Here is today’s roundup of news related to local marketing and advertising, local media, technology, local commerce, consumer behavior and more.
Study: 87% of Shoppers Begin the Purchase Process Online — Up from 71% in 2017 (August 29, 2018)
LSA Insider: “A recent study of 6,000 shoppers from Publicis.Sapient and Salesforce revealed that 87% begin the purchase process online, up from 71% in 2017. Additionally, 50% of shoppers conduct their first purchase via a retailer, but 47% of repeat purchases happen on marketplaces, like Amazon.”
Report: Consumers Seek Transparency From Brands on Social Media (August 29, 2018)
Street Fight: “In surveying 1,000 U.S. consumers, the social media management platform Sprout Social found that 86% believe transparency from businesses is more important now than ever before, and more than half say they want brands to be more transparent on social media. That survey has become the basis for a new report on the most effective ways for brands to build deeper connections and enhance customer loyalty.”
Attention Marketers, Brands, Retailers: The LSA’s Place NY 2018 Conference Is Coming (August 29, 2018)
GeoMarketing: “The Place Conference is a unique event on location intelligence, offline analytics and proximity marketing. Attendees will gain tactical insights and practical knowledge from market leaders and innovators.”
Why voice integration for brands is more important than voice search (August 28, 2018)
SmartBrief: “There is a now infamous statistic among search marketers that 50% of all searches will be conducted by voice by 2020. This stat creates a distraction from the true opportunity for search marketers which is not actually voice search — it is successful voice integration for brands.”
Digital Marketing Spend Roars Despite Weak Privacy Concerns And Capability Performance (August 28, 2018)
Forbes: “Results from the August 2018 CMO Survey indicate that marketers are charging ahead with digital spending. At the same time, concerns about privacy and the state of digital marketing capabilities lag.”
With $10.5 Million Series B, SOCi Sets Sights On Expanding Its Social Media and Reputation Management Offerings for Multi-Location Brands (August 28, 2018)
Cision: “Led by Vertical Venture Partners–with participation from Grayhawk Capital, Blossom Street Ventures, and Tallwave Capital–this latest round will help continue to fuel SOCi’s exponential growth over the next few years.”
European Study on Small and Medium Business (SMBs) highlights serious deficiencies in their online presence (August 28, 2018)
SIINDA: “Kimberli Lewis, Host of VoiceAmerica Business Channel’s Leadership Beyond Borders, takes a deep dive into the SIINDA Landscape Survey on the state of digital presence among small and medium businesses in Europe.”
