Finding the L Spot: The Hype and Reality of Local-Mobile Advertising

Live Webcast: Wednesday, May 23rd - 1pm ET / 10am PT

Somewhere between 20% and 30% of traffic to many websites is now coming from mobile devices, depending on the category. In specific local categories the number is as high as 50%.

Consumers have repeatedly indicated their preference for localized ads and see them as more relevant than “generic” ads. There are also several very bullish forecasts for localized mobile advertising. Yet most “local” mobile ads aren’t more specific than regional or metro-area targeting. And only about 5% of mobile ads carry a precise “lat-long.”

Why is this the case and what must happen to realize the promise of “LoMo” advertising? Join Monica Ho, xAd Vice President of Marketing and Opus Research's Senior Analyst Greg Sterling for a discussion of the opportunities – and challenges – of locally targeted mobile advertising today.

Sterling will provide findings on consumer preferences for localized advertising as well as performance data comparing local-mobile ads to national ads. He’ll also present a recent case study comparing ad performance across five mobile ad networks.

xAd’s Monica Ho will talk about the opportunities and challenges of location targeting .She’ll also present the 5 mobile marketing best practices that every marketer / agency should know in order to drive true performance out of mobile advertising.

Webcast: The Convergence of Local and Mobile Marketing

Live Webcast: Thursday, November 17th - 1pm ET / 10am PT

On-the-go consumers are the most valuable prospects available. But while local advertising on the PC has not been well understood by marketers, the importance of location-based content to smartphone users is all but self-evident. Recent behavioral data shows that 40% to 50% of mobile searches are local in nature, not including apps.

Beyond the fact that this translates into billions of queries, local-mobile searchers convert at much higher rates than conventional PC users. Between 40% and 60% of local-mobile searchers actually show up at a local business or store location. The majority of these local information seekers take action within a very short period of time, usually a couple of hours -- or less.

The nature of local-mobile marketing is therefore much more dynamic and immediate than on the PC. Marketers both large and small must clearly understand how to reach mobile audiences or be prepared to hand potential customers over to the competition.

Join Opus Research’s Senior Analyst Greg Sterling and AT&T Interactive’s Executive Director of Product Management Matthew Goldman for a mix of data, discussion and perspective about location and mobility today. Goldman will also present what AT&T is seeing “from the field” in terms of SMB advertiser demand and mobile consumer behavior.

Webcast: The Rise of the Social SMB

Live Webcast: Tuesday, April 26th - 1pm ET / 10am PT

Small businesses are increasingly interested in social media and “conversational commerce.” But what does that actually mean? After the Twitter account or Facebook Page are established, what's next?

SMBs and the sales channels and publishers that serve them are struggling with how to divide the labor and bring social marketing to SMBs but in ways that are efficient and still preserve the “authentic voice” of the local businesses.

• What are the social media trends now dominating the local online marketplace?
• What are SMBs themselves saying about social media and the challenges they face?
• What does all this look like from the sales perspective, “on the ground”?

Join VendAsta CEO Brendan King, Mike Hartrich Director of Digital Products at LocalEdge, and Opus Research analyst Greg Sterling as we explore the “rise of the social SMB.”

Webcast: Local Social Commerce - The Explosion of Group Buying

Live Webcast: Thursday, August 19th - 1pm ET / 10am PT

Group buying or "social commerce" is one of the hottest and fastest growing segments online. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, there are now well over 100 companies in a massive land grab for consumer attention and local business promotions. Traditional media and established online publishers are also trying to get in on the action, which is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars today.

Join Internet2Go's Greg Sterling, Yipit co-founder James Moran and Close.ly CEO Perry Evans as we explore the rapid rise of group buying. Yipit will present new, unreleased data about SMBs and group buying; we'll answer your questions and discuss the broader impact of social commerce on the present and future of the local market.

Webcast: The Evolution of Local Discovery

Live Webcast: Tuesday, May 11th - 1pm ET / 10am PT

With the rise of mobile and location-based services "local" is finally getting the recognition it deserves and the relationship between online research and offline buying is becoming more transparent. But consumer behavior and the larger local market online is highly fragmented and getting more complex. Consumers are using a wide range of sites and services to get information before buying. Marketers need to understand how consumers interact with the Internet and mobile devices to be able to effectively influence their purchase behavior.

In this webcast, join Greg Sterling with Internet2Go, Greg Isaacs (VP, Web Products, AT&T Interactive) and Todd Rose (VP, Business Development, AT&T Interactive) to discuss how the local market is rapidly evolving and how advertisers can engage with consumers across platforms as they use multiple services to inform the local purchase decisions.

Webcast: Local Search Is Different

Webcast On-Demand - Watch Below!

Local search is becoming more and more important on the PC and in the emerging world of mobile marketing. Indeed, local results are an increasingly visible part of Google's SERPs. How does "local search" marketing (SEM) and local search engine optimization (SEO) differ from more national or "generic" approaches?

This session will be led by local search expert Greg Sterling and feature Matthew Berk (Executive VP, Product Engineering, Marchex) and Gib Olander (Director of Business Development, Localeze) who will offer concrete tips and tactics for marketers and agencies seeking to tap into this increasingly significant marketing opportunity.

