Networks aim to solve local ad puzzle for hyper-local sites
May 17, 2010
Local advertising is back in style, at least among some big national media companies, and that attitude shift has fueled changes for hyper-local and micro-local news sites.
While small independents might not yet feel the financial benefits of an increased focus on local advertising, some site owners are seeing increased interest in the content they generate and in the tools they need. Service providers have stepped in, willing to help them for a fee or ad percentage. New tools and networks for inexpensive local advertising continue to sprout, offering the possibility of payouts that will help fuel local news.
Some national players like AOL's Patch have generated attention from traditional media like the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, and companies have popped up to provide technical services or partnerships. As always, paidContent offers strong coverage of large business moves.
Meanwhile, Michele McLellan of the Reynolds Journalism Institute has been compiling Michele's List, which categorizes and surveys new local news providers. Along the way, she and her fellow researchers have helped build a new vocabulary defining online local news providers.Read the rest of "Networks aim to solve local ad puzzle for hyper-local sites" from Mediashift.