Captivating Connections.

facebook's role in local marketing.

According to MerchantCircle, "70% of small businesses now use Facebook to reach consumers." Wowza.

It gets even more impressive when you realize that the # is "up from 50% a year ago -- and topping the 66% of small businesses that currently use Google search advertising -- Facebook now ranks as the most popular marketing tool among local businesses.

True, adoption doesn't equal effectiveness, but 37% of local merchants now rate Facebook as one of their most effective tools -- just behind the 40% that cite the prime effectiveness of Google search.

Supplementing search and email marketing, time- and cash-strapped business owners are gravitating toward simple, low-cost online marketing methods like Facebook."

dudes leading adaptation of location-based apps & services.

"Location-based services offer marketers enticing opportunities to connect with their targets in more relevant and meaningful ways, but uptake has been cautious. Usage surged last year—according to SNL Kagan, the number of US users nearly tripled in 2010—but just 4% of online Americans participate in location-sharing services, found the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November.

A December 2010 Microsoft survey conducted by Cross-Tab Marketing Services in Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK and US found that overall, about six in 10 internet users were aware of location-based services and just over half had used them. Most common were map and weather applications—just 18% had used a service to share their location with others.

Usage varied widely with demographics. Unsurprisingly for a relatively new trend, younger respondents were more likely to be aware of and familiar with location-based services, and were also most likely to use the services themselves."

there's more to location than just checking in (seriously!).

According to Pew Internet & American Life project, only 4% of Internet users in the US took part in location-sharing services.

This doesn't mean that there's not plenty of opportunity, because, oh man, there is!

"Like social networking on mobile devices, location-based services are still in their infancy. eMarketer projects the number of mobile social network users will more than double between 2010 and 2015, and adoption of location-based services will rise with it.

'Savvy marketers know there is more to geolocation than just the check-in and immediate proximity to the consumer,' said Noah Elkin, eMarketer principal analyst and author of the new report, 'Beyond the Check-In: Best Practices for Location-Based Marketing.' 'Location services enable marketers to deliver a compelling offer when consumers are near the point of decision, yet they also help marketers understand the context of their target audience—their intent and state of mind.'”