TalkLocal's Manpreet Singh Offered Tips for Publishers Looking to Enhance Innovation

BEDFORD, Pa. - Nov. 4, 2016 - PRLog -- TalkLocal co-founder Manpreet Singh spoke at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA)  92nd annual convention taking place Nov. 2-4 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford, PA. On the second day of the conference, Manpreet joined a panel of digital publishers and technology providers to discuss strategies for evaluating and integrating innovative new technology for digital newspapers. Manpreet also shared a case study regarding TalkLocal's partnership with a local publication. TalkLocal is a participant in LaunchPad, an initiative by the PNA to connect publishers with tech providers. TalkLocal also powers Salt Lake City Weekly's new local directory site called Utah Service Match.

Manpreet offers TalkLocal's technology to publishers to like Salt Lake City Weekly to help them compete with the AIs, on-demand services, and other smart local search experiences while tapping into a hard-to-access revenue source: small businesses that rarely advertise online. According to Manpreet, "traditional advertising doesn't drive as much revenue as it used to, so publishers need to innovate to thrive."

Utah Service Match, for example, lets people describe their service needs and stand by to get matched to the right local pro by phone. In seconds, TalkLocal filters out companies based on location, reviews, availability, and more. Up to three top-matching businesses listen to the job details and then opt into a conversation in real time; paying companies get charged a small flat rate each time they speak to a customer through the service. The streamlined experience attracts engagement from readers who expect speed and customization from local search platforms. Plus, the pay-per-conversation business model attracts businesses who value phone calls and hesitate to pay for advertising that doesn't guarantee a healthy return on investment.

"I'm extremely proud of our integrations with news publishers because their revenue needs are about more than the bottom line; it's about keeping the fourth estate and its investigative reporting capacity robust and groundbreaking. Because if the fourth estate is broke, then our democracy will end up broken," Manpreet explained.

TalkLocal (http://www.talklocal.com) has raised $4 million in venture and Angel funds, served customers in 49 states, and delivered nearly 2.5 million calls to matching businesses to date. It offers 50 service categories including roofing, accountants, and heating and cooling. Request a service by messaging @TalkLocal on Facebook or download the app for free from iOS, Google Play, or Amazon Echo.