Patch Redesign Emphasizes Social as Path to Revenue Growth
AOL’s hyperlocal news network released a major redesign Sunday evening, pushing the platform away from a traditional editorial news property and into a more social, user-driven service. The move marks the beginning of what AOL CEO Tim Armstrong called “phase two” in the company’s evolution…
Street Fight Daily: Hyperlocals at Financial Precipice, Rethinking the ‘Patch Experiment’
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… At Precipice, Hyperlocals Face Financial Realities (NetNewsCheck)… The Patch experiment: Don’t drink the Kool-Aid (Amy Jo Brown)… The Mobile/Social/Local/Cloud Land Grab Is Over (TechCrunch)…
Who’s Coming and Going at Groupon, Delivery.com, LocalVox, YP & more
Big changes at Delivery.com with several new members of the management team; a new head of marketing at LocalVox; Groupon brings on an executive to focus on accounting from the C-level; and lots of jobs on offer in sales, marketing and business development at Foursquare, Patch, LocalVox, Factual, Apple and more.
Street Fight Daily: JRC Declares Bankruptcy, OpenTable’s Reviews
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Journal Register Co. Declares Bankruptcy… Again: Is This the Industry’s First Real Reboot? (Neiman Journalism Lab)… OpenTable’s hidden stash of restaurant reviews (Venture Beat)… Hyperlocal & Mobile Data Demystified (Media Post)…
SFD: Reviews Impact Business, Groupon Execs Back Competitor
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)…
Hyperlocal Investment Report Debuts Stock Index, Sees Dip in Valuations
Hyperlocal stock performance was largely on an upward trend July, according to the Hyperlocal Stock Index which debuts in the latest issue of Street Fight’s monthly investment newsletter. The greatest gains were made by DexOne, ReachLocal and AOL, while Groupon and Facebook suffered staggering losses, and Angie’s List failed to reverse its downward trend.
Street Fight Daily: Gilt City Rebounds, Trulia Files for IPO
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… Gilt Groupe Will Distribute Local Deals Through MasterCard (All Things D)… Real Estate Listings Firm Trulia Quietly Files for IPO-sources (Reuters)… The Newsonomics of Amazon vs. Main Street (Nieman Lab)…
With Patch Revenue Up 100% in Q2, Armstrong Hints at ‘Second Phase’
The hyperlocal network’s traffic is growing at “double-digit rates,” according to AOL’s second quarter earnings report. Patch is also gearing up for what AOL CEO Tim Armstrong calls, “phase two” of its product roadmap, which will focus on adding the ability for “high-level community involvement in a very precise way on the Patch platform.”
Ex-Patch EIC: Journatic Illustrates Cost/Quality Issue in Hyperlocal
If I were to prescribe Journatic a fix for this recent ailment (beyond, you know, not faking bylines anymore), it would be to show a real investment in journalism, in all senses of that word. We get that you’re “-atic” — cost savvy and operationally slick. How bout showing everyone you can also be “Journo”, and slow down and do some meaningful work? It might be money well spent…
Street Fight’s 5 Most Popular Stories From the First Half of 2012
The first six months of 2012 have brought a lot of interesting developments in the world of Street Fight — from the publication of our first research report, to our second major industry conference, to the launch of our monthly Hyperlocal Investment Report newsletter and our new job listings board. With the first half of the year in the bag, here’s a look back at the top Street Fight stories (at least in terms of traffic) so far this year…
Street Fight Daily: Twitter’s Mobile Success, Foursquare Apps
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.
… Twitter’s Mobile Ads Begin to Click (WSJ)… Foursquare now includes other apps inside its own, adding context to your location (The Next Web)… Tim Armstrong Reportedly Asked An Old Friend To Save Patch, And He Said No (SAI)…
Street Fight Daily: Google Now, ‘Times’ Debriefs on Hyperlocal
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… p style=”text-align: left;”>Google Now’s Personalized Search With Automated Results: Creepy Or The Future Of Search? (Fast Company)…
Five Things The New York Times Leaned From Its Three-Year Hyperlocal Experiment (Nieman Journalism Lab)…
Project Glass Is The Future Of Google (TechCrunch)…
Patch Local Editor is Having Fun (Romenesko)…
Street Fight Daily: NYT Ends ‘Local’ Experiment, Patch Pressure
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.… ‘Times’ Will End Partnerships with N.Y.U., CUNY on Hyperlocal Blogs (Capital New York)… Patch Puts Pressure on Local Editors (Romenesko) … Groupon China Venture To Merge With Tencent-Backed FTuan (Bloomberg)…
Street Fight Daily: Yelp Featured, Facebook Pulls Location-Aware App
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.…
Apple To Feature Yelp Check-Ins Within IPhone Maps App (Bloomberg)…
You Won’t Find Friends Nearby Anymore: Facebook Pulls Its Location-Aware Mobile App To Add New Friends (TechCrunch)…
An NJ Hyperlocal Net to Rival Patch, Literally (NetNewsCheck)…
Street Fight Daily: Living Social Flush, AOL at Juncture
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.…
LivingSocial Steers Clear of IPO (WSJ)…SOURCE: AOL Faces Brutal Choice On Patch — Close It Or Double Down (SAI)…TripAdvisor Relaunches Local Picks Facebook App, for Restaurant Tips from Friends and Locals (The Next Web)
Why Mobile Can’t ‘Save’ Local News
The only thing that saves local news is really good, unique local content and community allegiances that make it clear the news product is more than just a way to make money. The commitment has to be obvious. This is why a handful of mom-and-pop hyperlocal blogs have flourished as lucrative small businesses. And this is why the best growth at Patch is driven by the most committed local editors who weave themselves into the community fabric…
Street Fight Daily: Apple & Google Face Off, Patch Predicts Profit
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.
Apple and Google Go Head to Head Over Mobile Maps (NYT)
Patch’s Webster Predicts Profit in Late 2013 (Net News Check)
Here’s a Sign Merchants are Starting to Really Like Groupon (Yipit Blog)
Street Fight Daily: AOL Fends Off Starboard, ICANN Domains, Seamless
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology...
AOL Doubles Down On Content After Surviving Activist Challenge (Forbes)…
Why Newspapers Were Doomed All Along (Harvard Business Review Blog)…
Groupon Is Winning or Losing, Depending on Who You Ask (NBC Chicago Blog)…
Can Bloodied Patch Pull Off a Digital ‘Rocky’?
Patch could compete more effectively if adopted a community-faced news strategy. Instead of building a Ptolemaic news gathering universe in each community centered on one young, inexperienced, overwhelmed reporter-editor, it should set about recruiting regular reporter/contributors who know their communities inside and out…
Patch Content Chief: ‘We Don’t Go After Audience at the Expense of Excellence’
When Rachel Fishman Feddersen joined Patch as chief content officer in February, the former editorial director of digital content, strategy and design at The Parenting Group was tasked with honing and refining the vision behind AOL’s local news play. Feddersen spoke with Street Fight recently about the calculus behind Patch’s content mix, what kinds of stories go viral, and what the hyperlocal network is planning for ahead of the November elections…