More merchants are interested in building a fan base, or linking promotions to their fan page on Facebook. Selling Facebook services is doing very well - from contests, to custom pages, to calenders of posts. But what is the value of a Facebook name and other key statistics to sell these programs? Here are four key stats to use with sources and weaknesses. more

NewOrleans.com shifted its business model in 2011 to a purely tourist-oriented site and a transactional business model. This case study looks at the history of the site and current strategy, with resources and lessons learned. more

There are still opportunities for local media sites to own travel-based revenue streams, especially given their key advantage: Unique local content. The biggest key is choosing the right third party technology partner and strategy for your market. LMI interviewed a number of sites with travel products business models and available partners for this summary. more

City.com sites have proven the power of the city brand to attract search traffic from all over the world. At the 2011 conference, geo publishers shared four major strategies to build out sites that compete with both local media and travel verticals. more

One of the more lucrative categories in the local marketplace is healthcare: From large hospitals and clinics to plastic surgeons and chiropractors, the healthcare industry supplies a stable source of somewhat recession-proof local and regional advertising. One approach is compete for this category is to develop health-related niche sites and channels. How much money do these sites make and what are the advantages versus simply running a campaign or contest? Here are three examples, all of them profitable, in different markets using different strategies. more

A simple form can identify heavy social media users in your company who may be champions for new sales services or promotional projects. more

What does it take for digital sales representatives to be up-to-speed? A constant learning environment. This article maps out a variety of simple training methods which, when put together are transformative. Included are links to on-site resources free to members. more

To get the best thinking from the field on pricing methodology, we interviewed 15 sales managers of sites with at least 10% of advertising revenue from digital product and 60% sell-through rates for digital ad impressions. Here is their practical advice on pricing models that work: more

In digital campaigns advertisers are more willing to “buy the customer” with a great offer in exchange for information. But there is an art to the outrageous offer. David Fowler of AdsUP is expert in designing ads with high-power conversion rates. Here are ten guidelines to creating outrageous offers that out-perform. more

There are a variety of weather maps available for small media sites. In response to a reader question, we did a quick comparison of the options, looking at major functions, price, ability to place ads and keep a local brand. A couple of winners emerge. more