Is Your “Pin” in the Right Place?

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ve heard that ‘social media’ is the next big wave of marketing success. It seems everyone is doing it (or at least talking about doing it) –  Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, FourSquare, Google. But the minute you drink the kool-aid, you’ll discover an overwhelming selection of flavours and empty calories – and you’ll soon have digital indigestion.

So, whether you’ve begun or are just thinking about it, we’re starting this new series of our Top Ten List of Digital To-Do’s for the business owner. Today. Google Places.

Google Places

If your business has a physical address where customers come to you, Google Places is your best friend. It’s like your yellow pages listing on the internet. And it’s free.  All you have to do is ‘claim’ your business on Google and follow through step-by-step to manage the location (you can move the pin if it’s not in the right place), your hours, interior and exterior photos, specials, coupons, etc.

So where’s the social part? People can post testimonials and or reviews of your business. They may be kind or unkind. But when someone searches you out, those reviews will show, as will your response, or lack of response.

The best part is that unlike most social media applications, this one takes a one-time effort and an occasional check-back without daily firefighting. Did we mention that it’s free?

If you don’t have the time or inclination to get involved in social media, you still owe yourself the effort to manage your Google Places listing.

We’re curious to know how it turns out for you. Have you discovered things about your business you didn’t know on Google Places? Is your pin in the right place? Have your customers gotten there before you?