News and Analysis
Street Fight Daily: Duopoly Dominance Declines, Macy’s Rolls Out AR & Mobile Checkout
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… The Duopoly’s Share of the Ad Market Could Decline for the First Time… Demonstrating Where Retailers Are Going, Macy’s Rolls Out Mobile Checkout & AR Feature… The Cambridge Analytica Scandal Won’t Stop Advertisers from Spending on Facebook..
Commentary
Deep Data and the Semantics of Local
In the case of local search, there is no prevailing reason beyond lack of attention to prevent the industry from doing a better job of serving the full range of consumer needs. For the time being, industry attention is still directed in a self-fulfilling way toward the activities that have always received attention. This is the safe bet, but safe bets don’t lead to progress…
Aligning Creative and Location to Make Better Mobile Ads
The ability to break creative down to where the consumer is interacting with location is already emerging as the next big trend for mobile marketing. Hand selecting where you want your creative to reach your customer makes a lot of sense — and the more you make it common practice, the more successful your mobile marketing efforts will be…
Why Online Marketers Are Rethinking Their Yelp Strategy
Merchants have historically been wary of Yelp reviews — and for good reason. Yelpers have tended to be snarky and more focused on humor than accuracy. But there are changes coming at the end of 2012 that are likely to make many marketing pros reevaluate their relationship to the user-generated reviews site…
Latest Posts
AOL’s Armstrong: ‘We’re Not Giving Up on Patch’
Aol’s tenure as Patch’s sole owner may be over, but Tim Armstrong, the company’s chief executive, is not giving up on the hyperlocal network just yet. During an interview on CNBC Thursday morning, Armstrong said that the company has retained a significant stake in Patch and called reports that the company “jettisoned” the struggling property to Hale Global incorrect…
One Model for Successful Hyperlocal News: Break the Rules
StuNewsLaguna has become a success in its sunset-renowned coastal community in Orange County, Calif., by ignoring and even violating some of the “best practices” of hyperlocal journalism, and paying no heed to the people-don’t-care-about-local-news critics. Shaena Stabler, the 28-year-old co-owner with founder and veteran Orange County journalist Stu Saffer, explains how she and Saffer are making StuNews succeed…
Street Fight Daily: Andreessen Bearish on Local News, Google Bets on Location-based Gaming
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.… Marc Andreessen: The ‘Problem with Local News is Most People Don’t Care’ (Poynter)… Google: Location-based Gaming as Popular as Virtual Reality in 10 Years (Polygon)… Will Facebook Build a Stand-Alone Local Search App? (Screenwerk)…
In Yelp Earnings, No Sign of the ‘Mobile Gap’
Yelp posted stronger than expected earnings on Thursday, sending shares up nearly 10% in after hours trading — a fitting coda to a banner year for the firm on Wall Street. Shares of Yelp more than tripled in 2013, driven in part by rapid international expansion, a burgeoning local ad market in the U.S., and well-received strategic initiatives…
As Offline Purchase Data Comes Online, Changes in Store for Local Marketing
If exchange is the purpose of a marketplace, transaction data — information about who bought what from whom, and for how much — is its pulse. With 90% of transactions occurring offline, the growth of connected payments, and the subsequent ability for businesses and consumers to understand who’s buying what in the real-world, has deep implications not only for the local marketplace, but for the wider digital economy as well….
Street Fight Daily: Microsoft Invests in Foursquare, Target Turns to Chip and Pin
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.… Foursquare Teams With Microsoft for Dollars and Data (Wall Street Journal)… Target Vows to Speed Anti-Fraud Technology (New York Times)… Satya Nadella: Our SMB ‘Ringer’ at Microsoft (Local Onliner)…
An Opportunity for Mobile in the Middle of the Marketing Funnel
The mobile industry has struggled to find its place in a crowded marketing landscape, sandwiched between an entrenched television industry, which controls billions in branding dollars, and a formative paid search sector that dominates the ready-to-buy consumer. But Michael Hayes, the executive in charge of turning UberMedia into a profitable business, believes that the mobile industry could find its sweet spot selling to consumers in the middle…
Consolidation Watch — Where to Look for Deals in Local Tech
The first half of 2013 saw total investment activity, which includes both M&A and private financing, grow from a year earlier, as the number of deals stayed flat but total reported deal value jumped from $5.2 billion to $7.2 billion over the same period. Expect to see more deals — both large and small — in the local space as big firms search for a foothold in the industry and host of maturing startups look for the exit…
Street Fight Daily: FoodPanda Raises $20M, Millennials Drive Mobile Bookings
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.… Foodpanda Gobbles Up $20M In Fresh Funding To Fatten Its Global Pawprint (TechCrunch)… How User Reviews Are Gutting Brands (MediaPost)… Last-Minute Millennials Drive Mobile Bookings, So Make it Easy (Skift)…
Is Guest Blogging Dead? Focus on These Link Building Strategies Instead
While guest blogging used to be a respected link building practice – and still might be okay in some instances – it is now often considered a violation of Google’s quality guidelines. And in the future, Google could penalize websites that accept guest posts if Google believes the business is attempting to gain links without truly earning them. Instead of placing all of your eggs in the guest blogging basket, it is best to focus on authentic link building. Here’s how…
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