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Howard Owens on What It Takes to Sustain a Hyperlocal News Site
“If there’s any clear message, it’s what I’ve been saying for the past four or five years: Starting and running a local news site is hard work,” says the Batavian editor and publisher. “You need a good model, a solid plan, the ability to work long hours and handle multiple disciplines and stick with it for years and years with no promise of ever striking it rich. If you can do that, you’re on the right track.”
TIMELINE: Two Years in Hyperlocal
On the occasion of our second anniversary, we took a look at the events in hyperlocal since we launched in 2011. Then: All Groupon all the time. Now: Not so much. The evolution of the hyperlocal landscape charts the same path as any new industry, beginning with the pioneers who take risks to prove a model; replications on the idea; consolidation and contraction; entrenchment of the ideas and business models; and legacy companies who buy or build their way in. 2013: Still the wild west, and what a great frontier it is.
On the Web (Especially in Local), Personal Branding Is Everything
Where media companies see themselves as unique, the Web sees, well, sameness. The pureplay companies have found ways to exploit that, while local companies — especially media — dismiss all that effort as irrelevant. To be a brand in the network is to behave unlike a brand and instead like a person. This is the secret to a strategic move into a world of connected human beings…
Street Fight Daily: SMBs Skeptical of Social, Crowdfunding Hyperlocal
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Survey: 61% of SMBs Say No ROI from Social (Screenwerk)… How Joey Coleman Crowdfunded His Work as a Hyperlocal Reporter (GigaOm)… Facebook Is Said to Hire Apple Maps Executive Amid Mobile Push (Bloomberg)…
Why Broadcasters Need to Embrace Digital Hyperlocal
There are lots of hyperlocal marketing opportunities are being missed daily by traditional broadcast media. This isn’t because stations don’t want the revenue — it’s because they are so understaffed and under-funded, it’s simply difficult to devote resources to learning new technologies. But this may be exactly the right time to start investing their (very small) resources to upgrade mobile apps and improve online capabilities to tap hyperlocal dollars…
CityGrid CEO: Passive Location Data Will Be ‘Transformative’ for Hyperlocal
In May 2011, Street Fight spoke with Jay Herrati, the former CEO of CityGrid, about the fragmented nature of the local online advertising marketplace and the future of the then-exploding Groupon. Recently, we caught up with Jason Finger, Herrati’s replacement, to discuss some surprises over the past two years and the coming “verticalization” of the hyperlocal industry…
Street Fight Daily: Waze’s Advantage, Location Data Drives Mobile Ads
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… As Mapping Costs Rise, Waze’s Volunteer Army Will Give It an Edge (AllThingsD)… Location Information to Make Mobile Ads More Valuable (CNET)… Foursquare Needs Check-ins to Build Strong Local Search Engine (Mobile Marketer)…
Street Fight at Two: Looking Back, Looking Forward
When we first launched Street Fight in April of 2011, we saw a lot of energy coming together around consumer targeting by location, and over he past two years we’ve seen many companies in the hyperlocal space really starting to gain traction. We’ve really enjoyed the ride so far and we look forward to bringing you even more of the latest news, research and community around hyperlocal business in the coming years…
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