Hyperlocal, Facebook and ‘Like’

I was thinking about hyperlocal a bit more recently and how the real issue hasn’t as yet been solved. That is, why there isn’t a definitive ‘thing’ that people do once they need to find local information, and why we haven’t seen a ‘giant’ taking it on.

I mean, there are a number of sites that do a pretty good job of getting there - patch.com is a good example, but there’s still a whole host of alternatives vying for the local marketplace.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this goes: Facebook’s places and ‘like’. I put a ‘like’ button on this site, but mostly for fun. However, there’s something of a pattern emerging here, and it goes like this:

• Local businesses have a ‘like’ button on their website
• Your friends say they ‘like’  a particular business
• You have a link to a recommended business

How’s this important for location? Well, I’d argue that location is the final piece of this jigsaw. Say I need a plumber, as our boiler has gone up the spout (again). I could turn to yell.com and pick one at random. Or, I could pick one that my friends recommend. That’d be better – businesses that come recommended by friends are slightly more trustworthy.

But I’ve got friends in Australia. How do I make sure that I choose a local one?

I’d suggest that your best bet for a plumber would be one with the most recommendations, who doesn’t live far away from you.

So therefore I’d say plumber choice = (max (recommendations) * min (distance))

Now I’m not sure what Facebook has up its sleeve, but this may be where things are going. Link business to customers via recommendations and distance, and you’ve got trusted hyperlocal.

Are Facebook planning this? I don’t know. But it’s worth a think about.