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Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

The New Local: Location Based, Social Centric & Behaviorally Targeted

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

In my “Locals Only” column this month, I discuss the impact of recent announcements by major tech, online, and mobile companies regarding their plans for local search:

In mid-January, Google’s Mobile division announced that it is upgrading its search engine on Android-powered devices and the iPhone to present results reflective of the current or last locations of it users, while Twitter began testing a local trends tool which allows users to see trends in their local countries and cities in addition to those for the entire site.

According to a recent patent submission, Yahoo is in the process of developing a mobile local search application that will take into account a user’s location, the time of day, information in the user’s calendar, past behaviors, weather, social networking data, information about the proximity of a social contact, and other data when providing results.

AT&T told Forbes about its plans to launch buzz.com, a new local social search site that will reportedly let users poll their friends and ask experts for advice about different nearby businesses.

And Apple announced its new iPad tablet, which incorporates iPhone apps, Google Maps, a built-in compass, WiFi, and wireless data capabilities – allowing users to access location-based information from wherever they are.

With so much change, I think it’s important to reflect on how these new technologies and services will affect our industry— and what our small business clients will need to do to keep up.

There’s no doubt that as media continues to fragment, and marketing tools become more complicated and sophisticated, many opportunities and challenges lies ahead for the small business owner.

For my thoughts, check out my Search Engine Land column here.

February 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Apple, AT&T, buzz.com, Google Mobile, iPad, location-based, Search Engine Land, Small Business, social search, Twitter, Yahoo, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association, YPA

CNN: Has Twitter Peaked?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I came across an interesting article on CNN.com that questions the future of Twitter, which had enormous growth in early 2009 but has not seen its user base expand for nearly six months, according to several Web analytics firms.

In the article, one analyst suggests that Twitter may be a victim of its early success. After users flocked to the site to follow celebrities, athletes, and news organizations, some had possibility decided the site simply wasn’t for them. Others say that maybe there’s too much chatter on the site now for it to still be useful.

Yet Twitter and its supporters say that existing users are using the site now more than ever. According to Twitter CEO Evan Williams, Twitter saw its highest usage day ever following the earthquake in Haiti. Additionally, some experts think that the use of mobile devices and third-party programs like TweetDeck are skewing Twitter’s numbers lower – and that in fact its user base is still growing.

Several Yellow Pages companies have embraced Twitter. For example, SuperMedia launched its own handle, sp411, which provides local search results via the site. Other YP members, such as Yellow Pages Group, have launched their own handles as well as a channel to communicate with their customers.

It will be interesting to see how Twitter evolves to stay top of mind for users. Whatever its path or future success, it’s clear that social networking is here to stay and that its impact on local search is real. That’s going to make it harder than ever for local businesses to keep up with the trends and where our industry’s multichannel, platform agnostic direction can play a significant role.

February 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Local Search, sp411, SuperMedia, Twitter, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association, Yellow Pages Group

Predictions for the Changing Local Search Landscape in 2010

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

In an article I wrote for Search Engine Land this week, I offer my predictions for what’s ahead for local search in 2010.

Recent statistics from the National Federation of Independent Business point to a small uptick next year in key small business metrics including sales, earnings, credits and optimism. If those positive signs gain momentum, 2010 promises to be an exciting year – but not without its challenges.

My predictions include:

1. Mobile will drive local search growth: Projections show that mobile local search ad revenue and mobile local searches will increase significantly over the next few years. In 2010, the winning providers will be those who can make sense of this quickly changing platform and deliver programs that offer quality sales leads to advertisers. Already, Yellow Pages companies have launched iPhone and Android apps along with mapping technologies that deliver relevant local information to users on the go.

2. Local search providers will vie for social: Social media ad spending is rising quickly because advertisers know that significant trust exists between online social communities. AT&T has said it will launch a service that allows business to authentically tap into social networks to serve local business information to consumers. Superpages has already launched a Twitter search tool that illustrates this trend towards social.

3. Local print advertising will decline but won’t disappear: Many have predicted the death of print media for some time. However, the perception of the usage decline in the printed directory far exceeds the reality of what is actually happening. While the quantity of print Yellow Pages references is gradually declining, the quality of those references is still very high.

4. A hybrid marketing approach will win: Yellow Pages sales representatives have essentially become advertising consultants to small business, who can offer portfolios of options ranging from owned products to partner products. It’s more important than ever to consider a hybrid approach because today’s consumers get information from a multiple of places before making a purchasing decision.

