Running a successful business requires bringing in diverse talent with expertise in various fields, and marketing is definitely no exception. For many business owners or managers, however, managing a marketer can be daunting, especially when marketing isn’t your forte. From understanding technical jargon to setting realistic expectations, navigating this relationship can be tricky. In this […]
In today’s digital age, where your online presence is absolutely crucial, your Google Business listing is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal. It’s more than just a simple directory listing—it’s a gateway for potential customers to find, learn about, and engage with your business. Here’s why maintaining an optimised Google Business profile is essential, what you can do to enhance your profile and how it can significantly impact your business’s growth.
1. Be Easily Found by Your Target Audience
One of the biggest advantages of having a Google Business listing is its ability to make your business easily discoverable. When someone searches for products or services related to your business on Google, your listing can appear in the search results and on Google Maps. This visibility is particularly important for local businesses, as most consumers tend to search for businesses “near me” when they’re ready to make a purchase. By appearing in these local searches, your business is put directly in front of potential customers who are in your area and actively seeking what you offer.
2. Boosting Local SEO
Google Business listings are integral to local search engine optimization (SEO). Google uses the information in your profile—such as your business name, location, and category—to determine when and where your business should appear in local search results. The more complete and accurate your profile, the better your chances of ranking higher in these searches. This is especially important for small businesses that rely on local customers.
3. Stand Out from the Competition
In a crowded marketplace, standing out is key. Your Google Business listing allows you to differentiate your business from competitors. A complete and well-maintained profile presents a professional image and builds trust with potential customers. It provides essential information at a glance, including your business hours, contact details, and customer reviews.
4. Showcasing Your Unique Offerings
Google Business listings also let you highlight what makes your business unique. Through the description, attributes, updates, and categories, you can showcase your specialities and the value you bring to your customers. This is where you can make a compelling case for why someone should choose your business over others.
5. Drive Traffic to Your Website
Your Google Business listing is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website. The listing includes a direct link to your site, making it easy for potential customers to learn more about your business and what you offer (and the insights will tell you how many people are clicking on this link). The more information you provide in your Google Business profile, the more likely users are to click through to your website.
6. Trackable Insights
Google provides analytics for your business listing, showing how many people viewed your profile, visited your website, requested directions, or called your business. These insights allow you to understand how well your listing is performing and where there may be opportunities for improvement. These shouldn’t be confused with the analytics for your website itself.
7. Make It Easy for Customers to Contact You
Your Google Business listing makes it easy for customers to contact you. With just one click, they can call your business, visit your website, or get directions to your location. This ease of access is crucial, especially in the age of mobile devices, where users expect quick and easy ways to connect with businesses.
8. Increase Engagement with Messaging
Google Business also offers a messaging feature that allows customers to send you messages directly from your listing. This feature is a great way to engage with potential customers in real-time, answer their questions, and guide them toward making a purchase.
9. The Importance of a Complete Profile
A complete Google Business profile is more likely to rank higher in search results and attract more customers. Google favours profiles that are fully completed, with accurate and up-to-date information. Ensure your profile includes more than just your business name, address, phone number, website, business hours, and a detailed description of your services. The more information you provide, the easier it is for customers to find and trust your business. Helpfully Google will tell you what percentage your profile is complete.
10. Enhance Your Profile with Photos
Photos are a crucial element of your Google Business listing. They allow you to visually showcase your business, products, and services, giving potential customers a better understanding of what to expect. Listings with photos receive more clicks, calls, and requests for directions than those without. Regularly update your photos to keep your profile fresh and engaging. Should anybody from Google be reading this can we please have added the functionality to sort the photos into the order we want them.
11. Types of Photos to Add
Exterior and Interior Shots: Show customers what your business looks like from the outside and inside. This helps them feel more comfortable when visiting.
Product Photos: Highlight your best-selling or unique products.
Team Photos: Introduce the people behind your business to build a personal connection.
Customer Photos: Share images of happy customers (with their permission) to build social proof.
12. Utilise Google Posts to Keep Your Audience Engaged
Google Posts is a feature that allows you to share updates, promotions, events, and news directly on your Google Business listing. These posts appear prominently on your profile, providing a great way to communicate with potential customers and keep them informed about what’s happening at your business. They also rather helpfully push further down the page, suggestions of businesses that might be competitors. If you only do one thing today – with your profile – check that you have updates visible on your profile as should you not have posted one for a while it may have expired.
