News and Analysis

Street Fight’s May Theme: Local Commerce’s Recovery Playbook

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In our own reporting and analysis (and through the words of our contributors) this month, we’ll define the playbook for local re-entry. As business ramps back up, what will best practices be for local staples such as search marketing and reputation management?

We’ve already covered how businesses are digitizing to adapt to the challenges of commerce in a time of social distancing, embracing curbside pickup, social advertising, pop-up distribution centers, online classes, and retail tech. With an even longer-term view, we’ll examine how this period of uncertainty will shape the future of local commerce.

AARP Launches Platform Empowering Neighbors to Assist Each Other during Pandemic

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Built by the team at AARP Innovation Labs over the course of just a few weeks, the Community Connections mutual aid aggregation platform gives volunteers and people in need a place to connect. It features a searchable directory of local mutual aid organizations, which are typically informal groups that provide key daily services, such as picking up groceries and delivering medications to people who are at high risk for contracting Covid-19. People can access the platform to find volunteer groups nearby, with links to those groups’ websites and locator maps.

With Stimulus Funds Delayed, Small Businesses Digitize for Survival

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Experts at helping SMBs adapt to a tech-first commercial landscape say the pandemic has led some businesses to tap into their long-dormant potential as digital marketers and sellers, possibly setting them up for gains in the aftermath of the recession. Now that e-commerce is the only path to survival, mom-and-pop shops, aided by martech firms, agencies, and Silicon Valley giants, are capitalizing on cutting-edge marketing and retail techniques, many for the first time.

Thousands, if not millions, of Main Street businesses will close their doors for good as a result of the pandemic. Those that survive will be technologically savvier and sleeker than they were before.

Commentary

LBMA Podcast: Life360 buys PathSense, Facebook’s AR camera

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On the show: MyPark app, Josera campaing, Phoenix Contract + Favendo, eBay’s new AR tool, Shazam teams up with Glenlivet.

Report for America’s ‘Staggering’ Start in Building a ‘Better Local Media System’

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Report for America addresses the double crisis of holes in local news and local democracy by deploying talented journalists into newsrooms in underserved communities—as it did for the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader in Martin County.

An eBook on Google Q&A: Everything You Wanted to Know and More

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Brand engagement with Google Q & A would not just provide authoritative answers to consumers who are looking to do business with brands but would also demonstrate a level of brand concern that could provide a competitive advantage.

Latest Posts

Hearst Papers Tested to Perfect the Vital ‘User Experience’

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Revenue SVP Esfand Pourmand wants the group’s 17 dailies and 57 weeklies to maximize their revenue potential. To do that he knows they also have to enrich “user experiences” across multiple platforms.

The Buzz on Wikileaf: Compare Pot Prices Then Map a Route to Your Next High

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A GasBuddy for pot? Why not? That seems to be the conclusion of one Seattle-based entrepreneur, whose location-based pricing-and-reviews service wants a slice of what he estimates will be an $8 billion industry in 2017.

4 Ways to Dust Off Your Website and Use It to Engage with Customers

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Creating fresh content and having the time and staff to devote to keeping the website updated are other challenges business owners frequently point out as barriers to building and maintaining a website. But it shouldn’t be this way. Websites are still a foundational marketing element for businesses of all sizes—especially small- and medium-size businesses (SMBs) like restaurants, retails, gyms, banks and other service providers.

Street Fight: Uber’s Q3 Losses ‘Eye-Popping’, Snap Makes Moves on Ad Tech

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber’s Loss Exceeds $800M in Third Quarter on $1.7B Net Revenue… With Acquihire of Flite, Snapchat Looks to Boost Ad Tech Capabilities… Small Business Owners Pessimistic About Holidays but Hopeful for 2017…

Finding Success as a Digital Agency, DAC Group Expands Deeper Into Europe

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The legacy listings company has undergone a transformation over the past five years, doubling revenue while shifting its mix from 80% print to 90% digital. We caught up with CEO Norm Hagarty to talk about DAC Group’s two recent international acquisitions and where he thinks local is heading.

Why People-Based Marketing Platforms Will Begin to Dominate in 2017

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This past year laid the foundation for major transitions across the marketing landscape. Those trends will accelerate in 2017, ultimately reshaping our industry for decades to come. Ultimately, marketers want to engage real people in the real-world. Next year the impact of this will be felt in numerous ways.

How Marketers Can Convert Mobile Shoppers Into Sales

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Although consumers are willing to buy on mobile, the medium is primarily the gateway to get the consumer into the store to make the purchase. A business can prepare for mobile shoppers in many ways, but have you considered the many challenges that mobile shopping creates?

Street Fight Daily: Google’s Mobile-First Index, Mobile Marketing to Millennials

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Case Study: Some Potential Sticking Points with Google’s Mobile-First Index… Report: Millenials, Gen-Zers, And Brick-and-Mortar Retail… Uber’s Clash with Regulators Moves to Self-Driving Cars…

Openings and New Hires at Foursquare, Pinterest and Verve

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Every two weeks, Geoff Michener covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. This week’s edition includes moves and new openings at Yext, Gravy, CTIA, and Soleo.

Raise Report: New Funding for JumpCrew, Thanx, Breather

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Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes funding for Movinga, Nectar, Mojio, and Splash.