News and Analysis
Local Search Association Announces New President, Bill Dinan
The Local Search Association, which brings together over 300 companies intent on connecting enterprises and small businesses alike with consumers, announced on Wednesday morning Bill Dinan as its new president. The announcement follows the retirement of its previous president Neg Norton, who held the role for 15 years.
Walmart Mulls a Run at the Digital Ad Business
With reports percolating about Amazon’s increasingly clear emergence as a third party to Google and Facebook’s dominance of the digital ad market, the e-commerce behemoth’s old-school counterpart is reportedly taking a look at the action itself.
Marin Q4 Advertising Report Shows eCommerce Ads Skyrocketing, Instagram and Search Growth Strong
Digital marketing software firm Marin Software has released its Q4 advertising report, which points to major trends in social, search, and e-commerce. Instagram is taking on an increasingly central role in Facebook’s main business, e-commerce ads are booming YOY, and search remains fundamental to digital advertising, the report shows.
Commentary
Lessons Learned in the Email Marketing Wars About ‘Selling to SMBs’
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?
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.
How Data Is Poised to Significantly Transform Local Marketing
It is becoming clear that this is the year when our industry effectively leverages data integration across the marketing ecosystem. One significant aspect of this industry evolution is the injection of physical-world data with other data sets, as well as mobile. Mobile data is the glue that connects all data with the broader ecosystem.
Latest Posts
Estimote’s Cheney: Beacons Will Solve Online-to-Offline Attribution
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
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
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
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.
Case Study: Virginia Plumber Records Calls for Improved Customer Service
Social media, search engines, and local review sites can all generate attention for businesses in the home services industry, but when it comes to actually making sales and closing deals, nothing beats the effectiveness of a good old-fashioned telephone call. “Listening to how my associates communicate with clients is important,” says All Plumbing’s Kabir Shafi.
Street Fight Daily: Stripe’s New Mobile Commerce Tool, Can Google Keep Up With Changes in Search?
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Stripe Introduces New Tools to Simplify Mobile Shopping (New York Times)… Google Gears Up for Search Shift to Mobile and Vertical (Ad Age)… Etsy Opens To Manufacturing (TechCrunch)…
With iOS 9 Release, Local Businesses Should Care ‘Deeply’ About Apple Maps
Most local businesses and search marketers have focused primarily on their visibility within Google Maps. With Apple’s iOS 9 now available, it’s time they focused their attention on Apple Maps as well. Businesses that don’t may soon fall behind competitors.
How SMBs Can Boost Their Online Reviews Without Breaking the Bank
Online reviews play an increasingly important role in helping local businesses stand out from the competition. But getting that strong rating on Yelp – or TripAdvisor, Google Plus, or Foursquare – requires a concerted effort on the part of the local business and its marketing partners. Here are some steps that can help earn a few more five-star votes.
Street Fight Daily: Facebook’s Sandberg on SMBs, Etsy Will Try Same-Day Delivery
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Sheryl Sandberg: Facebook Pages Are Mobile Presence for Small Businesses (Wall Street Journal)… Etsy Will Test Same-Day Delivery Option in New York City (Recode)… Google, Twitter, and Publishers Seek Faster Web (New York Times)…
Openings and New Hires at Angie’s List, Yext, and Retailigence
Every two weeks, Geoff Michener covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. In this week’s column, Angie’s List names a new CEO, Retailigence gets a new CRO, and Dallas Morning News nabs a managing editor from Pew Research Center.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem