A Hyperlocal ‘He Said, She Said’
by Matt on Feb 5, 2009 in Industry
Is hyperlocal content a boom, or will it bust? You can guess how I’d answer that question, but not everyone is in our camp.
Duncan Riley of Inquisitr actually is in our camp, and explained why in his recent post, Hyperlocal Websites will Boom in 2009 as Community Newspapers Fold:
The void left by community newspapers won’t be filled by a one size fits all hyperlocal news product. The very reason community newspapers will fold applies to hyperlocal sites (advertising, scale), although to a lesser extent due to lower overheads.
What we will see is different models in different places. Some of these have been described elsewhere; the labels are mine, so apologies if the terminology doesn’t sit with what others are saying.
Blogs
Blogs and bloggers are already starting to fill the void of community news. Local bloggers are increasing as the community turns online for news. Small scale local blogs that exclusively cater to local content will increase in 2009.
Yes, they will … and they are. I’ve no doubt about that. But a recent Forrester report is less excited about the hyperlocal industry as a business venture:
“…local TV and radio stations, newspapers, and telecom providers, as well as online giants like Google and Yahoo! make a play for the hyperlocal space. Web sites like Citysearch.com and newspaper companies like Gannett are staking their future on hyperlocal, but Forrester’s data suggests that some basic assumptions about hyperlocal need to be reexamined. To start with, Forrester data shows that more consumers care about what’s happening in their country than what’s happening in their neighborhood.
That sounds down on hyperlocal, but I actually think it supports what hyperlocal blogging is all about. Yes, it will be difficult for those big media companies to succeed in the hyperlocal space. But folks like you and I, the ones who are down here on the streets keeping up with what our neighbors are doing, what’s going on at the local schools, etc., we can make it work where the Big Guys can’t.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Still, interesting to see such apparently disparate takes on hyperlocal as a whole.
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