You can read my full piece at Search Engine Land here.

December 15, 2009 | 3 Comments
Tags: 2010 predictions, advertising, Local Search, local-social search, mobile, print, Twitter, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association, YPA

Google, CitySearch Add Local-Social Search Features

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Local-social search has been a popular topic in the news this week, with both Google and Citysearch, the local online search directory, announcing plans to integrate real-time Twitter updates and other social networking features into their platforms. Both moves are representative of the fundamental shift currently taking place in how local information is being searched and shared – something we’ve talked about frequently on this blog.

Over the next few days, Google users will be granted access to live updates from Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, MySpace, Jaiku and Indenti.ca related to their search terms. For example, users searching for a local restaurant may come across the latest Twitter and Facebook updates about the establishment. These could include anything from a tweet by the restaurant owner with a promotional message, to a negative comment by a recent diner who wasn’t happy with their order.

Citysearch is unveiling a new Twitter integration that will feature the latest tweets about a local business on its listing page. Businesses will have the option of integrating their Twitter presence into their Citysearch page and tweeting directly with visiting users. Like with Google, users will have instant access to online conversations taking place about the businesses they’re researching – whether that buzz is good or bad. Those conversations will be in addition to the existing online user reviews currently available on the site.

The opportunities – as well as the risks – to local businesses brought about by the growth of local-social search offerings are endless. If anything, it’s clear that local businesses can no longer ignore the online conversations taking place about their services. Those conversations, once limited to social media networks, are now expanding at rapid pace into the local search domain.

December 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: CitySearch, Facebook, Google, local-social search, MySpace, social media, Twitter, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association, YPA

Top Tweets: #DMS09 Day One

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The #DMS09 hash tag came alive yesterday on Twitter as conference participants shared key quotes, facts and real-time feedback from the opening sessions.

Here are a few of our favorite tweets from Day one of DMS ‘09:

Best Conference Theme Tweet

matterslocal: the terms print and online should be replaced by directional marketing services… /gg #DMS09

Best Forecast of the Day

vikc: If only I could fast forward #DMS09 5 years and see what the topics of conversations would be….The future is all about mobile and social.

Best Tweets About Mobile Yellow Pages

matterslocal: types of businesses searched on mobile restaurants 47% , movies 37% , retail 35% , banks 32% , hotels 27% .. /gg #DMS09

localseoguide: 16% of consumers use social networking sites for shopping info #DMS09

sebprovencher: Shooger uses the “following” functionality like a “favorite/bookmark” feature. http://www.shooger.com/#dms09

matterslocal: consumers only use social networking site ratings 17% of the time to make a purchase decision, this was flat year over year. /gg #DMS09

Best New Trend Spotting Tweets

TheKelseyGroup: #DMS09 : 9% of SMBs using Twitter according to survey data. http://bit.ly/4zc4En

sebprovencher: Interesting. Berry is using advertiser segmentation (by major categories) to figure out which products to include in the multi-bundle #dms09

golander59: “YP is about partnerships-no one can swim alone in this space” #DMS09 3Ps of SMB Marketing-Presence Performance & Permanence Neal Polachek

September 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: DMS 09, Kelsey Group, Twitter, Yellow Pages

Superpages.com Brings Local Search to Twitter

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Idearc’s Superpages.com last week launched a local search tool for Twitter users, bringing an advanced solution for finding local businesses to the much-talked-about social networking site.

You can access the Superpages.com tool by following Superpages.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sp411. Superpages.com will automatically follow you back. Then, you’re ready to search.

To conduct a search, Tweet a direct message to sp411. Here’s an example: “d sp411 pizza 75261″.

After that, five results are sent back as a direct message. The direct message will provide the business name, address, phone number, and a link for more information that takes you to the Superpages.com profile for that business.

The feature also provides search capabilities for a host of other useful information:

Local Weather: “d sp411 weather Chicago”
Movies: “d sp411 movies (street) (city) (state) (zip)”
People: “d sp411 (last name, first name OR first name last name) (street) (city) (state) (zip)”
Reverse Phone Number Lookup: “d sp411 (phone number)”
Walking or Driving Directions: “d sp411 (walking directions OR directions) from (address 1) to (address 2)

It’s pretty easy and fun to use, and it integrates very nicely with existing Superpages.com information, which has everything from hours of operation to user reviews for businesses.

