Google Posts grab customer attention at a time when they are looking to buy your services!
Google Posts (aka Google Updates) is a free feature in your Google Business Profile that can be used to promote your products or services at a time when customers are actively looking to buy.
First introduced in 2017, Google Posts are probably the most misunderstood and misused feature within Google My Business (GMB).
This is a significant lost opportunity.
Sadly, most businesses confuse the simplicity of the Google Posts feature with ease of long-term use – scheduling and maintenance on a rolling basis.
Misusing the service results in a lack of brand continuity and alignment with untimely and confusing Google Posts becoming a significant dissatisfier. Which is to say – if it looks like a mess, so does your business. Or worse, your promotions create disgruntled customers and damage your reputation.
What Are Google Posts?
Despite the term ‘Posts’, Google Posts are nothing like social-posts on Facebook and Twitter. Instead, Google Posts is a facility that enables businesses to post News, Events, Offers and Promotions on their Google My Business page.
Think of them as a static advert in a shop window rather than a dynamic, interactive social post.
Recently, Google changed ‘Posts’ to ‘Updates’, which now appear as an ‘Updates’ tab on the GMB page and in Google Maps. For the purpose of this article, we will continue to call them ‘Google Posts’.
Google Posts are a valuable tool to attract attention, convey a simple message and encourage traffic to your website or business premises. They are very simple to create and only require an engaging image, message and a link (optional) to your website for more information.
Why Use Google Posts?
Google Posts are a means of passive advertising: a non-invasive advert that gently interrupts the customer’s browsing experience, and is accessed at their convenience.
As this customer is already on the journey to acquire their desired item/s; they are a captive audience who could initially be seeking directions and find your Google Post on their way to your store.
As you may be aware, current trends indicate search through Google and Google Maps are the primary way potential customers find, compare and analyse your local offerings.
So, Google Posts are a huge opportunity to place your products in front of potential customers who are actively seeking your services anyway. Be that through accidental discovery when searching for directions, or plainly browsing local offerings.
What Can Google Posts Be Used For?
- Promoting seasonal offers.
- Displaying new arrivals.
- Endorsing new product launches.
- Enticing new customers.
- Creating time-limited promotions, such as flash-sales.
Considerations For Any Google Post:
- The Customer Journey.
- Your sector.
- The frequency that customers visit your Google My Business Page.
- Keywords.
- SEO benefits.
- Graphic.
- Time of year.
- Purpose of the post.
Worth knowing: A Google Post for a multi-location brand is likely to be seen significantly more times than a Facebook or Twitter Post and at a time when people are actually looking to visit you!
For more tips see our blog How multi-location brands can use Google Posts.
David Whatley, CEO Mishop.local.
David has more than 10 years of experience working with large and small businesses to manage and optimise their local online presence in Google My Business. He is a trusted advisor and consultant.
