Chance are high that you've never heard of Yelp, so you probably have no idea what it says about you. This is a mistake. Yelp is growing and it's growing fast, drawing more than 1.8 million users turn to it for information each month. In fact, I've found myself looking at top five search listings for Yelp on Google time and time again in the past couple of months. That's why I'll ask you again, what does Yelp say about you? Yelp was launched back in 2004 by ex-PayPal employees Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons as a site that brought together San Francisco residents to help identify and review the most popular hangouts. The site has since grown to encompass nearly every major city across the United States as "Yelpers" work to find and review every business in town with a U.S. Postal address. It works in much the way that Amazon.com reviews or Yahoo Local reviews work. The main difference seems to be the fervor and devotion with which members use the site. Check out this little … [Read more...] about Can Yelp Help Your Small Business?
6 beers a day for 30 years
Epic Friends of Search 2014 Conference Review
This has been my first post on SEJ since August 25, 2011 so I thought I should do something special. That opportunity came last month when I was able to attend Friends of Search 2014 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as a guest. The event was perfect as I relocated to Amsterdam from Melbourne back in July 2013 and this international search event was just around corner and across a canal or two from my place. The event is interesting as it's actually a joint initiative between iab.nl and DDMA.nl and it had no traditional conference sponsorship. This means no company booths, sponsor presentations or delegate promo bags, which I was accustomed to seeing. What really excited me about the event was the extremely high-caliber of Dutch and international speakers that were presenting at the event. I was wondering, though, what is the best way to share the insight for those who were unable to make it? The best solution I could think of was to create an epic review of FOS14 with interviews with as many … [Read more...] about Epic Friends of Search 2014 Conference Review
Live Blogging The FTC Workshop On Journalism & The Internet
I’m at the FTC’s “Journalism & Internet Age” Workshop in Washington DC today, where we’re expecting addresses from Rupert Murdoch and Arianna Huffington, along with Josh Cohen of Google News and a variety of panels. I’ll be on one of those panels later today. I’m going to do a big live blog of things I find interesting, and you can also watch the webcast via this page. Why is the FTC doing this workshop? FTC has policy functions assigned to it to investigate new developments in the marketplace and make legislative recommendations. With radio, recommended act that made the FCC. Workshop today intended to bring out more facts. “The bottom seems to be falling out of the news business” as consumers shift their habits. Though newspapers were still profitable overall in 2008; TV still main way people get information. But newsrooms of dailies may employ 25% fewer people. Was at the LA Times recently and felt sense of shock at rows of … [Read more...] about Live Blogging The FTC Workshop On Journalism & The Internet
“Whatever Device You Use, Windows Will Be There”
Today in his Consumer Electronics Show keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer declared that Xbox is no longer a gaming device but an entertainment hub. And Windows will be everywhere, from your TV through Xbox, to your phone via Windows Phone 7, and on PCs of any type, especially through a forthcoming version of “Windows On A Chip.” Below, my live blogging of Ballmer’s talk at CES in Las Vegas. Ballmer has arrived. Windows Phone 7, Kinect, other products launched last year, big success, “a year like no other.” Thanks the over 1 billion customers around the world. Xbox & Kinect Wins last year came from big bets Microsoft placed on technology. TV, computers and mobile phones are most important devices. Decade ago, took bold step with Xbox, smart device that transported 10s of millions of people into world of Halo and other games. Then launch of Xbox Live that transformed things with gaming in the cloud [except no one called it the cloud then]. … [Read more...] about “Whatever Device You Use, Windows Will Be There”
Achieve Your Marketing Goals by Getting Weird
As a marketer, you’re well aware that creating memorable content designed to set you apart from your competitors is a major challenge.. And, things have gotten only more complicated with viral content. After all, how do you expect to compete with dancing babies or a dog doing back-flips when its owner comes home? That’s why you should consider getting a little out there with your content. By “out there” I mean creating content that is on the funny, quirky, and weird side that can help your brand not only create a competitive advantage, but also assist you in reaching those marketing goals. To give you a little inspiration, here are 10 brands that have successfully created content that’s “out there”. 1. Pizza Hut: ‘Eau de Pizza Hut’ I’m a huge pizza fan. It’s one of my favorite foods. However, I don’t know if I would want to walk around smelling like a delicious pie all day. Pizza Hut Canada didn’t share this … [Read more...] about Achieve Your Marketing Goals by Getting Weird