Google My Business or GMB is by far the best tool to help you market and grow your business locally. It is user-friendly, free, and can be used by any business owner. If you know it’s ins and outs and take advantage of the convenience it brings, you will easily grow your client base and up your sales.
Understanding & Getting Started with Google My Business
Google My Business is the key to advertising your services or products and reaching more people within your target area. It guarantees online visibility by ensuring your business appears on the front page of the search engine and Google Maps. When users look for services related to what you offer, they can easily find you.
Your business, location, service descriptions, working hours, customer reviews, etc. will be easily accessible. This will make it easier for them to familiarize themselves with your business and locate you.
Your GMB profile allows you to quickly address questions and respond to comments. Which communicates professionalism and integrity. Customer reviews reassure potential clients of your legitimacy and exceptional services or products. They are the key to attracting more people, increasing your revenue, and boosting your SEO.
5 Key Features:
- Your Business Description:
Add a description of what you do on your profile and help your customers to better understand your business. Write the most important information and be honest about your offers. Your description is limited to 750 characters so make the most of it.
Use the ‘Primary Category’ section when setting up your account and choose one that best describes your business type. Google will display your profile based on your choice.
- Posts:
Use posts to tell your clients about a new offer, discounts, product updates, or upcoming competitions. Add the right image and add a call-to-action to encourage them to make a purchase. Posts are a great way of attracting as well as engaging with users. You can add up to 10 images.
You can also share video posts with your audience. Your video should be 30 seconds and no more than 100MB. They are a great way of marketing your business and briefly explaining your new offers.
- Direct messaging:
Never miss an inquiry. Use this feature to directly communicate with your clients. Make sure you are available during the listed working hours and always respond to comments, questions, and feedback.
Direct texts make it easy for you to market to your potential customers and introduce new exciting offers while they are interested. Activate it by going to the GMB dashboard and clicking on ‘Message.’
- Photos:
As a business owner, you want to uphold your company’s reputation and ensure your profile stands out. So, pick the right photos that represent your brand well. Your choice will determine how many people get drawn to your page, go over your profile, and develop an interest in doing business with you. Hire a professional photographer or do it yourself. Use image editing software for the best results. For instance, Adobe Photoshop.
- Customer reviews:
Add customer reviews to your page to show and assure prospective clients of the quality of your services. When they see comments from satisfied customers, they will want to do business with you. This is because people often make buying decisions based on social reviews or someone else’s experience with your product.
Ask satisfied customers to review your business and add it to your page. If you can get 8 or more new people each month you are set to go. To make it easier, ask every willing client to send a direct message detailing their experience with your service or product. Remember to take note of both positive reviews and negative ones. Send a “Thank you” message to every assessment.
You can also collect your reviews via email, social media platforms, for the convenience it brings, you will easily grow your client base and boost your sales.