News and Analysis
Can a Pandemic Inflect Local Commerce Tech?
Could forced adoption of alternative shopping methods like curbside pickup lead to user acclimation? Will millions of shoppers get exposed to the merits of these streamlined options and like what they see? Will new habits be born that sustain throughout normal times?
If so, these technologies — along with virtual-office enablement — could benefit from this period as a blessing in disguise for exposing their value propositions. But who stands to benefit most? We’ve identified five local commerce tech areas to which this could apply.
Cannabis Businesses Are Running More Geofenced Campaigns. Here’s Why
While geofenced campaigns and foot traffic attribution are old hat for mainstream brands, they represent a new frontier for cannabis businesses.
Despite widespread legalization in many states, the cannabis industry has been shut out from many of the most effective marketing and advertising strategies. In some cases, those restrictions come in the form of strict state and federal laws. In other cases, it’s simply due to a lack of ad tech platforms willing to accept their campaigns.
But times are changing, and new doors are opening up to businesses in the cannabis industry.
Ridesharing Inches Forward as Industry Looks for New Path
Years of rising demand for ridesharing services came to a full stop this spring, as coronavirus spread and communities across the globe were put under lockdown. Now, as ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft begin inching their way forward toward a new normal, they’re looking at how to adapt to the completely new environment in which they find themselves.
Commentary
Unpacking the Increasingly Complex Local SERP
“While I think [these local ad changes] might be better for many small businesses AND consumers, it gives Google a great deal of power to approve or disapprove participants,” Mike Blumenthal tells David Mihm in their biweekly column.
People Are Talking About You: The Hidden Value of User-Generated Content
Simply put, insights gleaned from reviews can help you do business better. Though reviews may contain bias of various kinds, they are still the best source you can find of detailed feedback from real customers.
Understanding the Proxies That Can Undermine Location Data
For marketers, the ability to deploy technology that identifies and bypasses online users who may be masking their locations and digital traits yields improvement in the form of targeted campaigns and fewer wasted impressions.
Latest Posts
Reimagining the Mobile Banner: In-App Ad Innovation Spares Brands from Google’s Interstitial Pinch
The future of our work is about designing smarter ways to reach users, so we need to focus on ways to drive engagement, not distraction. And that means finding subtle things that trigger the meaningful interactions. This isn’t 1999; we’re not building banners for last century’s desktop.
So, as January 10 approaches, let’s look at some creative models from the app side of the table
At Hearst Newspapers, a New Digital Strategy to End ‘Flying Blind’
Just how far local newspapers have to go to plant their flag commandingly in the fiercely competitive world of digital is summed up in a revealing story told by Robertson (Rob) Barrett, the new digital chief at Hearst Newspapers, who says that editors just don’t have information about the interests of the people in their market.
Street Fight Daily: Uber Redesigns App to Facilitate Location-Sharing, Yext Launches Developer Platform
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Redesigns App to Streamline Ride Ordering, Facilitate Location-Sharing… Yext Launches a Developer Platform for Its Location Database Technology… Facebook Shares Sink as Company Announces Ad Revenue Growth Likely to Slow…
5 Ways Brands Are Using Wearables to Create Unique Marketing Moments
More than 250 million wearables are predicted to be in use by 2018. This presents an incredible opportunity for marketers looking to reach consumers not just based on their locations, but also based on their activity levels and personal interests. Here are five strategies that brand marketers are using.
Report: In-Store Shoppers Disengage From Social Apps
Retailers and brands are pouring billions of dollars into social strategies designed to influence the way shoppers interact with merchandise inside physical stores, but a new study by inMarket indicates that marketers focused too sharply on social media apps may be missing the mark.
Street Fight Daily: Instagram Adds Tags for Shopping, Twitter Boosts Chatbot Game for Brands
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Instagram Tests Product Tagging Feature to See If It Can Drive Purchases… Twitter Offers Brands Customer Service Chatbots to Use in Direct Messages… IBM Acquires Dialogue-Based Shopper Platform…
Why Local Search Is Even More Important in the Age of Ad Blocking
With so many people blocking traditional advertising, a growing proportion of internet users cannot be reached through “classic” search engine marketing. That’s why in the context of ad blocking, SEO is still king.
Street Fight Daily: Postmates Secures Funding Amid Stiff Competition, Gannett Abandons Tronc Bid
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Postmates Navigates Tough Funding Terrain for Delivery as It Competes with Amazon and Uber… Uber Drivers Are More Likely to Cancel on Men with ‘Black-Sounding’ Names.. As The Verge Turns Five, Its Redesign Embodies Distribution Age Dynamics…
How Should SMBs Respond to Complaints on Social Media?
The way a merchant responds to complaints on social media will influence not only the perception of the offended customer, but also the perception of any potential customers who view the interaction online. Here are eight strategies that business owners can use when deciding how best to respond to customer complaints on social media.
Street Fight Daily: Mobile and International Feed Facebook Revenue, Mixed Reviews on AMP
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Mobile, International Dollars Drive Facebook to Projected $33 Billion in Ad Revenue Next Year… Google AMP Gets Mixed Reviews from Publishers… To Aid Attribution, LeadsRx Launches One Tracking Pixel to Rule Them All…
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