News and Analysis
After Nearly Two Years in the Hot Seat, Facebook Feels the Burn
In its Q2 earnings report, the social giant reported that growth has stalled in the United States and Canada, its most valuable markets. And its overall user growth for the quarter of just 22 million users is the smallest jump since 2011, indicating that a slowdown in revenue growth will likely prove a long-term challenge in the years ahead.
How Hospitality Brands Capitalize on Summertime Social Trends
Social is becoming an increasingly popular channel for research and an important resource for word-of-mouth recommendations, with 67% of consumers saying that at least half of their searches result in a visit to a business, according to a 2017 survey by ReviewTrackers.
Report: E-Commerce Sites Must Fend Off Looming Challenge from Social Platforms
The opportunity is ripe for social platforms with the right transactional infrastructure and e-commerce sites with a proper slate of marketing functions to cross into the conventional territory of the other, a new report from video marketing firm Magisto indicates. If e-commerce sites do not go beyond transactions to offer their vendors marketing possibilities, they may lose the market on transactions altogether.
Commentary
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…
Is Variable Product Pricing the Next Horizon in Local Advertising?
Proximity-related factors enable predictive modeling around transaction probability. That can then be plugged into an equation to determine price sensitivity or elasticity on an individual level. What discount will get your attention? From there, it’s a matter of variable pricing to customers that are new, repeat, faraway, nearby on foot versus driving by at 60 mph, and so on. And that’s the key: though we have time-based variable pricing (a la airlines), proximity-based personalized pricing is the next phase.
Latest Posts
New Report Details Emerging Approach to Personalization on Mobile
A new white paper from Street Fight Insights offers a step-by-step introduction to the contextualization, an emerging technique aimed at merging the learnings of personalization on the web with mobility. The report, sponsored by Artisan Mobile, details the opportunities and implications of the technology for a range of industries from consumer packaged goods to brick-and-mortar retail…
Exit Interview: Thinknear Founder Eli Portnoy Leaves Telenav
Two years after Telenav acquired Thinknear, the startup’s founder Eli Portnoy has left the company. We caught up with Portnoy to talk about some of the surprises in the mobile advertising industry over the past few years, whether location merits its own sandbox, and how his views about the small businesses market have evolved…
Alignable Growing a Social Network for Small Businesses
Founded by the co-founders of Constant Contact and Invisalign, Alignable allows small businesses owners to share information, ask questions, and seek answers from other merchants nearby and business owners in similar industries across the country. Think Nextdoor — but with worried store owners instead of overbearing parents.
Street Fight Daily: Local’s SEO Bible, Google Eyes Delivery
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…… Local SEO Bible: The 2014 Local Search Ranking Factors (LocalSearchInsider)… Google Adopts Delivery-Service Model, Targets Amazon (Nasdaq)… Retailers Pin Hopes on Holidays After Sluggish Summer Sales (AdAge)…
Why comScore Wants to Measure the Real World
Earlier this week, Comscore announced a new partnership with Datalogix, the payment data startup that has already inked deals with Facebook and Twitter. Street Fight caught up with Comscore’s Andrew Lipsman to discuss the developments that opened the door for offline attribution and whether ApplePay will make a difference for the company…
Openings and New Hires at Lee, ShopKeep, Yext and SalesPredict
Every two weeks, Search Influence’s Kelly Benish — who knows practically everyone in hyperlocal — covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. In this week’s edition, new jobs and hires at Flint, Telmetrics, Sonata, Happenings Media, and Placed…
LBMA Podcast: Urban Airship and Beacons, MapQuest Commutes
On the show: Urban Airship and Gimbal cozy up to beacons; MoPub and Juice Mobile team up; Estimote maps the indoors; AirPatrol secures two patents; xAd teams with Captivate Networks; and special guest is SchneiderMike from Skyhook Wireless…
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Opens A Store, Google Rolls Back Pigeon?
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon to Open First Physical Store in Manhattan (CNBC)… Pigeon Rolled Back? Law Firm Study Says Yes (SearchEngineLand)… Supply-Side Challenges Of The On-Demand Economy (TechCrunch)…
Mike Shapiro’s TAP Gets New Branding and a Network Strategy
The six-year-old Alternative Press (TAP) network of community news sites in suburban New Jersey and Pennsylvania has a new name — TAPinto.net — and a new look. It also has a new strategy aimed at leveraging content and audience reach across TAPinto’s sites, 32 of which are franchisees…
Poncho, a Weather App That Speaks for Itself
The year-old company only has six full-time employees, but it has accrued “tens of thousands of subscribers” due in part to word of mouth and an effective referral program. And according to the founder of Poncho, Kuan Huang, that user base is engaged, with an email open rate of 50%…
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem