News and Analysis
Street Fight Daily: Target Acquires Grand Junction, Lyft Has Capitalized On Uber’s Woes
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Target Acquires Transportation Company Grand Junction to Expand Same-Day Delivery… Lyft Focuses on Self-Driving Cars But Confirms It’s Gotten a Boost from Uber’s Troubles… Ad Institute Challenges Google and Facebook to Improve Measurement Standards…
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BxB Recap: Is This the Future of Local News?
The passion with the group at Block by Block isn’t just about great journalism — it’s about turning online journalism into a business; it’s about leveraging existing tools and creating new ones; and most importantly it’s about working to collaboratively across these businesses to make an impact…
Poll: 66% of Consumers Visit Hyperlocal News Sites
Two-thirds of U.S. consumers visit hyperlocal news sites within their area, according to a recent Street Fight poll, with 9% visiting multiple times per day, 26% visiting on a daily basis, and another 16% doing so weekly. The 500-person survey, conducted on behalf of Street Fight by third-party opinions site Toluna QuickSurveys, reveals an avid and growing reader base…
Street Fight Daily: Facebook Offers, Groupon Editor Exits
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Facebook Adds Barcodes, New Ad-Buy Rider To Its Offers Coupon Product (TechCrunch)… Groupon Loses Managing Editor to Sun-Times Parent Wrapports (Romenesko)… Trulia Stock Pops on Opening Day (Wired)…
Extracting Key Metrics to Make Your Hyperlocal Site More Valuable
“Quantitative” data — those UVs and PVs — work effectively for advertisers who want volume, Lofgren says, but most hyperlocals aren’t big enough to deliver multi-millions numbers in audience. “Qualitative” data, he says, tells you who your customers are — by their activity on the site, as it’s actually happening — or their identity, with information neatly served up from sign-up info. But it can tell much more if the publisher surveys a sampling of site visitors with multiple-choice questions…
Online Retailer Uses Daily Deals, Facebook Ads to Grow Business
When Anthony Bronzo was brought on to manage marketing and advertising for Born to Run, a Seattle-based athletic shoe retailer with two physical locations and a popular online store, he was tasked with finding new ways to reach the company’s core customers—active trail runners and CrossFit devotees. In his few short months on the job, Bronzo has managed to reach those customers using a combination of targeted ads on Facebook and Google AdWords, and by running daily deals with companies like Group Commerce and CBS Local…
Street Fight Daily: Groupon Pays Up, Yelp Shines in Apple Maps
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Groupon Promising Merchants “Lowest Cost” Payments Service (And It’s Using an iPhone) (All Things D)… You May Hate Apple Maps, But the Yelp Integration is Something to Love (Venture Beat)… How Better Location Data Could Mean More-targeted Mobile Ads (GigaOm)…
Report: 72% of SMBs Plan to Increase Mobile Spend in Next 12 Months
Much of the survey reinforces what we already know – namely, that location targeting is a big value driver for SMBs and web sales models like cost-per-click and cost per impression will not fly in a mobile environment. The survey conducted by Borrell Associates on behalf of Pontiflex also found that 46% of SMBs would be interested in a self-serve option for mobile advertising, which is good sign for the entire local marketing space…
Hyperlocal Sites Making a Church-and-State Mistake?
Hyperlocal news sites are struggling to earn money. In part, that’s because they have imposed the artificial burden of a full church-state separation (ads / news) like the New York Times and other top-flight pubs. In an ideal world, this separation works. But in small town papers or small papers covering hyperlocal areas, church and state will never be separate – and never have been.
Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels