Hello again and welcome to your favorite recurring segment on the CallRail blog, News You Can Use. Once or twice a month, we review the latest marketing and technology news and summarize the most important headlines for you. Staying informed doesn't just make you a good citizen, it's good for business. So, without further ado, here's some news you can most definitely use: 1) Facebook Marketplace expands to home service listings (Facebook Newsroom) On May 23, Facebook expanded its Marketplace listings to include home service providers. In addition to individual sellers and local businesses, consumers will now be able to view home service providers in their area, along with reviews, locations and credentials.
In the employee email database United States, more people are asking for home service recommendations on Facebook than on any other topic," said Deb Liu, vice president of Facebook's Marketplace. “Since the start of the year, millions of people have asked their friends for suggestions for home services, such as housekeepers, plumbers and contractors.”As part of the rollout, Facebook has partnered with Handy, HomeAdvisor, and Porch to show listings of home services relevant to your area. The new Marketplace will be rolled out to all Facebook users gradually over the next few weeks. Read more: Generate More Leads and Inbound Calls from Facebook: Understanding the Basics of Facebook for BusinessHome services is a booming industry, with total revenues estimated at over $600 billion in 2017 alone. For marketers, the industry's growth and resilience is as close to a safe bet you might ask.
Washington and Beijing finalize deal to rescue embattled Chinese telecoms ZTE (Washington Post)Fears of a trade war between the United States and China have eased somewhat with news that the Trump administration is finalizing a deal to remove penalties on ZTE, a major Chinese maker of phones and software. The United States has imposed stiff penalties for doing business with ZTE over allegations that the company violated international export law. Under these new restrictions, the US Department of Commerce banned US companies from selling phone parts to ZTE, a move that nearly crippled the telecom giant in just a few months. But now, in an apparent about-face, the Trump administration is striking a deal to exempt ZTE from sanctions and allow it to resume trade with U.S. manufacturers. Although the deal is still in its early stages, the move marks a de-escalation of Trump's budding trade war with China, in return for key concessions from Beijing.