Local publishers, seeing the boom in text messaging and the Web surfing capabilities of the iPhone, are taking mobile more seriously as a channel for their content and advertising. Clearly, the mobile opportunity for local publishers has now gone beyond banners, to embrace text messages, email, video and integration with the ad […]
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Local ‘Green’ Sites: Just Getting Up to Speed
October 30, 2008 – 8:39 pm
When we think of emerging local verticals, “green” is one of the most promising, as environmental concerns have pushed up the interest of consumers in having (1) safe, (2) healthy products with (3) minimal environmental impacts. MSN, Yahoo, Hearst and The Washington Post have each developed “green” guides.
But green has a ways to go. […]
Vast.com Adds Performance-Based Marketing to Classifieds
October 29, 2008 – 11:56 pm
Are classifieds fated, by definition, to be “dumb” all-you-can-eat listings? Or can certain categories be re-made as performance-based listings a la Google that bring best matches to the top, bringing higher revenue in return for a better match and conversion?
That’s the question posed by Vast.com, a San Francisco-based company working with “inventory” classifieds: […]
Broadband Providers, SMBLive Team for Merchant Profiles, Services
October 27, 2008 – 5:35 pm
Broadband providers, especially those formerly associated with telco Yellow Pages, are trying to get back in the game of providing marketing services for small businesses. They’re looking to provide Web 2.0 directory-like profiles and search engine marketing services for SMBs with the idea of maintaining their subscriber accounts, and adding revenues from the slate […]
American Classifieds Adds WebVisible’s Search Solutions
October 24, 2008 – 9:31 pm
Are the small business “home and trade service” advertisers that populate PennySaver and American Classifieds a good bet to buy search packages? That’s the question being posed by American Classifieds, the second largest classifieds publisher franchise with 6,000 editions.
The company signed this summer with WebVisible to provide search tools and sales training for 600 sales […]
The SMB Commando’s Sneak Preview of ILM:08
October 23, 2008 – 9:48 pm
We had a lot of fun this week previewing next month’s Interactive Local Media:08 with Dick Larkin, the Small Business Commando. There is lots of good Kelsey data and analysis mixed in – no surprise, really, since the conferences are a microcosm of everything we are doing. Here’s the link to our PPT […]
Precision Tune, DriverSide Team Up for Online Auto Profiles
October 23, 2008 – 12:17 am
Precision Tune Auto Care, which has 300 franchisee-owned stores, is the first major auto care chain to sign up for DriverSide’s new co-branded version of its online vehicle profiles. The profiles include maintenance records. Customers can also receive reminders and special offers via emails, alerts or a servicing calendar.
Customers can also use the DriverSide service […]