Are You Making the Most of Google Local?

It has been almost 4 years since Google launched the Google Local Business Center, but it still amazes me that many businesses, small business in particular, and not taking any steps to boost their profile here.

Considering that for many searches now, there are 10 Google Local results listed before the rest of the results, see here for example,  it seems that far too many people are ignoring this huge potential source of traffic. Free traffic, no less!

So, if you’re one and you don’t know where to begin, here’s a few tips to get you started:

Find or Add Your Site.
Head over to http://www.google.com/local/add and sign in with your Google Account info. Click Add New Business, and start completing the info – name, address, etc.
Once you click Next, you may well find that your business is already listed. Just click Claim Listing. If it’s not there, select Add New Listing instead.

Take Control.
Obviously you don’t want just anyone to be able to change your listing information, so Google has a couple of ways to verify that you have the right to edit this account. By far the easiest is the phone method. If you are sitting by the work phone, Google will give you a PIN on the screen, and then call you at the phone number they have. Enter the PIN and you’re all set.
If that’s not possible the alternative is to have them mail you a postcard with the PIN. This can take a couple of weeks.
It is worth telling everyone in the office to keep an eye out for this card. It’s easily mistaken for junk mail and tossed, which will require you to start again.

Build Out Your Listing.
This isn’t the Yellow Pages. It doesn’t cost you any extra to make your listing an all-singing, all dancing ad that shows off how great your company is. You can add up to 10 photos, so do so – not just a logo, but anything else that you think may help. Put in your office hours, types of payments accepted, even add in up to 5 Youtube videos. Really take some time and add in all the bells and whistles that you can.

Monitor the Results.
As well as seeing the traffic on your website analytics reports, Google also provides rolling stats of the last 30 days, with the number of impressions and clicks that your listing generated. You might very well be amazed at just how much traffic is now coming your way. As an added bonus they even offer the ability to show coupons. These are branded with the Google logo and a bar code so when your customer requests their free cup of coffee with any sandwich/car wax with any full service wash/website evaluation/whatever, you’ll know just where they came from.

Have you had any success with Google Local? Please let us know.

February Social Media Star: Traci Bisson

February’s social media star is Traci Bisson of Bisson Barcelona, LLC, an image management, high-visibility public relations and social marketing firm, and The Mom Entrepreneur. I personally think Traci is brilliant in how she’s harnessed social media to build The Mom Entrepreneur support group, which is an online group of mom entrepreneurs who provide support, advice, etc. to one another.

Traci came up with the idea of the Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shop, a site that offers discounts from businesses owned by moms in the group. She’s promoted it on the popular Help a Reporter Out email, via a Twitter party, traditional media relations and more, and it’s been successful for many moms in the group.

Here is our interview with Traci:

Tell us what you do:

I support mom entrepreneurs by offering tips, advice and resources for balancing motherhood and running a business. This is done through our suite of blogs, online support group, co-op shop and PR and marketing services.

How did you come up with the idea for the Mom Entrepreneur?

I searched for years to find a group that offered support for mom entrepreneurs. When I could not find anything, I eventually gave up. I started searching again in early 2008. I finally decided to create the support group and searched for mom entrepreneurs to join and network with me.
What was the first social media technology you used?

It was probably Blogger blogs. Then I tried the WordPress blogs. Very soon after that came LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace then Twitter.

What is your favorite social media tool?

My favorite is probably Twitter, but hellotxt.com is a close second. I also really like trackable links at BUDurl.com.
How has social media benefited your business?

Social media has allowed me to connect with mom entrepreneurs all around the world. This is a target market I understand very well thanks to the connections I have been able to make. As I learned more about the industry, my PR services became very attractive to companies looking to target this influential market.
How much time would you say you spend a day engaging social media?

Too much time…it is kind of scary how addictive social media can be. You have so much information at your finger tips and endless learning opportunities. I have spent many a late night connected to my computer.
How do you incorporate it into your day?

I usually engage in social media research after hours and after the kids are in bed. You can start down one avenue and then begin exploring several at the same time. I find that it needs my undivided attention.
What’s your best tip for using social media for business?

When you have a clear understanding of who your target market is and you connect through social media and networks that reach your market, the results can be very good. Use social media to build relationships and form strong connections. Only then will you be able to sell your product and/or services to a network of people who trust you and your advice.

Is there a social media tool/technique that you think is underutilized that you would like people to know about?

