Not long ago, marketing was fairly simple for local businesses. You would place an ad in the Yellow Pages. There may even be an occasional mailer and sponsorship.

But of course, things have gotten more complicated lately as customers increasingly use the Internet. Unless you are a marketing expert, you'll probably have trouble handling things like dealing with the hundreds of local search engines and directories, the need to write strong copy, bidding effectively on key search terms and even putting together compelling videos.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Get Customers Clicking and Calling with Online Local Ads

Entrepreneur's Journal: Get Customers Clicking and Calling with Online Local Ads originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yodle helps companies drum up new business by managing online advertising campaigns, such as through Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), and other ad networks.

And Yodle has continued to grow despite the recession. In fact, the company has attracted venture capital from top firms like Bessemer Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and JAFCO Ventures.

How does Yodle do it? One reason is referrals. Actually, about a third of Yodle's revenues come from referrals. In all, the company pays $200 for each new customer.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Gain new business ... with referrals

Entrepreneur's Journal: Gain new business ... with referrals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Many top players, such as Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), want to get a piece of the local online sector. But it hasn't been easy.

There are a myriad of smaller players trying to get an edge as well. One up and comer is Yodle, which recently announced that it has raised $12 million in venture capital. The investors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Bessemer Venture Partners.

Yodle offers a platform that allows small businesses to purchase local online ads. Keep in mind that roughly 63% of consumers now use the internet to search for local businesses.

So what makes Yodle different? Well, the company has made it possible to measure the return on investment for ad campaigns. For small businesses, this is certainly a big deal. For example, Yodle claims that a $1 ad spend can result in an $8 return.

If true, I can see why a small business wouldn't pass on this kind of thing.

Interested in more cool venture capital deals? Visit DealProfiles.com.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

Yodle's money call originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.