Commentary
As Digital Ascends, Is Legacy Media Becoming a ‘Sinkhole’ for Marketers?
One of the most insightful studies released this year by Boston Consulting Group found that the 23 million small businesses in the U.S. allocate only 3% of their advertising spend to digital. Larger companies spend more, but digital still comprises only 15% of their marketing budgets. Meanwhile, it’s clear that the effectiveness of digital media has surpassed that of legacy — and it’s no longer even close. So marketers are spending the vast majority of their budgets on media that consumers are no longer engaging with…
How Reviews and Ratings are Driving Local Search
Despite the tremendous amount of press we have seen on fake reviews, ongoing interest in reviews by consumers and local search providers make it clear that these services aren’t going away. As platforms give reviews more importance and improve their ability to filter out fake ones — and government officials crack down on dishonest practices — consumer trust and use of reviews can only be expected to grow. This trend will continue to increase the impact they have on local businesses…
Finding the Balance Between Relevance and Reach in SMB Content
It’s simple enough to say that creating great content or a great platform should be enough to bring users to your door; but if they have no idea you exist, getting the word out effectively is both a matter of reaching your intended user base and staying within the confines of an algorithmically defined concept of quality content. For small and medium-sized businesses, the challenge is to be present and available to customers and potential customers in multiple online venues in a way that conserves effort while remaining effective…
Latest Posts
Wooing Restuarants, Retail Software Startup LightSpeed Buys POSIOS
Point-of-sale startup Lightspeed said Wednesday it has purchased a belgian competitor, POSIOS, to help the firm enter the food service vertical and expand internationally. The deal underscores the potential for consolidation within a small business software segment that has seen an intense influx of capital and redrawing of product lines…
Street Fight Daily: Apple Opens Listings, Yelp Adds Hotel Bookings
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…… Apple Launches “Maps Connect,” Self-Service Local Listings Portal (Search Engine Land)… Yelp Leaps Into Hotel Bookings With New Hipmunk Partnership (Skift)… Uber Drivers Across The Country Are Protesting Today — Here’s Why (Business Insider)…
Gannett Papers Evolve to Avoid Becoming Publishing’s ‘Buggy Whips’
In the news media’s digitally focused 21st century, newspapers are often dismissed as an “industrial-age” product. But it’s not clear that they’ll become what whale oil was to the 19th century’s petroleum . For a macro-look at how this is playing out at Gannett, we caught up with the media giant’s SVP for News, Kate Marymont…
Making the Case for Ambient Services (Again)
The excitement around ambient services has faded as Highlight and others have failed to gain traction. But in many ways the ambient services that failed in 2011 and 2013 are poised for a comeback. Within the next few years, the technology will be in place to make these long sought-after scenarios a reality…
Street Fight Daily: Search’s Mobile Problem, Square Eyes Back-Office
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… First Half Ad Revenue: Search Dominates PC Ads But Not Mobile (Search Engine Land)… Square Testing New Payroll Product as Ambition Grows (Recode)… Gannett Earnings Strong, But Publishing Revenues Continue A Steep Slide (Poynter)…
Six Months After Spin-Off, Gimbal Continues to Grow
It’s been a busy few months for Gimbal, the beacon company formerly owned by Qualcomm. After being spun off from the tech giant in May, the company went on a hiring spree, bringing its team to more than 30 employees. Then earlier this month, the company entered into its first big partnership with push notification company Urban Airship…
Street Fight Daily: Foursquare’s First Brand Campaign, Apple Pay Arrives
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Foursquare’s First Brand Campaign Takes a Foodie Approach (AdWeek)… Google Releases Penguin 3.0 — First Penguin Update In Over A Year (Search Engine Land)… Square Encircled as Apple, PayPal Aim for Mobile Payments (Businessweek)…
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