Honestly, I think the concept of social media is underutilized. People are still nervous to venture into this world because it can be very overwhelming. Twitter I feel is an easy social outlet to begin with and probably underutilized. Google alerts also seems to be another great tool that should be used by all business professionals to keep tabs on themselves in the media.

Where can people find you online?

TheMomEntrepreneur.com and BissonBarcelona.com

Anything else you’d like to add?

When you decide to engage in social media, make sure you remain focused on your target market. It is easy to get excited about everything that is out there and create profiles in many different places. Do not spread yourself too thin. Pick a few social media sites that target your market, and manage and grow your network through these sites initially. Once you are more comfortable, then you can venture out to explore what else you should be connected to. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tracibisson for other tips and suggestions.

Lovin’ & Tweetin’ & Pokin’

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d delve into the topic of love online. Sure, you’ve heard of eHarmony and Match.com, but that is so old school. Nowadays, folks are doin’ it 2.0 style, tweetin’ and friendin’ their way to meeting the love of their life … or to at least stay in touch with that cute girl at the bar even if they can’t get her phone number. And you can do it all for free!

It’s pretty easy now to find someone online. So many people are on Facebook and if you know someone’s name and where they live, you can likely find them. At least you can ask to be their friend, and if they accept, you’re on your way toward getting to know them. On Twitter, you can now use the People Search function to look for someone by name or email and start following them and interacting with them.

And of course there’s all the fun stuff that allows you to “flirt” online like poking someone on Facebook. My only experience with this fun feature (because, yes, I’ve been married 10 years this year) is some old man, whom I did not know, who poked me on Facebook. I tried to make my husband jealous with this tidbit, but mostly we got a good chuckle. You can also send your friends flirtatious gifts, etc.

There’s also a Speed Dating 2.0 application on Facebook that allows you to have five minute conversations with a potential date and continue the conversation however you choose if you’re interested. Ah, the fun never ends on Facebook.

Over on Twitter, there’s a whole site dedicated to single Twitterers called Twitterbirds.com. They describe themselves as speed-dating on the Internet.

There are also quite a lot of free social networks like SocialGrid and PassionsNetwork for dating.

So, while I can’t say I’ve experienced love on the Web, I’m guessing many of you have. And I’d love to hear your stories, funny or inspiring. Is the Web a good place to meet a potential partner? For all you singles: here’s hopin’…

5 Ways to Improve Your Life with Twitter

(plus one bonus one!)

1) Quit Smoking – I used to smoke. A lot. And giving that up was one of the hardest things I’ve ever accomplished. If only I had been able to use a service like Qwitter.

Qwitter currently has 725 people using it to help them stop smoking. It tracks your cigarette consumption, allows you to keep a journal to help express your frustration, shows you your progress, and probably most importantly, provides support of others in the same boat.

2) Lose Weight – Similar to the support provided for smokers, using friends to help each other stay accountable can help with your weight loss goals. Just this week Lyn reached out to find like-minded people looking to lose a few pounds.

Making your goals public is a great way to help you stick to them. And if you want to skip the fast food and just eat better? Try searching for a ‘healthy recipe‘ instead.

3) Grow Plants – I love having plants around the home. They reduce dust and noise, make you feel calmer and (apparently) remove chemicals from the air. What’s not to like?

Well, I guess the downside is when you look around and see the beautiful green thing you envisioned has been reduced to a browning mess in a bucket of dry dirt.

For some reason, I’m absolutely incapable of keeping up with watering my plants. Enter Twitter! How about this amazing concept, a device which will let your plants tweet you when they need water? (ok, it’s almost a $100, but the idea is cool!)

4) Laugh - “University of Maryland School of Medicine presented results of the university’s study on the effect of laughter on cardiovascular health. The study indicates, (that) laughter appears to cause the endothelium to dilate and increase blood flow. Specifically, laughing was found to increase blood flow by more than 20 percent, with the positive effect lasting for up to 45 minutes.”

You know who’s funny? People on Twitter. Well, not all of them obviously, but enough that you can enjoy yourself. Much has been written about how Twitter has made tv more social. It also makes it a lot funnier. I wasn’t even watching the Grammys on Sunday, but there were so many funny comments appearing in my stream I had to turn it on to fully appreciate them (favorite of the night, @chrisroberts: “coldplay, the wiggles called. they want their jackets back.”)

