DealMap and Goby – Two Internet Marketing Resources for Local Businesses
On Thursday, Robert Scoble posted a blog about two new services that illustrate the direction the local internet marketing world is headed.
Dealmap and Goby are both taking the social out of local internet marketing. In its place, they’re providing something of much more tangible value to the user.
Goby helps its users find things to do in different locations. If you’re looking for an art class in Boulder, CO, for instance, it will offer you a number of related options – from art classes to galleries to lectures at museums, complete with schedules. It does this by searching the web and finding relevant events, then adding them to its database.
Dealmap, on the other hand, is a clearinghouse for local deals. Whereas it’s cool to check in on Foursquare and see a deal that’s nearby for the Mayor of Starbucks, this service gives you an idea of any available sale, promotion or deal near a certain location. It’s a great way for users to save money – and for local businesses to market their products and services.
As Scoble points out, these two services both show you what location-based marketing is capable of. Current services like Foursquare and Gowalla primarily appeal to people’s social nature – they let you check in, find friends nearby, see what’s happening in your circle (and occasionally get a deal). But imagine if Foursquare was to partner with Dealmap – its users would gain a whole lot more than just an occasional free drink or discount at Starbucks. The service would retain its social networking functionality, but gain a HUGE value proposition for its users.
In the meantime, if you’re looking to drive traffic to your local small business, it would be an excellent idea to submit a deal or two to Dealmap.com and see what comes of it.
Tags: dealmap, foursquare, goby, gowalla, local internet marketing, local online marketing, small business, small business online marketing, social networking, whrrl
