Online Marketing for Small Businesses | 5 Things to do Right Now
Social media marketing is an ongoing process and one which independent retailers must work to establish, maintain and grow. Having your online listings out there is key for inclusion in searches and to ensure that your location comes up “on the map”. Additionally, as the shopping habits of consumers shift even more towards mobile devices and review sites, there will be greater value to having your store or restaurant connected to multiple channels.
- Do a few online queries of your business name, address, phone number, etc. to see how it’s currently listed. For the value of being included on Google Maps and in searches where customers are entering “businesses near me”, start with Google My Business to claim, verify, correct and update your info. If you aren’t verified yet, complete all the information needed to establish the pin location non their maps and finish the process with a confirmation via phone number or mail. Once this is done you’ll show up on multiple places as a verified place and can then edit details in the My Business portal.
- Review sites are essential. Yelp, Foursquare, Trip Advisor and many others are where people go to read comments and feedback. Nothing looks worse than a page which says “Not Claimed” or is missing details and basic information. Register as a user on at least the three listed above and bring your info up to date. Don’t forget to form connections along the way with nearby businesses too!
- Helpful hint: as you are going through the process of writing “About Us” segments, adding a link to a video ad, publicity or news story, start a cheat sheet on your computer in Notepad or a similar app. When editing multiple online sites and describing the attributes of your company, male friends with “copy and paste” to save time. Just make sure that you are changing up the wording and content as required by each site; some will ask for a description of 300 words while others may allow you much more detail about specific services or types of product.
- See what works. Do some online searches for your area, industry or community and learn what keywords or relevant terms are most useful. Add descriptive explanations of your business to each image so viewers can learn more, and whenever possible add a sharing link or toolbar to facilitate your readers passing along the post or photo. And don’t forget to add signage or printed materials in your retail shop reminding customers to connect with you after the transaction!
- Online promo isn’t a one time gig. Share exciting news on your channels, post events and keep them active for best engagement. Do not let your customers visit a listing on Yelp which gives store hours of operation, only to arrive later that day and find out the new hours were not updated, or let your Facebook page sit for weeks in silence. Make a social calendar to remind yourself of important news to put out and dates to promote and edit and ensure that notification settings work to alert you to reviews being left or inquiries so you can respond promptly.
I will caution you that some folks believe “online is everything”, meaning they feel that if all the social listings are active with many followers, that is an indicator of success. It’s not. You are merely offering them a glimpse of your retail environment or storefront through these online listings, so when they walk through the actual door your presentation and service had better be top shelf. Don’t get complacent and assume that 8,510 followers means magical success — likes and shares are just numbers, but it’s the real heart and soul of your company which will bring them back again and again. Leave nothing to chance, train your employees meticulously and ensure that each customer feels valued and appreciated from the minute they find you until they walk back out that door.
I hope you gained a bit of insight about building your online business portal! Thanks for reading and check out my other sites for more great info and quick tips for making your small biz amazing.
Sincerely,
A. Baumann
Marketing Delmarva
