0 Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2009 BIA/Kelsey. All Rights Reserved. The Business View of E-Mail, Reputation and Presence Management Part

1Proprietary and Confidential.Copyright © 2009 BIA/Kelsey. All Rights Reserved.

The Business View of E-Mail, Reputation and Presence Management

Part 2: Interviews

A BIA/Kelsey Webinar

Thursday, October 15th


Interactive Local Media Conference

Dec. 9-11, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, California

• ILM is where the local online media community gathers to learn what's working, make connections and conduct business.

• According to the latest wave of BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor Study, 77 percent of small and medium-sized businesses now include digital/online advertising in their marketing mix. At ILM:09, we will focus on how local media companies are helping SMB advertisers manage their online reputations and maximize their online investment.

• Attendees are a global audience of executives responsible for corporate management, marketing, product development, business development, and sales.


Agenda for Today’s Webinar

Background

SMBs We Interviewed

Online Resumes of SMB Interviewees

Findings

Value & UsageTime SavingsAwareness & Control of Online PresenceBigger Online FootprintPricing, Sales & DistributionPlatform Evolution

3


Background

About a dozen SMBs in 10 different businesses were interviewed

Interviews conducted weeks of Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, 2009

Interviews were by telephone, 15-40 minutes

About a dozen questions

Anonymity assured

Customers of two early-stage platforms for managing SMB online

presence:

Marchex ‘Reputation Management’ (currently in beta)

SMBLive ‘CloudProfile’ (recently commercial*)

*SMBLive has provided similar core technology for British Telecom’s www.BTTradespace.com, since April 2007.

http://www.BTTradespace.com/


Marchex Reputation Management


SMBLive’s CloudProfile


SMBs We Interviewed

Home-renovation contractor

Skilled craftsman (stonemason)

Salons (one day spa; salon with 7 locations in same metro)

Packing & shipping store franchise owner (3 locations in same metro)

Restaurants (one bistro; chain with 8 locations in same metro)

Several specialty retailers (e.g. high-end audio; wine merchant)

Lodging establishments (boutique hotel & hostel)

Skin care clinic (7 locations in same metro)


Online Resumes of SMB Interviewees

Marchex customers (‘Reputation Management’):

Already had websites Had been using Reputation Management a couple of months Tended to be fairly web-savvy (some web advertising; highly aware of

review sites like Citysearch and Yelp) Almost always had researched competitors’ online presence/reviews

SMBLive customers (‘CloudProfile’):

Most did not have a website previously Had been using CloudProfile a few months (longest was six months) Tended to be less web-savvy (little or no web advertising; not focused on

review sites) Tended to have more limited objectives (with notable exception) Tended to pay less attention to competitors’ online presence/reviews


Findings: Value & Usage

SMB users were unanimous in seeing high value to these platforms: Create big time savings Support a larger online footprint Provide efficient competitive intelligence Increase awareness and control of online presence and dialog

Accordingly: Usage is frequent (although big differences by category) Creative uses emerging

There are some challenges, not atypical for early-stage products: Some product enhancements are desired Price point not clear (if priced explicitly)

Continued…


Findings: Value & Usage

Usage frequency varies:

Lowest is once a month (specialty retailer)

Highest is daily (restaurants)

Often a strong interest in competitive intelligence:

Several SMB users said the first thing they did was check on their

competitors (“love the spy stuff”)

As with usage frequency, interest in competitors varied by category

Platforms are viewed as “hubs” for managing online

communications:

In some cases, platforms distribute content to social networks, without

the need to log into the network (e.g. CloudProfile can publish to Twitter

and Facebook)


Findings: Time Savings

“I don’t have time to go to all the sites that matter to my business.”

SMB users consistently mentioned time savings as the #1 benefit

Savings are seen in:

Checking listings information (a particular issue for businesses with

multiple locations)

Monitoring reviews (again, particularly helpful for businesses with

multiple locations)

Marketing (“Helps beat the bushes to reach new customers”)

Boosting PR (even damage control, in some cases)


Findings: Awareness & Control of Online Presence Strong interest in the content of reviews (e.g. if there is a particular

problem, they want to fix it).