13. How to Use Google Posts Effectively
Share Promotions and Offers: Highlight special deals and discounts to attract more customers.
Announce Events: Promote upcoming events to increase attendance. Remember that post updates will automatically expire after the event, freeing up space for another update.
Highlight New Products or Services: Keep your audience informed about new offerings.
Share Blog Posts or Articles: Drive traffic to your website by sharing your latest blog posts or articles.
Your Google Business listing is an essential marketing tool that can significantly impact your business’s visibility, customer engagement, and growth. By ensuring your profile is complete, adding high-quality photos, and utilizing features like Google Posts, you can stand out from the competition, attract more customers, and drive traffic to your website. Don’t overlook this powerful tool—optimize your Google Business listing today and watch your business thrive.
14. Make sure that you have claimed you profile
Even if you never set up a Google Business profile, Google may well have set up one for your business. If you don’t claim it however you will not be able to edit it or post updates.
15. Make sure that you have more than one person with admin rights to the Profile
If you only have one person as an admin to your page and that person leaves the business you could lose access to your page. Having more than one admin spreads the workload and also means that potential customers interacting are likely to get a fast response.
We hope that you find these tips useful. If it all sounds just too much hassle (and in most cases it shouldn’t be), then why not get us to manage your profile for you. For more tips on how to leverage digital marketing tools like Google Business, feel free to contact Prestbury Marketing & Consulting. We’re here to help!
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, businesses have a tremendous opportunity to connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive growth. However, navigating the intricacies of social media marketing can be challenging, leading to common mistakes that hinder success. In this blog post, we explore the emotional rollercoaster of the top 10 most common mistakes businesses make with social media. So get ready to learn from these pitfalls, ensuring your social media journey is the best that it can be.
Neglecting a Clear Strategy:
Without a well-defined social media strategy, businesses can find themselves lost in the vast sea of platforms and content possibilities. Don’t fall into the trap of aimlessly posting without purpose and create a comprehensive strategy that aligns with your business goals, target audience, and brand identity.
Failing to Understand the Target Audience:
Every successful social media campaign begins with a deep understanding of the target audience. Only by having a clear picture of who is target customer can you create content that resonates with your audience on a profound level. Learn how to conduct thorough audience research, identify their needs and desires, and tailor your content to create an emotional bond that fosters loyalty and engagement. Think about what will interest your target market.
Inconsistent Brand Voice:
Inconsistency in your brand voice can lead to confusion and disengagement. Avoid mixed messaging and discover the power of a consistent and authentic brand voice. Ensure your brand’s personality shines through in every social media interaction, fostering trust and building a strong emotional connection with your audience.
Lack of Engaging Content:
Nothing dampens the spirit of social media like boring, uninspiring content. Create engaging content that captivates and sparks conversation. Fully utilise the power of storytelling, visual appeal, and interactive elements to keep your audience coming back for more.
Ignoring Social Listening:
Social listening is the key to understanding your audience’s sentiments, preferences, and pain points. Don’t miss opportunities for meaningful engagement and unlock the power of social listening to gather insights, address customer concerns, and tailor your content strategy to meet their evolving needs.
Overlooking Community Management:
Neglecting community management can result in a sense of isolation and detachment from your audience. The importance of active engagement cannot be overstated, responding to comments and messages, and fostering a sense of community around your brand. Explore the emotional rewards of building genuine relationships and the impact it has on your business’s reputation and customer loyalty.
Overpromotion and Salesy Tactics:
Constant self-promotion and aggressive sales tactics can alienate your audience and evoke feelings of annoyance and frustration. Discover the art of balanced promotion, where value-driven content takes centre stage and sales messages are seamlessly integrated. Learn how to build trust and credibility through authenticity and providing meaningful solutions to your audience’s pain points.
Neglecting Analytics and Data:
Making decisions without analyzing data can leave you lost and directionless. Uncover the power of analytics and data-driven insights – to see what really works and engages with your audience. Leverage social media analytics to track performance, measure ROI, and optimize your strategies for maximum impact.
Inconsistent Posting Schedule:
Inconsistency in posting can lead to a sense of disconnection and lead to missed engagement opportunities. Avoid sporadic posting and uncover the benefits of a consistent and well-planned content schedule. Regular posting keeps your audience engaged and eager for your next update.
Lack of Adaptability:
Social media is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape, and businesses must be adaptable to stay ahead. What worked yesterday may not work today.
