News and Analysis
6 Lead-Generation Platforms for Local Businesses
More than a quarter of consumers say they use the internet to find local businesses every day, and yet a whopping 29% of small businesses still don’t have websites. Here are six examples of lead-generation platforms that small businesses are using right now.
GMB App Adds Support for Service-Area Businesses
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
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.
Commentary
Can Facebook Win Local?
Facebook is known universally for its social networking features, but the company has quietly but consistently been rolling out a set of tools to make it the go-to platform for SMBs. From social buy buttons, call functionality, and Pages to messaging and free beacons, Facebook is staking its claim to online, offline, and online-to-offline marketing and commerce for SMBs.
INFOGRAPHIC: The Complex SMB Marketing Ecosystem 2.0
As the head of digital strategy for a broadcaster operating local TV stations, Lorren Elkins has been challenged to clearly understand the digital marketing space from an SMB perspective. In response, he developed an interactive chart, now in its second iteration, to both enhance his own understanding and assist SMBs in identifying potential suppliers.
Online Reviews Providing Insights That Help Brands Compete
The evidence is in. Reviews on social media have a material impact on the capital investments made by nationwide brands. The key is strength in numbers: A national brand will be more likely to have the critical mass of reviews required in order to move beyond anecdotal evidence and glean statistically significant results.
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Yelp’s Struggles Continue, New App Bizibid Wants to Boost Local Economies
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yelp Traffic Could Decline for the First Time Ever After Google Changed its Search Algorithm (Business Insider)… What Would Happen If Uber, Priceline, and Craigslist Had a Baby? (New York Observer)… Microsoft’s Tossup App Makes it Easier to Meet Your Friends for Lunch (The Verge)…
What Merchants Need to Know About Apple Pay and Loyalty Apps
Having provided a window into the future of Apple Pay and Wallet, Apple recently left small businesses wondering about how to adapt their mobile strategies to stay competitive. Here’s how the changes could affect merchants.
Local News Sites Need More Than Funding — They Need Vision
Community news vet Steven Waldman has produced “Report for America,” a brisk blueprint to save what he calls “civically important” news. But if publishers are really going to save local news, they should work on deepening their focus on the demographic shifts in their communities…
Street Fight Daily: Buy Buttons’ Impact, 7-Eleven Launches One-Hour Delivery
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… New, Simple ‘Buy’ Buttons Aim to Entice Mobile Shoppers (New York Times)… Twitter Introduces New Audience Insights for Brands (Twitter)… 7-Eleven Launches One-Hour Delivery in US (RetailWeek)…
Street Fight Daily: Yelp Sale Stalls, Twitter’s New Ads Button
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yelp Sale Process to Stall as Founder Decides to Wait (Bloomberg)… Twitter Pushes Ads With A New Button Atop Mobile Users’ Profiles (TechCrunch)… An Argument that Newspapers are Missing Out on Reaching Loyal, Local Digital Audiences (NiemanLab)…
Square Launches Payroll, Expanding Suite of Services for Small Businesses
As part of its push to become a comprehensive platform for small businesses, Square has launched a new payroll management service. The product is targeted particularly at SMBs that pay employees on an hourly basis, but it can also be used for those that have salaried staff.
Openings & New Hires at Lyft, Yext, Twitter, Uber, Invoca & more
In this week’s column, Twitter sees more high-level departures; Yext brings on a CMO from Salesforce; Lyft acquihires; Uber gets Bing employees; Invoca names a new CEO; and more. Find out what’s behind the moves…
LBMA Podcast: PayPal and Uber, Foursquare’s Mayor Mea Culpa
On the show: tools, services and technologies that will make your summer vacation better – no babysitting included. Stories about: Google Photos; the KeepTrax app; Google’s Sidewalk Labs; Trending places on Instagram; Samsung’s safety truck; and the Space Case 1
Street Fight Daily: PayPal Acquires Xoom, ReachLocal Could Extend Yahoo Partnership
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… ReachLocal In Talks To Extend Yahoo Partnership Into Gemini Native Ads (Search Marketing Daily)… Zozi Raises $30 Million in Financing (New York Times)… Google Highlights Low Prices, Mimicking Amazon (Wall Street Journal)…
Labor Issues Aren’t the Only Hazard in Uber’s Business Model
Uber-for-X innovators and investors be warned: several elements of Uber’s market inoculated it against three hazards associated with the single service model: Trigger Infrequency, Customer Loyalty, and Market Density.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem