ReachLocal, a provider of local online marketing solutions for small and midsize businesses, announced that ReachCast, its Web presence management solution, is now available to customers. ReachCast combines a proprietary technology platform with a service team to help SMBs build and optimize their Web presence for the purpose of driving online search discovery, powering reputation management, and managing social media marketing. The release marks the company’s first new anchor platform since its original online advertising platform launch in 2004 with ReachSearch.
As part of the ReachCast service, each SMB is partnered with a WPP (Web Presence Professional), who works directly with the business to develop a strategy to meet their specific goals, starting with a consultation and initial setup of ReachCast and presence creation across Google, Facebook, Twitter and local directories. Then, in consultation with the business, the WPP regularly creates and publishes custom content, posts to social media sites, engages with fans and followers, and monitors online reputation. In addition, the WPP conducts regular calls with the business to review results and provide specific recommendations for strategies to improve organic search discovery, social engagement and the quality of their online reputation.
“We are excited to offer this unique solution that helps small business owners solve some of their most complex marketing challenges in today’s digital world. It’s no longer enough to simply have one static Website, and the demands of creating and maintaining a dynamic social Web presence are more than most small businesses can fully address,” said Zorik Gordon, co-founder and CEO of ReachLocal. “That’s why we developed ReachCast: to help SMBs connect with local consumers through a thriving Web presence without them having to worry about creating and managing it themselves.”
The ReachCast technology platform includes a cast page, which is one centralized site that serves as the hub for the SMB’s Web presence, a real-time publishing and syndication engine that distributes, or “casts,” the SMB’s content across the Web, including the Cast page and social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and a content library that provides centralized management of business information, blog posts, rich media, social media engagement, offers, reviews and testimonials.
Additional features include a proprietary radar technology that features a single stream that monitors the Web for mentions, keywords, reviews and more and a reporting engine that tracks progress over time to empower robust Web presence optimization.
“Simply put, our goal with ReachCast is to help our small business clients publish more content in more places so they can acquire, engage and retain more customers,” said Alex Hawkinson, general manager and senior vice president of ReachCast. “We’re dedicated to developing turnkey technology and services that can help small businesses effectively tackle the daunting task of managing a modern Web presence so they can focus on what they do best – running their business.”