Tag Archives: internet marketing

Google is now officially allowing businesses, brands and other organizations to join the Google+ social network. Initially, Google+ was only open to people; Google deleted any accounts that tried to use a personal account for their company. Companies and brands are now welcome on Google+, which will open up a whole new world of social media marketing tactics to explore.

Create Your Page

Business owners can now use the Create a Page tool, found on their Google+ homepage to create a page for their company. Like Facebook, you must create a business page by using a personal account. The owner of that personal account then becomes the sole administrator of the page. Unlike Facebook, Google+ only allows one person to be the administrator of a page. However, this is expected to change in the coming weeks. If you have a social media manager for your company, be sure this is the person who creates the Google+ company page.

Once you click the Create a Page button, you will be prompted to choose between the following categories:

• Local Business or Place
• Product or Brand
• Company, Institution or Organization
• Arts, Entertainment or Sports
• Other

Determine which category your business best fits in and create your page.

Local Business Pages

Local Business Pages are different than the other pages on Google+. These pages are meant to allow followers to connect easily with the physical location of that business. Local business pages include a map to show people where to find the business location as well as the address, phone number and hours of operation. Even if you’ve already claimed your local business on Google Places, you still need to add your business to Google+. The two are completely separate applications: Google+ is a social network meant to engage and build relationships with fans whereas Google Places should be used to help potential customers find your business location when searching on Google.

Using Google+ as a Page

Once your page is created, you’ll have the ability to choose whether you want to act as yourself or your business page. When you’re acting as your page you’re able to do many of the same things you can do using a personal account, such as share photos, videos and links, conduct hangouts, etc. One restriction put on pages is that you cannot follow someone as a page until that person adds you to one of their circles. Here are some more things to pay attention to as a page on Google+

• Like Facebook, on Google+ it’s okay to create multiple pages on one personal account.
• Pages show the +1 count on their page. This shows all the people who have +1’d the entire site.
• Google will be launching a new badge for brands to share online (on their site, blog, etc.) to encourage people to add them to circles and +1 their business.
• If someone searches for your business using the Google search bar with a + symbol before the business name (i.e. +local splash) they can be taken directly to the Google+ page where they can follow the business.

Google+ for business is still very new and many of the kinks are still being worked out. Some features are expected to be added, enhanced or even possibly removed in the next coming weeks so be sure to pay attention to this growing social network.

Businesses often think of social media purely as a marketing tool. These days, however, companies like the airline JetBlue are beginning to see its customer service potential. There are many ways social media networks such as Twitter can be used to aid in customer service.

One reason why Twitter is so valuable for customer service is because it updates in real-time. This means the company will be able to view and correct customer service issues as soon as the customer posts a complaint. The other main appeal is that this exchange between the customer and the business is in the public eye. This means the customer complaint, as well as how the company handles and resolves the issue, can be seen by others. This can be an excellent way to earn the trust of potential customers.

In order to utilize this powerful tool in your customer service department, you must make sure your customers know the communication line is open. Invite your customers to follow you on Twitter by promoting it on your website, blog, landing page, business listings, in your advertising and offline at your business location. Once your customers are following you on Twitter, be the first to share information about your company and the industry as well as promotions and entertaining information. “Tweet” periodically encouraging them to “mention” you or contact you via direct message with any questions, concerns, etc. to let them know you’re listening and ready to help.

Is someone complaining about your company on Twitter? Respond to them first! Make sure their issue gets resolved as soon as possible and your company will be seen as attentive and trustworthy by other Twitter users. JetBlue is an example of a company that uses Twitter mostly for customer support. If a customer mentions JetBlue in a post that says something negative, they respond right away so others can see how well the company dealt with the issue when they visit its page. Just be sure to have someone monitoring Twitter closely, otherwise this tactic will not be nearly as effective.

Using Twitter to resolve customer service issues not only builds trust and shows them that you care about their problems, but shows your customers you’re a tech-savvy, up-to-date company. Maintaining open dialogues with customers by allowing them to contact you directly through this social network as well as sharing useful information will encourage your followers to share your company’s news and positive reviews with others.

Follow Local Splash on Twitter

Social media marketing is essential in today’s market for certain types of businesses. However, it can be difficult to understand how to utilize social media networks like Facebook to help drive traffic to your website and sales. There are many myths and truths flying around the Internet which can lead a newbie to misunderstand what’s really important when marketing via Facebook. Here are four Facebook marketing myths debunked provided by Marketing Profs.

Myth: If people are clicking on “Like,” they’re engaging with my brand. The reality is that it takes a lot more to engage an audience than just “liking” your page. What are you posting that interests them once they become a fan? If you aren’t keeping them entertained or informed, they won’t be paying any attention to your business. In a few weeks, they’ll “unlike” your page because your posts are irrelevant to them on their news feed. This is not what you want to happen. So engage! Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes when writing posts and make sure what you’re posting is interesting and newsworthy.

Myth: The only people who will interact with my Facebook page are angry ex-customers. A well-planned social media campaign will help control the negative people or spammers who post unwanted comments on your page. Although there is no way of stopping people who are going to post negative thoughts about your brand, there will also be plenty of clients that want to share their positive stories. Facebook makes it easy to remove unwanted comments and notifies you as soon as a comment is posted. These comments are helpful from a customer service standpoint because you can contact the unhappy campers who are posting and resolve the issues. Bottom line, don’t fear the negative comments; you can easily control what is seen by others on your business Facebook page.

Myth: I don’t need rules for my Facebook contest. When you’re giving away prizes, the legal ramifications can be complicated. Be sure to consult a legal professional before you begin your contest and make sure the rules are crystal clear to the players. Also, make sure to stay on top of enforcing the rules and disallow participation for any trouble makers that may arise.

Want more social media marketing tips? Check out our blog, 7 Social Media Strategies You Need to Know.

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