News and Analysis

Nashville Publisher’s Goal From Facebook Journalism Project: More Revenue

After considerable agitation from news publishers, Facebook launched a Journalism Project earlier this year “to better support publishers’ needs.” A six-month update said the Journalism Project has met with 2,500 publishers around the world to get their stories (and, no doubt, grievances) first hand and offer help with an array of Facebook products.

Street Fight Daily: Advertisers Return to YouTube, Shopify Launches Square Rival

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Months Removed from Brand Safety Boycott, YouTube Wins Over Advertisers Again… Shopify Launches New Card Reader to Compete with Square… Facebook Changes the News Feed to Reward Fast-Loading Sites…

SMB Index: July Was a Banner Month for Local Stocks

July 2017 was a strong month for the SCP SMB Index which gained 4.6% versus the other benchmark indices we track. The SCP SMB Index also outperformed all other indices on a total returns basis, now up 33.2% since Jan 4, 2016.

Latest Posts

Helping SMBs Understand the Importance of Social Marketing

Most small businesses are still stuck in the Golden Age of Advertising, and don’t understand the concepts behind this marketing sea change. They see a brand new industry full of hundreds of startup companies babbling about seemingly identical solutions to a marketing methodology they can’t quite grasp. Here are three simple concepts SMBs need to understand about social marketing…

6 POS Systems With Loyalty Program Integration

With an increasing number of cloud-based point-of-sale systems now offering their own loyalty tools — and some offering integration with existing rewards programs — merchants have fewer and fewer reasons to pay for separate software systems when managing their small to mid-size businesses. Here are six point-of-sale systems that merchants can use to market their businesses and encourage repeat visits…

Street Fight Daily: Patch Numbers Up, TBD Loses Final Employee

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology...

Patch Sets Records for Traffic and Revenue (FishbowlNY)…

TBD Loses Its Last Employee (Washington City Paper)…

PlaceIQ, Skyhook Using Location for Brand-Audience Targeting (ScreenWerk)…

Investment Newsletter Sees Data Loop Closing, M&A Levels up 186%

The June issue takes a look at content economics issues in hyperlocal on the heels of Tribune’s deal with Journatic; evaluates the rush to self-serve by giants like Google and Facebook; the point-of-sale heat; and unpacks the M&A and investment activity in the month of May. Read excerpts from the issue.

CityMaps Expands to Boston, Continues Move Toward Customization

Even before CityMaps expanded from a Web-only beta to mobile in mid-March, developers behind the social maps provider expressed a desire to excel not only in search, but also browsing. With the updated website and version 2.0 of its iOS application released earlier this morning, the company has continued toward that goal, adding featured maps, new Discovery Bar functions and mobile directional navigation…

Can Local Save Mobile Ads?

Oversupply of ad inventory on mobile could lead to the kind of runaway commoditization of display ads that developed on desktop over the past decade. The result: tanking CPMs. So how do we avoid that in mobile?

What Hyperlocal Publishers Need to Know About Accepting Political Ads

As the fall elections approach, hyperlocal publishers must ensure they comply with federal regulations that govern political advertisements. Most political advertisements must include some form of a disclaimer explaining who paid for the ad and whether it was approved by a candidate…

Street Fight Daily: Foursquare’s Revamp, Loyalty Programs

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology...

Foursquare Looks to Shift From Gaming Novelty to Essential Tool (Adweek)…

Hyperlocal Journalism Fosters a Greater Sense of Community Among Readers (Guardian)…

Media Companies Poised for Deals Growth (NetNewsCheck)…

Local Businesses Plot Expansion Via Crowdfunding

Even before the passage of the JOBS Act in early April, SMBs across the country were increasingly turning toward crowdfunding websites such as Indiegogo to facilitate expansion. Now, with the law on the books and pressure on the SEC to finalize regulations around it in the next seven months, some foresee crowdfunding, not venture capital, grants or loans, as the next innovative way to stimulate local business and job creation…

Tackable Team Introduces New Hyperlocal App to Crowdsource Events

With Eventster, the developers at Tackable are hedging their bets on the belief that events discovery, not a down economy or general apathy, is the main reason why approximately 40 percent of industry tickets go unsold. To more effectively target users, the application will, over time, recommend events based on past preferences, in addition to location.