Are you a small to medium business owner?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of marketing, especially when there are bigger players in the game, who seem to dominate your local market?
You’ve probably been to a marketing seminar, listened to a podcast or an Insta-savvy family member and been told that you absolutely must be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The ONE marketing platform you need
What if we told you about a marketing platform that is free, low-maintenance, and genuinely overpowered for local businesses?
Plus? You don’t need Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even a website to make it work for you.
Check it out: Google My Business.
You might have seen Google My Business ‘cards’ pop up when you search on Google.
You might even have a Google My Business profile already. They appear on the top right-hand side of the page and look like the image to the right.
Google My Business is a platform for business profiles, allowing you to create an online profile and manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Think of it like an old-school Yellow Pages listing on (heaps of) steroids.
Why is Google My Business so powerful for local businesses?
It really comes down to two reasons:
- The fact that Google is embedded in the way we search for and discover information. ‘Just Google it’.
- The fact that Google is amazing at delivering relevant information when we search for it.
Get found on Google
More and more, our buying decisions are being made off the back of information we find on Google. When was the last time that you visited a new café, mechanic, or physio without consulting Google at some point?
Whether you did a quick search and checked them out via Maps, Search or Images, more than likely you’ve taped into a Google product.
Once you’re searching for a business, product or service on a Google platform, their algorithms have become extremely good at providing options tailored for your location, time of day, day of week, and particular service requirement.
This is why Google My Business is so good for local businesses. It’s like having all your potential leads pre-qualified.
People are searching via Google when they are ready to buy, so when your business pops up in their search, they automatically have the direct link to your specific method of contact and a whole stack of information at their fingertips.
By having a Google My Business listing, you jump the queue into prime position in search results and map discovery.
The more complete your Google My Business profile, the more chances you have of being discovered by a potential client. And the more information they can learn about you before they ever call you, visit your website or walk in your door.
We regularly see ‘Discovery’ statistics of our clients well into the thousands per month. That’s thousands of potential customers seeing your business listing on Google.
How to get the most out of Google My Business:
1. Get verified today.
If you haven’t already, log into Google My Business and begin the verification process. This process can sometimes take weeks due to international postal delivery, so get the process started ASAP.
2. Fill out all the information you possibly can.
Don’t skimp here. Aim to make your Google My Business profile as complete as possible. Every piece of information you add gives Google the best chance of delivering your content to a potential customer. Includes all the relevant details and let customers know exactly how you can solve their problems. Make sure you include your contact details so people can get in touch.
3. Photos, photos, and more photos
Upload your logo and include photos of your shopfront, staff, products, vehicles, project before & after photos, carpark, packaging and any relevant behind-the-scenes previews. Photos are often the most highly viewed detail on a Google My Business listing, so make the most of this opportunity to set an expectation of the quality of your service or product.
4. Ask for (and get) good reviews.
Do whatever you can to have your customers submit a review on Google. In the eyes of a prospective customer, reviews carry a lot of weight. A business that has 20 reviews and a 5-star rating is arguably a better business that the competitor who has a single review of 4-stars.
It goes without saying that there’s incredible value in having an active presence on social media and building a user-friendly, informative website.
And if you have these assets, make sure you link them to your Google My Business listing.
But if you don’t have them yet, your Google My Business listing will be working hard to increase your visibility online and give you a presence on Google.
At The Marketing Side, we’re all about sustainable business practices, especially when it comes digital marketing. Google My Business is a brilliant option when you need to get the best bang for your buck.
Don’t have time?
Struggling for the time or energy to invest into Google My Business? Or would you just like the experts to get you set up with some well thought out copy, all the right details and some sweet photography? We do Google My Business setups!