Ask yourself – how many of these ten mistakes are you guilty of? If your business could do with some help with your Social Media Marketing then email Darren Stevens – darren.stevens@prestburymarketing.co.uk for an initial, no obligation discussion.
Darren Stevens from Prestbury Marketing is taking part in a free online Seminar on 23rd June organised by Eagle Tower titled “How to make your New Business soar”. It is specifically aimed at people who are thinking about starting a new business or have recently done so,
Starting a new business can be a very exciting time. But it can also be daunting, with so much to think about and do. Eagle Tower have put together a line up of experts that will cover all the basics you need to know from a legal, financial, marketing and sales perspective.
Darren’s session “The ten Marketing things your business should be doing” acknowledges that one of the daunting things when you start a new business is the seemingly endless list of things on your marketing “to do list”. Some of these can appear quite technical and with others you can spend endless hours trying to craft the perfect message. The sheer choice of marketing options can be bewildering and often one of the hardest questions facing you will be – “how much marketing is enough”.
With over 30 years’ marketing experience, Darren will in this highly practical session provide clarity on what he considers are the 10 most important marketing things any start up or early stage business should be doing.
The pandemic has caused people to re-evaluate what they are doing with their lives and this is expected to lead to an increase in people deciding to set up their own business.
The event also features speakers from Eagle Tower, Hazlewoods, JV Consultancy and Hughes Paddison.
Anyone wishing to reserve a space can do so here.
We are helping Clean Air Cheltenham spread the word about a volunteer position to become their Publicity Co-ordinator. The position would obviously be ideal for anybody who can share the organisation’s passion for the subject. The opportunity would enable somebody to gain practical experience in this field and demonstrate a track record of achievement. More details including how to apply can be found below.
The role of Voluntary Publicity Coordinator requires:
Work will entail:
Time commitment: In the short-term this will require approximately 2 hours per week which will increase at times of special events.
Future plans/events: The kinds of events they would like the Coordinator to promote will range from online poetry workshops, interdisciplinary webinars (linking air quality, health, transport and technology), as well as events with a national outreach, such as Clean Air Day (June 2021) and Car Free Day (September 2021).
To apply, please email: Caroline Sherwood caroline@cleanaircheltenham.org with a short explanation of why you would like this voluntary position, and details of relevant experience.
Closing date: 10th February 2021
Background to Clean Air Cheltenham
Clean Air Cheltenham aims to improve the air quality in Cheltenham by:
Clean Air Cheltenham recognises the critical role air quality plays in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. The quality of the air is of central importance to the well-being of all, as well as being of particular concern to those who suffer from respiratory disease, to parents and children and to the elderly.
Membership is open to anyone over 16 years old who supports the aims of Clean Air Cheltenham. There is no charge for membership and members join through the website by opting in to receive newsletters and updates.
At this time of year and after this year of all years, now is the time when many are reviewing what they currently doing and considering taking the plunge and starting their own business. This is not a decision to take lightly though, so we thought we would shares some tips on what you need to do.
Things to do before you make the decision
Ask yourself why you want to do this? Phrases like being your own boss are often quoted and we understand that motivation. Many start up businesses quickly find though that their customers start to feel like “bosses” because of their expectations and demands. Others decide to go it alone to do what they love. That is fine but ask yourself is this the only way you can achieve this? It is not that we are against starting up businesses (after all we did that ourselves nearly 11 years ago), but we do find that most start up businesses underestimate how much hard work it will be.
Work out how much you want/need to earn. Then estimate what your fixed and variable costs will be and you will soon have an idea of how much you will need to turnover to realise your aspirations. Break this down into months and how many sales you need to do (or if you are offering services the number of hours you need to work) and remember the need to consider the fact that not all enquiries or expressions of interest will turn into sales. You have some of the elements of a business plan now and something to gauge your progress against.
Try and assess the level of demand for what you intend to offer. Ask potential customers would they be interested in what you intend to offer, what price they would expect to pay and where if they were looking for it, would they look. Wrong assumptions at this stage can be crucial. For example if you plan to sell an item for £25 and people expect to pay £18, you need to justify that premium and anticipate that some people, even those that want what you are selling may be put off. Also look out for competitors. If they are there – ask yourself how you will compare and standout? If they are not there, then just maybe that indicates there are not enough people looking for what you intend to offer/do in that area.