Several SMB users emphasized the importance of “keyword” reporting.

“I had no idea how many review sites were out there”

Bogus reviews, by competitors or disgruntled employees, are a fact

of life

Awareness and control over listings/identities (“dirty, filthy data”)

“We need to give [SMBs] secure, understandable, trustable ways to own their information”

David Glazer, Director of Engineering, Google (speaking about the new Google Wave product), quoted Oct. 12, 2009 in the San Francisco Chronicle.


Findings: Bigger Online Footprint

In general, SMB users believe they’re more discoverable by search

engines because of these platforms

In general, SMB users have gotten smarter about online marketing:

More discriminating about keyword purchases

Track click sources

Smarter about the SEO game:

Fresh, unduplicated content from SMB

Links (to sites, blogs, social networks, YouTube)

Online UGC (often via social networks)


One SMB’s content ecosystem, driven from CloudProfile

CloudProfile

Own Website

Twitter

Other Local Media & Websites

Facebook

Automatic content transfer via CloudProfile widgets

Local online media that scrape Twitter and Facebook

Findings: Bigger Online Footprint


Findings: Pricing, Sales & Distribution

Most popular price: Free

“This would be a great add on”

If priced explicitly, most SMB users said they’d be willing to pay up

to ~$25 per month

Where there was a channel preference expressed, it was generally

in favor of online players (such as a search engines, SEM

providers, or local content providers like Groupon), as opposed to

traditional media


Findings: Platform Evolution

More robust push notification

Connection to email marketing (and eventually, to CRM)

Even simpler user interfaces

Ability to contest suspect ratings or reviews with publisher (e.g.

Yelp, Citysearch)

“This builds my relationships without having to go to all those [expletive deleted] cocktail parties and Rotary meetings.”


What it all Means…

A major new business platform for SMBs is emerging that combines

advertising/marketing/communications:

Delivered via the web (ASP model)

Leverages ‘Web 2.0’ features

Will engender many new ‘micro-content’ ecosystems

Will be offered by multiple providers, bundled and stand-alone

Will probably evolve quickly

Will probably create numerous new partnerships between

technology providers, various online service providers, and

distribution channels


Interactive Local Media ConferenceDec. 9-11, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, California

Webinar attendees receive $200 off ILM:09 registration. Register online at www.kelseygroup.com/ilm2009 and use one of the following promo codes:

Public: ILM09WEBINARBIA/Kelsey Clients: ILM09WEBINAR-C

Build Your Digital Strategy

Interactive Local Media Advisory Service

BIA/Kelsey helps clients evaluate their strategic options and navigate the complicated issues affecting the media and communication industries today. We provide a range of research, consulting and analysis services designed to complement a company's mission statement and long-term or interim strategic goals.http://www.bia.com/services_planning.asp

(ILM) is the authoritative source for research and analysis on business models, technology, advertising models and trends in the interactive local search and media space, offering a global

view of local search, mobile search, social media, Internet video, directory assistance and free DA . http://www.kelseygroup.com/services/interactive-local-media.asp

http://www.kelseygroup.com/ilm2009

http://www.bia.com/services_planning.asp

http://www.kelseygroup.com/services/interactive-local-media.asp


Thank you for attending today’s event.

Following today’s event you will receive an email with a link to a landing page so you may download the slides, view the video and

listen to a MP3, as well as access other resources.

Important Links:

ILM Conference:www.kelseygroup.com/ilm2009

ILM Advisory Service:http://www.kelseygroup.com/services/interactive-local-media.asp

Steve Marshall - [email protected] Booth - [email protected]

We will now take questions. All unanswered questions will receive a response in the coming days.

http://www.kelseygroup.com/ilm2009

http://www.kelseygroup.com/services/interactive-local-media.asp

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

0 Proprietary and Confidential. Copyright © 2009 BIA/Kelsey. All Rights Reserved. The Business View of E-Mail, Reputation and Presence Management Part