Change is a Prominent Theme as TalkLocal's Manpreet Singh Joins Oppenheimer Panel in Boston

BOSTON - Aug. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- TalkLocal co-founder Manpreet Singh will speak at the Oppenheimer 19th Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference in Boston, MA. Singh's panel is on the first day of the two-conference. The discussion will focus on local advertising and feature Angie's List CEO Scott Durchslag and Gannett's SVP Maribel Perez Wadsworth. The announcement comes at a fortuitous time for each company. Angie's List announced that the company is removing its paywall and allowing customers to access some features for free. The newspaper publisher Gannett, meanwhile, announced the ~$156 million purchase of ReachLocal, a major digital marketing services company. Finally, TalkLocal recently added individual business profile pages to its website and announced a skill on Amazon's voice AI device, Echo.

Companies in the local digital advertising space are always changing because we're in an exciting, dynamic industry. The Oppenheimer lineup represents that," Singh explained.

The only privately funded startup represented on the panel, TalkLocal is a local services marketplace that lets people search online and get matched and connected to the right local pros by phone. With digital marketing and consumer technology always changing, Manpreet argues that TalkLocal bridges the gap between the latest consumer technology and local businesses who aren't as quick to change.

"Through partnerships and tech integrations, local advertising innovators are helping businesses reach customers without forcing them to adopt new technology or platforms too frequently," Singh noted.

According to Manpreet, digital assistants and location-based marketing each represent some of the day's biggest trends in digital marketing. Comparing the latest trend to the transition in the car industry from pure machinery to computerized features, he notes that these marketing tactics have become so sophisticated that, like fixing a software problem in a car, do-it-yourself is becoming less of an option.

"Social media, search engine optimization, and email marketing, these were techniques businesses could do themselves, if often poorly. Today's marketing technology leverages artificial intelligence, GPS, and troves of data," Singh 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. Download the app for free from iOS, Google Play, or Amazon Echo.