Next-Gen Cars… Pittsburgh Welcomed Uber’s Driverless Car Experiment. Not Anymore…
How Advancing Location Tech Can Help Revitalize Retail
Despite fears of the disruption that new business models and technology bring, these are can be opportunities for brands to better understand and engage with consumers, said Cameron Peebles, CMO for inMarket. He shared his company’s insights in a Street Fight webinar yesterday alongside The Integer Group’s group media director, M.K. Woltz.
Street Fight Daily: Instagram Beats Facebook for Brands, Twitter Aims to Jumpstart Ad Strategy
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Instagram Gives Brands and Celebrities Up to 400% More Engagement than Facebook… Twitter Hires AdTech Veteran Bruce Falck to Rejuvenate Advertising Tools… Identifying Mobile Shoppers is a Top Priority for 70% of Retailers…
Street Fight’s Big 3
Street Fight Columns
Street Fight Categories
Beyond Likes: Win Hearts with Emotional Marketing