After the decision to go-ahead.
This is where the hard work really starts. This is not an exhaustive list but some of the key things you need to do.
Create a “to do list” and start to plot these in some sort of calendar or plan. This will help you put things into the right order, determine your priorities and highlight interdependencies. It also will help you drive your activity and help maintain momentum – “what I need to get done this week”. Beware the temptation to keep delaying things to get “all your ducks in a row”. Try and categorise things, maybe into “must haves” and “nice to haves”.
Finalise what you are going to offer (your products or services) and how and where you are going to offer this. In part this is about where you intend to operate but it is equally about your routes to market.
Settle on a business name. Remember to check Companies House to see if somebody is already using it and for similar reason google the name you are considering. Check the Government website for trademarks (remember that even if there is a clash if they operate in a different field or class this may not a be a show stopper) and that there is a domain name that matches or is very close to your name. We use 123 reg but there are other providers. If you are planning to operate internationally check on how your name translates and what its meaning is in different languages.
Create a logo for your name. This will be the visual representation of your name and will feature on everything you produce and you will also need it for your website, business cards, social media etc. You can try and do this yourself, but we usually find using the services of a professional designer is better in the long run.
Remember the practicalities. If you are going to be limited company register the business with Companies House. Set up a business bank account, take on an accountant and consider what premises, equipment or software you need from day one. Think about what insurances you need, what laws and regulations you must comply with and whether you will register your trademark at the outset. The latter of these is usually advisable if you have aspirations to grow your business. Think about what services and suppliers you need or in the short term what skills gaps you have if you are going to “insource” elements e.g. bookkeeping. Organisations like the Growth Hub which supports Gloucestershire businesses can be a great help. If you are outside Gloucestershire you will probably have your own equivalent.
Consider whether (or when) you will have a website. Determine how you are going to get it produced e.g. do it yourself or via a web company (we can help you find one). Create a brief of what the site will contain and make sure to look at lots of competitors. A common preference is for a light or uncluttered site but remember you are designing it for Google as much as you are the end user and a site with too few pages or words can struggle to rank. Remember you will need copy and photographs for your site (very often a stumbling block) and that you will need to pay for a domain name and to host your website. Make sure you set up your Google My Business profile and when your site is live make sure it has Google Analytics installed.
Decide what social media platforms you are going to use and set up your profiles. Remember to think what social media platforms your potential customers use and look at what your competitors are using. If you do not know how to do this organisations such as ourselves can do this for you. We also offer training and advice on how to make the best use of social media and also offer an outsourced service if required. You can find information on our social media services here.
Decide what if any local business groups you might want to join. We are members of the Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce and Circle 2 Success (we are happy to share why we have chosen these two if you want to get in touch) but we have been members of the Institute of Directors and Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce in the past and many small businesses choose to join the Federation of Small Businesses.
Decide on how you are going to promote your business. We come across far too many businesses who have inadvertently become the best kept secret. A great first step is to identify your target customers and make a list of the different ways that you can reach them. Some marketing will jump straight to generating a sale, but more often than not you will find you will need to take them through a process. For most businesses the steps in this will be making them aware of you and what you do, creating a positive impression and then creating enough desire for what you offer for them to get in touch. It is a good idea at the outset to set a budget for how much you are going to spend on marketing in the first year. This provides a great framework for decision making and will greatly minimise the chances of costs running away. Remember the importance of repetition and reinforcement to guide your potential customers through your process. Also don’t forget to make the most of free sources e.g. social media, recommendations and referrals.
We hope that this list isn’t too daunting and that you will find it useful. Running your own business is very hard work, but it is also very rewarding. For us for example we get a great buzz out of the progress we see our clients making with our help. If you do think that you would benefit from some professional help with your marketing please get in touch.
Many businesses are quieter than they would ordinarily be at the moment. Some are laying off staff, others are furloughing employees. But in our view this is a golden opportunity for many to do what they ordinarily might struggle to – work on the business, rather than in the business (to be clear though you […]
We are most definitely living and working in a period of unprecedented change, where almost everything that we have accepted to be normal is changed for the forseeable future, “thanks” to Coronavirus. Here at Prestbury Marketing we come into daily “virtual” contact with many businesses and it has been both heartening and quite remarkable the way many businesses are seeking to re-invent themselves towards a new way of doing business. Many people in leadership positions though, may not even have had to market their business in a recession, yet alone these circumstances. We offer in this blog our initial thoughts on things you might want to consider from a marketing perspective.
