Tag: Business

Get Your Business On Google

Posted on by Ashley Rose Davidson in Blog, Uncategorized

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There’s no doubt about it, we all know by now that Google is the #1 search engine online. With about 3.3 billion searches conducted every single day on Google, we would have to agree!

However, this massive number is just a small fraction of your actual relationship and interactive with Google. Think about it, there’s Google Places, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Adwords and more. This is why putting your business on Google is such a key component to your overall digital marketing strategy.

In order to understand the importance of having your business on Google, here are some of the reasons why you should Google My Business.

  1. Be Found on Google – Well this was an easy one but it’s this is where your customers will look for you online. Playing hard to get: good for dating but bad for business. You want to put the right information about your business on search, maps and even Google+ so that customers can get in touch you. Your next customer could just be a click away!
  2. Be Found Across all Devices – Customers are using mobile devices, tablets, desktops and even Smartwatches now to find local businesses. Whether you’re searching at home, on the road, or even switching between devices, you want your customers to find the same information about your business no matter what the device.
  3. Get on the Map – A verified business can appear in Google Maps and be listed as a registered business within Google Places which makes it easy for customers to find your business. They can also search for your contact information, star ratings and online reviews of your business.
  4. Connect with Customers – Getting closer to your customers should be a top priority. Build lasting relationships by sharing what’s new and responding to customer feedback is a vital way for your business to success nowadays. The Google+ follow button allows for customers to stay up-to-date with special offers, important news or updates regarding your business. The number of followers you have can also show up when your business appears in Search which can be seen as a social endorsement.
  5. Jump on the Google+ Train – Strong online reviews and pictures of your business and products can help your business stand out to users online. You want to be able to keep your customers in the loop with status updates, news and special offers on your Google+ page. Your customers can hit the +1 button (which is seen as a “like”) and reply to the content which gives you a direct connection to their feedback.
  6. Give Customers The Right Information – Don’t make it hard for your customers to find the right information about your business. Display the correct contact information, description of your business, hours of operation, website and more. When your business appears on Google, you are making it easier for customers to find information about your business, including hours or operations, contact information and even directions to your location.
  7. Stay on Top of Reviews – Stay on top of your online reputation by managing all online reviews of your business, reply to them as your business and track your star ratings. Customer ratings and reviews will assist with managing all of the valuable feedback from your customers. This can also assist in the way you do business going forward by making any necessary changes to meet consumer demand.

Don’t miss out on any more searches of your business! Now it the time to get your business found by the right people.

Defining Your Social Media Objectives

Posted on by Ashley Rose Davidson in Blog, Uncategorized

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Do you know what you want to achieve with social media? According to recent report by Constant Contact, over 50% of small businesses need help with their social media. While many businesses have a social media presence, many are not engaging on those platforms and thus not meeting any goals. With a little planning, your business can use social media effectively and meet your objectives and goals.

So let’s start with the basics! Why is your company on social media? What are you working towards? What do you hope to achieve with social media? Every brand should have clear goals and objectives that its social media activity is trying to achieve.

If you’re unsure on how to define your goals, take a look at some of these common social media objectives:

  • Increase the overall traffic to my company’s website.
  • Increase your sales through lead generation and product promotion.
  • Attract new customers and connect with potential clients.
  • Generate awareness and increase word of mouth marketing.
  • Showcase my company’s products and services to fans and potential customers.
  • Increase your search engine optimization (SEO) results.
  • Put your business in front of your clients and customers.
  • Build loyalty and deepen relationships with your followers and customers.
  • Add another outlet to showcase and highlight the services you offer.

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Important Questions to Ask

Before you define your social media objective and goals, you need to ask yourself some important questions about your business. These questions will help to set a foundation on how your strategy should be structured.

Who are you talking to?
Creating a social media presence means you are building a fanbase. Followers, Fans, Members, they’re your audience and you want them to participate, share and engage with your shared content. By doing this will increase your reach through word of mouth marketing. It’s helpful to create a painted picture of your ideal audience.

What should I talk about on social media?
Social media is kind of like being at a party or event. Now picture yourself at this event, do you find yourself drawn to people who only talk about themselves? Probably not. Use this idea of a “party” when speaking to your audience. Ask yourself, why will these people want to connect with my material?

What’s in it for them?
People tend connect with businesses on social media because they will get something out of it. Perhaps, it’s a discount, special savings, exclusive content, entertainment or even education that helps their own agenda. Whatever the reason maybe, it’s not about you. So, give your audience what they want. Keep your audience in mind with every piece of material that is created.

Google Analytics: 101

Posted on by Ashley Rose Davidson in Blog, Uncategorized

google-analyticsDid you know that effective search engine optimization (SEO) techniques can significantly increase your website’s ranking? That means more visitors to your site! Today, the only thing more important than having a website is ensuring that your site is visible and currently reaching potential customers. Google Analytics has been proven to be an excellent tool for monitoring the progress and the performance of your website.

Google Analytics for your website will help you improve your overall digital marketing strategy as you can track your online campaigns and what’s driving traffic to your website. Also, if you are using social media for business, you can monitor the productivity and efficiency of your social media efforts by tracking social traffic to your website.

