News and Analysis

Facebook Has a New Mission That Just May Benefit Local Publishers

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Facebook doesn’t call itself a technology company anymore. “It’s a “new kind of platform,” says founder Mark Zuckerberg. But I think the world – in particular local news publishers — should forget the semantics and focus instead on what Facebook is actually doing.

Street Fight Daily: Users Stand by Uber Despite Scandals, FTC Clears Amazon-Whole Foods Deal

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Despite the Drama, Uber Reports Strong User Growth and Financial Outlook… Amazon’s Whole Foods Deal Clears Last Two Major Hurdles… Paid-Search Advertising Still Outranks Social in Performance…

Hiya and Samsung Turn the Phone Dialer Into a Local Search Engine

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“When you buy a new Samsung device, the phone just does more than the iPhone or any other Android,” says Mayur Kamat, Hiya’s VP of product. “Without downloading or installing anything, the user can call a business in the same way they call their friends and family.”

Latest Posts

Poll: 93% of Respondents Check Reviews Before Dining or Shopping

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A majority of American consumers check online reviews before shopping or dining at a local business, according to a recent Street Fight poll. The three-question poll of 200 U.S. consumers points to a customer base heavily reliant on local reviews sites, particularly among the crucial 18-34 age demographic marketers everywhere covet.

Street Fight Daily: LivingSocial Partners With Starbucks, Hibu Sinks

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Yellow Pages Publisher Sinks as Creditors Circle (The Guardian)… As Starbucks Runs a Deal With LivingSocial, Groupon Stock Touches a New Low (All Things D)… What Restaurants Know (About You) (New York Times)…

Reputation Management: Making the Connection with Small Businesses

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Now that everyone has a timeline of online activities going back several years — one that family members, prospective employers, and potential life partners are looking at and judging us by — we have all become public figures to an extent, and at the same time we’ve had to transform ourselves into hall monitors of our own online activities. So why hasn’t reputation management become a de facto part of every small business marketing plan?

5 Scheduling Platforms With Rewards Program Integration

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By integrating existing scheduling platforms and with newer rewards programs, businesses can use the information they already have at their fingertips to increase customer loyalty, decrease client drop-off rates, and promote continued engagement at their establishments. Here are five integrated scheduling platforms and loyalty programs that small businesses can try…

SFD: Reviews Impact Business, Groupon Execs Back Competitor

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.How Online Reviews are Crucial to a Restaurant’s Takings (The Guardian)… Awkward Belly Dance for Groupon (Wall Street Journal)… Patch Losses Communications Direct Janine Iamunno (Romenesko)…

Movers & Shakers at Gilt City, Foursquare, Maine Today, Quoin

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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 — like Sarah Chubb (pictured) leaving Condé Nast Digital to join Gilt City. Plus: job openings at Yext, TripAdvisor, Telenav, and Red Bricks Media.

PODCAST: This Week in Location-Based Marketing — Discover, LevelUp

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In this week’s episode, hosts Rob Woodbridge and Asif Khan discuss Twitter’s shut door on developers; everyone and their mother joins the In-Location Alliance; and Paypal jumps on the Discover bus. Plus the usual funding and M&A activity, our resource of the week and special guest Michael Hagan, COO LevelUp.

SFD: Groupon’s New App, Amazon Snubs Google Maps

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Groupon’s New App Hints At A Change In Course (Fast Company)… Amazon Teams with Nokia, Snubs Google for Maps (Reuters)… Facebook to Allow Targeting by Telephone Number? (Screenwerk)…

Block-by-Blockers Respond to Borrell’s Revenue Prescription

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“People are beginning to figure out that the display advertising model is a bad carryover from mass media,” says Gordon Borrell. “What does that mean for the future of hyperlocal websites? I think there’s value in them, but I honestly don’t think there’s enough value to sustain the business model in any single market beyond being a very small niche.”

How Real Estate Agents Are Using LBS to Connect Buyers and Sellers

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Real estate has always been about “location, location, location,” but that maxim is truer now than ever. Mobile apps and location-based services are increasingly becoming an important part of a real estate agent’s marketing arsenal, and an important part of the way prospective buyers find places to live…