News and Analysis

GMB App Adds Support for Service-Area Businesses

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As of late last week, Google is offering an update to the Google My Business app that adds support for service-area businesses. Earlier in November, a Local Search Forum blog post indicated that Google would be adding features to help such businesses with local customers.

Starbucks Partners with Uber to Launch On-Demand Delivery at 2,000 Locations

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Starbucks announced on Friday that it’s partnering with Uber to launch on-demand delivery at 2,000 locations. The partnership is a sign of the “near me” local search era for retail, one in which proximity and convenience have become paramount, outweighing even loyalty.

Efficacy of Google Posts Drops Following Relegation to Bottom of Knowledge Panel

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Following a seemingly arbitrary choice on Google’s part to move Posts to the bottom of the Knowledge Panel, their efficacy in boosting businesses’ local search presence seems to be dropping.

Commentary

What the C-Suite Needs to Think About When It Comes to Delivering On-Demand

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Today over 2 billion local deliveries are made annually in the U.S. And every delivery company that wants to remain competitive in this space must be able to offer an on-demand experience to their customers — whether it has its own fleet of drivers or uses independent contractors to provide its service. In a complicated […]

Lessons Learned in the Email Marketing Wars About ‘Selling to SMBs’

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Constant Contact’s recent announcement that it would be acquired by EIG, got me reflecting on the past 15 years and how much the industry’s evolution has taught me about what it takes to effectively sell to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Will ApplePay Be the Company’s Next Mega-Business?

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that Apple is currently in need of a really big new product (a la iPhone or iPad) to keep growing. I think the company has ample opportunity to turn the payments industry on its head and make ApplePay its next big product.

Latest Posts

LBMA Podcast: Didi Kuaidi’s Massive Funding Round, Estimote’s Nearables, New Research from Zebra

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On the show: Didi Kuaidi raises $3B, rebrands, and invests in Lyft; CartoDB raises $23m; Toshiba moves into wearables; “Drive Smart” in New York and get rewarded; Refugees Welcome helps find homes for refugees; new research from Zebra. Plus, news from Estimote, BP, Auntie Anne’s and Postmates, Marriott, and Proxama and Ubiquitous.

Street Fight Daily: Shopify Seizes on Facebook Updates, 56% of Millennials Expect Same-Day Shipping

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Shopify Opens Door for More Shopping on Facebook (Marketing Land)… If You Don’t Offer Same-Day Shipping, You’re Pissing Off 56 Percent of Millennials (Recode)… The Web-Tracking Tipping Point (TechCrunch)…

Getting Real: What SMBs Can Realistically Expect from Social Media

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Small business owners don’t sign up with digital agencies for mediocre results. When SMBs pay for hyperlocal services like social media management, they expect to be wowed. For hyperlocal vendors working with SMB clients, failing to set clear expectations is a recipe for disaster.

Locable Zeroes in on Marketing Solutions for Digitally Challenged Merchants

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There are 28 million small businesses in America, and Locable considers all of them candidates for its expanded “Main Street for the 21st Century” marketing services. Now Locable is reaching out to those millions of small businesses through its IMPACT Marketing Suite. We caught up with Locable founder and CEO Brian Ostrovsky to talk about his new initiative.

Sponsored Content: With Banks, There’s a Brand Battle on Every Corner

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This month’s Brand Battle, in conjunction with Brandify, compares the local-social engagement strategies of two of the U.S.’ largest banks: Bank of America and Chase. The contest was close on several counts, but Chase emerged as the winner, with social engagement the determining factor in this matchup.

Street Fight Daily: Google Goes After Robocallers in SEO Lawsuit, Apple Acquires Mapsense

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Files Suit Against SEO Firm Accused of Robocalling, Launches Complaint Center for Users (Search Engine Land)… Apple Acquires Mapsense, a Mapping Visualization Startup (Recode)… Amazon’s Prime Now Expands to L.A., Ramps Up for SoCal Grocery Deliveries (TechCrunch)…

Estimote’s Cheney: Beacons Will Solve Online-to-Offline Attribution

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There’s never been a good way to attribute the actions consumers take in the physical world to what they do online. Beacons are the answer to the attribution loop problem, said Estimote co-founder Steve Cheney.

How the Marketing of SMB Marketing Services is Evolving

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The marketing of digital marketing services was once built on guarantees of leads, new customers, clicks, and the like. But when it comes to promoting small and medium-sized business (SMB) marketing products and solutions, the rhetoric and tactics have shifted. The new direction is more consultative and driven by content.

Street Fight Daily: Postmates’ Walgreens Partnership, Twitter and Square’s Election Collab

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… You Can Now Get Your Prescriptions Delivered to You Within an Hour from Walgreens (Business Insider)… Twitter Courts U.S. Presidential Campaigns with New Donations Service (Wall Street Journal)… Why Ad Blocking Is Good News for Almost Everyone (Ad Age)…

Executive Survey: What’s Hot and What’s Not in the Connected Local Economy

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Preliminary results from our forthcoming executive survey suggest that industry players are investing the most in mobile, followed by data and analytics. Respondents indicated that mobile marketing and managing company websites were the biggest challenges for local merchants, along with SEO and listings management. More complete survey results will be revealed at our upcoming Street Fight Summit in New York City.