Don’t waste money
Seems an obvious one but now more than ever it is vital that you ensure you are getting value for money. Track the impact of any marketing that you are running. Ask yourself three questions. Firstly, are you going to be able to handle or fulfill any enquiries that you can get. After yesterday’s statement by the Prime Minister, Pubs, Restaurants and Cafes are not going to be able to, but many other businesses ability to deal with enquiries has been affected as well. Secondly, is the mindset of the customer likely to be in the right place? Whether you are marketing to consumers or business customers, their minds may be on other things. In much the same way that peoples’ minds are on other things at Christmas and when they are on summer holiday, people are very much focussing on different things right now (at least in the very short term). Finally look closely at how the marketing is performing – is there any evidence to suggest that performance is deteriorating.
Depending on the answers to these questions, you may well need to take action, but what are your options? This will differ from business to business, depending on what forms of marketing you are currently running. Can you pause activity? In some cases like pay per click or boosted Facebook posts you will be able to pause activity straight away and the only charge you may be left with, is the management charge if you are having this activity run for you. In other cases you may be contractually bound to run what you have booked, but maybe they will agree for you to defer the activity to when things pick up as they inevitably will. Numerous studies have shown from past recessions though that those businesses that continue to market through a recession emerge stronger and faster than those that did not.
Keep communication channels open and up-to-date
If your opening hours change then make sure that you update these on your website and your Google My Business Profile. Make sure that you download the Google My Business app and the apps for the social media channels that you are active on, so that if potential or actual customers choose to contact you though these mediums, then you will be aware and respond promptly. Use the Google My Business post functionality to let people know what you are doing.
Innovate and adapt
This will not be an option for all businesses, but it will be for many. If a service or product you offer is no longer in demand what else can you do? A special mention here for our Stationery, Office Supplies and IT Business Officeworx. With many businesses asking employees to work from home, demand for some of their services is likely to tail off. They responded immediately to the prospect of schools closing and launched HomeSchool Packs this week, that they have been actively promoting on social media.
We are seeing a lot of demand for our services, but the nature of what we are working on is just very different to what it was as little as a week ago.
Use the time well to be in the best possible position for when things do recover
What aspects of your marketing could you use this period to focus on? Maybe it might be the organic ranking of your website that could be improved through Search Engine Optimisation. For some it might be the ideal time to replace your outdated website or perhaps less dramatic adding those customer testimonials or case studies that you always intended to. For some people that are less busy you may find them more receptive to requests to leave you reviews on Google My Business (if you have used our services and haven’t left us a review before, please feel free to do so).
Maintain a presence and visibility
Whilst now for many people this will be time to conserve funds it is vital that you maintain some visibility. Keep up your activity on social media and fully utilise your Google My Business posts. Blog regularly, particularly if you have knowledge or guidance that will be helpful in the current situation.
Think of others ……..
Here at Prestbury Marketing we have always been great advocates of Corporate Social Responsibility and putting something back into the community we live and work in. This is even more the case in difficult times like these, where the needs will be even greater. In Gloucestershire, the charity CCP has launched an appeal for donations, financial and actual goods or volunteering, to help the charity respond to the inevitable increase in demand for emergency food parcels. Please support it if you can. Maybe you are a pub, restaurant, or cafe that is being forced to close that wants to see perishable or date limited food put to good use or a business that has resources that you can contribute?
We hope that we have given you some food for thought here (pun intended). We are happy respond to any specific queries that you may have, having read this blog. Please do not hesitate to get in touch.
This is one of the most common questions we are asked. To be clear this is not usually in the context of whether or not the site is down, but more a matter of, is it being found as well as it should be and is it making the most of the visitors it does […]
Marketing in today’s multi-channel, digital world can sometimes feel a bit a confusing with so many options and an almost endless “to do list”. To make your life just that bit easier we have listed some of our favourite tools. Listed below in no particular order we hope you find the list to be useful. […]
The Challenges of Managing a Marketer When You Are Not a Marketer – And How to Overcome Them12th September 2024 - 9:40 amRunning a successful business requires bringing in diverse talent with expertise in various fields, and marketing is definitely no exception. For many business owners or managers, however, managing a marketer can be daunting, especially when marketing isn’t your forte. From understanding technical jargon to setting realistic expectations, navigating this relationship can be tricky. In this […]