Take a look at some of the benefits and advantages of using Google Analytics and how it will improve your overall digital marketing strategy:

  • Real-Time Monitoring – This allows you to monitor activity as it happens on your website in case there are any glitches or downtime which enables you to respond right away. Real-Time allows for you to monitor how many people are on your website, their geographic location, traffic sources, interacted pages and goal conversions.
  • Search Engine Optimization – Google Analytics helps track the performance of your keywords on your website. In order to have a successful campaign, it helps to know how much traffic each of the keyword brings to your website. This will open up a world of information you probably never knew about visitors on your site such as top performing pages, visitor demographics, audience behaviour, what devices visitors are using to visit your website, etc.
  • Pay-Per-Click Advertising – Linking your Google AdWords with your Google Analytics account gives you the entire picture of customer’s behaviour; from ad clicks or impressions to conversions. Joining the accounts can help you analyze your customer’s activity on your website and can shed light on how much of your website traffic or sales comes from AdWords. There are many intricacies with pay-per-click advertising and Google Analytics plays a vital role in deciding how to spend your money effectively. Help manage the performance of your Google AdWords (pay-per-click advertising) campaigns.

You need to go beyond the basic information and have a comprehensive strategy to ensure your website is meeting your company’s overall objectives and marketing goals. We can help navigate and understand the most relevant information to help develop a digital marketing strategy for your business.

Finding The Right Social Network For Your Business

Posted on by Ashley Rose Davidson in Blog

social-mediaWhen it comes to social media, how do you know which ones are right for your business? With so many options, it can be confusing to know where you should focus your efforts.

Instead of chasing all the latest trends, it’s best to analyze your options and know which platform will be most effective for your business. But before deciding what social media networks to use, you need to know what your goals are and what you hope to achieve.

First off ask yourself, you must determine your company’s goals. Are you looking to generate leads, engage with existing customers, offer customer service or create brand awareness? After you have defined your objectives, your decision for which platforms to use should become clearer.

So what factors should you consider? Take a look at these tips when deciding which social media route is best for your business:

Do Your Research

To find out what each platform can offer, you will need to do your research first. This will help you determine are any potential limitations and what the cost associated with using each tool. There are lots of things to learn when venturing into online social networking so spend some time researching what types of social networks are available and how they can support your business objectives.

Experiment

Trial and error is often necessary when deciding which platform will best suit your company’s goals and objectives. In some cases, you won’t know what works and what doesn’t unless you experiment with the different options that are available first. Of course, utilizing the experience of a social media expert can certainly help steer you in the right direction.

Stop and Listen

Listening to active conversations is crucial before you begin and this will be a key indicator for how active a social media platform is for your industry. If there isn’t much activity going on about your industry, it may be in your best interest to just skip it. Check out social media monitoring sites such as How Sociable, Social Mention, and even Google Alerts to search for active conversions within each social media network.

Profile Your Market

After you have listened to the conversation, you will need to profile your current customer base. Have a clear understanding of who your customers are and what networks they choose to use. This will help you screen which platforms to focus on, once you know your ideal customer.

Follow Trends           

You don’t want to jump on every social media band-wagon but it’s important to know what platforms are popular and being used. Following the right trends will help your brand remain relevant and in touch with your customer. If you don’t know social networks are on trend right now, this is where a contacting a social media expert or marketing agency can help.

Finding the Right Social Media Platform for Your Business

Posted on by Ashley Rose Davidson in Blog, Uncategorized

Social Media IconsLooking to find the right social media platform for your business? Instead of chasing the newest social media trend, you need to analyze which platform will be most effective for your business goals. What factors should you consider? How can you make your foray effective?

Before deciding what social media platforms to use for your business, you need to know what your goals are and what you hope to achieve. Ask yourself, what are your company goals? Are you looking to generate leads for your business or engage with existing customers?  What message do you want to communicate? After you have defined your objectives, your decisions for which platform to use will be more clear-cut.

Factors to consider when deciding which social media route to follow include:

Investigate and Experiment

  • Trial and error is almost necessary when deciding which platform will best suit your company’s goals and objectives. Do your research beforehand to find out what each platform can offer, if there are any potential limitations and what the cost associated with using the each tool are

Listen to the Conversation

  • Listening to active conversations is crucial before you begin and it will be a key indicator for how active a social media platform is for your industry. If there isn’t much discussion going on about your brand or industry within a specific platform, it might be worthwhile to skip it. Try using real-time social media monitoring programs such as, Social Mention http://socialmention.com/ , How Sociable http://www.howsociable.com/  and Google Alerts http://www.google.ca/alerts

 Profile Your Niche Market

  • After you have listened to the conversation, you need to profile your demographic and figure out who you are able to reach. This will help you filter down what platforms to focus on, once you know your niche market.
    • Age, sex, education level, location, languages.

 Follow Trends            

  • You don’t want to jump on every social media band-wagon but it’s important to know what platforms are popular and being used often. Following social media trends will help your brand remain relevant, top-of-mind and in-touch with your customer’s behaviour and interests.