No? Well how about a little schadenfreude? When actor, director, comedian and writer Stephen Fry got stuck in an elevator last week, he posted this picture which has been seen almost 80,000 times so far. And certainly if you’re going to get stuck, there are few people who would be more entertaining to be stuck with.

5) Exercise your brain – Why not write the Great American Novel?

Each November NaNowriMo (National Novel Writing Month) encourages people to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in 30 days. Of course, now they’re on Twitter to help you, as are many other participants.

If that doesn’t appeal, how about this? In Japan, 5 of the top 10 best-selling novels of last year were ‘cellphone novels’ – “composed on phone keypads by young women wielding dexterous thumbs and read by fans on their tiny screens ” (NYT) – surely that could be done just as easily on Twitter?

Actually, it’s already being done – check out the Twitter novels, Small Places, Slice (from Penguin Books, no less!) or Novelsin3lines. Can you do better?

And Your Bonus! – Use Twitter to Help Others
On Thursday, 12 February, over 175 cities around the world will be hosting Twestivals, bringing together Twitter communities to raise awareness (and money) for Charity: water.
All the events are 100% volunteer, and 100% of the money goes to charity:water projects. Find out more at Twestival.com, and see how you can help others.

That might even make you feel better about yourself too!

Celebrities Get Busy on Twitter

Well, we knew it was bound to happen: It seems the glitterati of Hollywood has waved their magic wand over Twitter and deemed it to be cool.

I read last week that John Mayer was giving indications via Twitter that he may be engaged to Jennifer Anniston, and singer Erykah Badu apparently “tweeted” her birth. Ashton Kutcher, who says he and wife Demi Moore are big Twitter fans, also recently posted “tweets” in support of Michael Phelps.

While I knew Miss Britney, or at least “her people,” had latched on, I was not aware of some of the others. Here is a list courtesy of Mashable in case you want to follow your favorite stars. And who’s my favorite celebrity on Twitter (OK, besides Britney)? Why MCHammer, of course (who has 40,000+ followers)!

Hubspot Study Suggests Blogs Best Social Media for Leads

A new study from Hubspot, who canvessed 167 small to medium sized business owners and executives,  is both encouraging and confusing.

The percentage of leads from each source was broken down as:

Other (including public relations and print and online display advertising) 25%
SEO 16%
Email Marketing 14%
Pay Per Click 13%
Telemarketing 9%
Blogs+Social Media 8%
Trade Shows 8%
Direct Mail 7%

I find this very encouraging – particularly as we offer services for PR, SEO, email, PPC and Social Media, that’s 76% of the leads right there! – it’s certainly good to know that more and more businesses are trying a variety of methods to generate leads, rather than sticking to whatever they have done in the past. That has certainly been my feeling from talking to clients in all kinds of businesses lately.

However, I’m also slightly skeptical of the accuracy, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you’re in are a small or medium sized business yourself, you know the difficulty in pinning down exactly how a lead found you.

If they remember you from a trade show, but Google* you to find your contact info, does that count as SEO or a trade show?

If you send offers via both email and direct mail, as many of our clients do, which one gets the credit for the sale?

And Mike Volpe, Hubspot’s VP of marketing, even goes on to say that there are additional benefits to blogging,

“Not only are you creating a community around blog articles, but all those articles get indexed by search engines, so blogging has elements of search engine optimization (SEO) as well”

So how can we accurately claim that SEO is 16% vs Blogging’s 8%?  I don’t feel that we can. But I also don’t see that as a problem.

One thing we try to stress here at Step Ahead is that your marketing efforts, particularly onlne, will help each other. Being active on Twitter can drive traffic to your blog, which can help with your SEO, which can get people to sign up for your email marketing, which can inform people about your trade show appearances, which, well, you get the idea.

One final thing which jumped out at me from this was this statistic:

Companies with less than 50 employees earmarked more than three times as much of spending on blogging and social media than larger ones, and 36% more on SEO.

On the Internet, there is no reason the small companies can’t compete with the Big Boys. In fact, the lack of barriers to getting things accomplished, which plague many a large corporation, can be to your advantage. If you aren’t already blogging, tweeting, facebook-ing, etc, you can start right now. You don’t need to organize all the different departments, have a bunch of strategy meetings, get the lawyers to overlook things, and waste months of everybody’s time. Just sign up for an account and jump in.

So, what are you waiting for?

*I really don’t like using Google as a verb, but everyone else does it!