Hyperlocal is “Hot”

Hyperlocal is a hot topic among some very large organizations that are now developing solutions for the neighborhood merchant – the same customer who has been the mainstay of neighborhood publishing revenues. AOL, Groupon, Google, Facebook, Reachlocal and LivingSocial just to name a few are targeting the neighborhood business for their future growth.

The Bar is Being Raised by Merchants

Being first in the neighborhood and having the mindshare of potential customers only works if you have the products and services that deliver quantifiable results. It’s no longer just about delivering neighborhood “eyeballs”, it is now about delivering leads, store visits, phone calls and sales. Google, Reachlocal and others have shown that small businesses can expect to see measures showcasing the value they deliver. Those same expectations are being set for all providers of neighborhood marketing.

The Bar is Being Raised by Readers

Almost half of all people in the U.S. now have a Facebook account. Smartphones and mobile devices are the fastest growing segment of technology. News is now consumed all day long in a wide variety of formats from a wide variety of sources – most of which are considerably cheaper to produce than print. As more neighborhood groups and merchants move online, their content becomes more directly accessible without the need for publishing or editors. There is no longer a need for readers to wait for a month end printing when they can get their information anytime day or night.

How Does Neighborhood Media Compete?

Neighborhood media has always had to serve two very different audiences – readers and advertisers. While publishers have a variety of ways to satisfy readers, they have been limited in their solutions for advertisers. BubbleCommunities changes that by giving publishers a powerful neighborhood marketing solution that delivers quantifiable results.