Webcast: The Rise of Mobile Coupons

Webcast On-Demand

Digital coupons are very hot right now, and mobile will be an increasingly important distribution channel for local offers and deals. In fact it's one of the few types of advertising that mobile consumers welcome in large numbers.

Though not yet mainstream, “mobile coupons” is an already crowded arena. Execution, content, and quality matter in this highly competitive segment. Join Internet2Go program director Greg Sterling, along with Matt Myers (Shooger) and Nikki Atchison (Valpak), as they provide an overview of the landscape as well as concrete data and case studies on the performance of coupons in a mobile environment.

To receive a copy of the webcast slide presentation, please contact Derek Top - dtop@opusresearch.net

Webcast: The Future of Location on Mobile Devices: LBS, Apps & Monetization

Thursday, November 12, 2009 (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
On-Demand Webcast - Watch Below

LBS and local advertising on mobile devices have been hyped and hailed as the "killer app" for mobile. But are they? Most of the current "local search apps" are lackluster and merely transfer the PC user experience to the mobile device. And most companies building local apps haven't thought through their strategies very carefully.

What do "Local Apps 2.0" look like? What services and data will they provide? Can the promise of location-aware mobile "discovery" be realized? And how will all this be monetized as a practical matter?

Join Greg Sterling of Opus Research's Internet2Go program and Jeff Porter and Nahid Giga of mobilepeople, both local search industry veterans, for a wide-ranging discussion of the best local apps today and what the future may look like for local on mobile devices.

To receive a copy of the slide presentation from this webcast, please contact Derek Top, dtop@opusresearch.net.

Webcast: Mobile Marketing, Couponing, and Customer Loyalty

Mobile Marketing Summit -- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Webcast On-Demand

As part of the free Mobile Marketing Summit -- This session showcases case studies from retailers, quick service restaurants and others that show how consumers can be acquired through a range of methods, including mobile advertising and at the point of sale. The cases also expose concrete mobile campaign results and how utilize mobile loyalty in the context of broader marketing efforts.

Speakers:
Mike Romano - Co-founder, Executive Vice President, SmartReply
Jay Highley - President & COO, Tetherball
Moderator:
Greg Sterling - Program Director, Internet2Go

To receive a copy of the slide presentation from this webcast, please contact Derek Top, dtop@opusresearch.net.

Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click below to register.

Webcast: The Mobile App Opportunity

Mobile Marketing Summit -- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Webcast On-Demand

As part of the free Mobile Marketing Summit -- Smartphone apps have become an increasingly important part of the mobile user experience. How should brands and marketers think about mobile apps as part of their overall strategies? This session will offer a survey of apps that succeed and those that miss, as well as a discussion of how traditional media are using apps effectively today.

Speakers:
Rachel Pasqua - Director of Mobile, iCrossing
Scott Dunlap - CEO & Founder, NearbyNow
Moderator:
Greg Sterling - Program Director, Internet2Go

To receive a copy of the slide presentation from this webcast, please contact Derek Top, dtop@opusresearch.net.

Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click below to register.

Webcast: Integrating Mobile into Traditional Media Campaigns

Mobile Marketing Summit -- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Webcast On-Demand

As part of the free Mobile Marketing Summit -- In many ways mobile marketing is more compatible with traditional media than online. Both exist "in the real world." But how should publishers and marketers think about the relationship between mobile media and traditional marketing? How can mobile be leveraged to extend the value of traditional media and marketing? This session offers case studies and best practices highlighting concrete examples and advice.

Speakers:
Jeff Hasen - Chief Marketing Officer, HipCricket
David Spear - EVP, LSN Mobile
Moderator:
Greg Sterling - Program Director, Internet2Go

To receive a copy of the slide presentation from this webcast, please contact Derek Top, dtop@opusresearch.net.

Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click below to register.

Webcast: The Mobile Internet - How Effective a Marketing Medium?

Mobile Marketing Summit -- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Webcast On-Demand

As part of the free Mobile Marketing Summit, Opus Research analyst Greg Sterling presents the latest consumer research and market data on usage of the mobile Internet. InsightExpress Director of Mobile Research Joy Liuzzo presents case studies and findings from recent advertiser research showing consumer response to mobile advertising campaigns.

Speakers:
Greg Sterling - Program Director, Internet2Go
Joy Liuzzo - Director of Marketing & Mobile Research, InsightExpress

To receive a copy of the slide presentation from this webcast, please contact Derek Top, dtop@opusresearch.net.

Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click below to register.

Webcast: SMS Marketing - Direct Route to Consumer Engagement

Thursday, August 27, 2009 (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
Sign-Up Now!

Roughly 3.5 billion text messages are sent every day in the U.S., yet text messaging is often neglected in discussions of mobile marketing. However, SMS is the most versatile mobile marketing vehicle and the only one that transcends mobile platform and handset type. In this webcast, Opus Research outlines the distinctions between the “mobile Web” and SMS marketing, highlighting case studies that illustrate the effectiveness of SMS as a broad and flexible marketing tool.

Speakers:
Greg Sterling - Senior Analyst, Local Mobile Search
Aman Brar - VP, Business Development, ChaCha
Zaw Thet - CEO & Co-Founder, 4INFO

Held in conjunction with BrightTALK, click here to register now.