This announcement is a great example of the ongoing work at Yellow Pages companies to innovate new products that help businesses generate sales leads and diversify the mix of search tools available to consumers. Until now, we’ve really only talked about Twitter’s potential role in local search but hadn’t seen any practical application of it. Now, Yellow Pages companies have jumped on the opportunity that Twitter offers and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

September 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Local Search, Superpages.com, Twitter, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association

Twellow ‘Twitter Yellow Pages’ Brand Leaves Room for Distinction

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

More and more, people are asking me what I think about Twellow, the “Twitter Yellow Pages.” I get quite a few questions on Twellow’s role in search and how it affects what we do.

If you haven’t seen Twellow yet, take a few minutes to check it out. Twellow helps you find people on Twitter that you might be interested in following.

I think questions over Twellow stem from its name and approach. Twellow borrows heavily on our brand. And, much like the way we list businesses, Twellow breaks out its listings into categories – or headings.

But that’s where the similarities end. Twellow’s scope right now is very specific. It helps empower social networking by connecting searchers with relevant Twitter accounts. There’s certainly a lot of benefit in that, and Twellow has helped me find some interesting people to watch on Twitter. What Twellow isn’t, at least for now, is a local search tool. You can’t, for example, narrow your search to a specific business type within a city or zip code and expect to find the business you’re looking for.

That’s today of course. While Twitter has become the focal point of the political news, there’s still valid questions around Twitter’s future role in local search. Twellow could potentially tap into that if or when Twitter becomes a real force. As these trends unfold, our role will be to interpret these changes for small businesses, who struggle to make sense of it all, and help incorporate them into their marketing mix if it would deliver quality leads.

June 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Local Search, Small Business, Twellow, Twitter, Yellow Pages

Tapping Twitter to Talk to Our Customers

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Oprah tries Twitter and crowns Ashton Kutcher “king” of it. Everybody is crazy about Twitter. And as marketers, those of us in the local search industry should have our ear to the ground.So where exactly can we, as local search providers, jump in?

Check out my column on Search Engine Land to learn more about how we can apply Twitter to what we do.

For one, we can use these tools to promote our own offerings. Like any other business, we can tap Twitter to engage with our potential customers, our advertisers. Timely tweets can inform our advertisers of product enhancements, special pricing, and other news. Additionally, we can use this channel to give our industry a voice and build alliances with both colleagues and competitors. It’s really just another tool to add to the 21st century business toolbox.

Another easy way to bring this technology into our day-to-day operations is to offer the space for savvy small businesses who have embraced microblogging. We can add new fields within our listings so that our advertisers can list their Twitter pages the same way they include their Web sites. In this way, we’re truly providing the 411 for today’s small business owners.

Yellow Pages Group in Canada is a good example of a company in our industry using Twitter effectively. Take a look.

May 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: advertising, blog, insideyp, microblogging, Search Engine Land, Small Business, Twitter, Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages Association, YPA

Idearc’s Vision Highlighted in Financial Times

Friday, April 24, 2009

Our industry has taken a few hits in the media lately, so I was pleased to see that the Financial Times ran a story on Idearc this week covering the company’s vision for the future.

As I blogged earlier, I believe that Idearc’s recent bankruptcy filing presents an opportunity to resolve its debt structuring issues and kick-start the company’s transformation.

The Financial Times presented a similar thought: In the article, Idearc CEO Scott Klein talks about their efforts to rebuild the company as “the ad agency for small businesses” and the success they’ve seen as a result of some fresh thinking – particularly the new “Super Guarantee” and “Super Trade Exchange” programs.

Klein also throws out some interesting thoughts about how the industry might reshape itself in the increasingly crowded local search market – for example, mentioning the opportunity for Yellow Pages to form new ad selling relationships with local newspapers.

Glad to see this perspective covered in the press. If you haven’t read it yet – check it out.

April 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Tags: advertising, Financial Times, Idearc, insideyp, marketing, Small Business, Twitter, Yellow Pages Association

Yellow Pages Association Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Twitter’

CNN: Has Twitter Peaked?

Top Tweets: #DMS09 Day One

Superpages.com Brings Local Search to Twitter

Twellow ‘Twitter Yellow Pages’ Brand Leaves Room for Distinction

Tapping Twitter to Talk to Our Customers

Idearc’s Vision Highlighted in Financial Times

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