Is Your Google Business Profile Updated?

You probably don’t even know it, but you have most likely experienced the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. What is that exactly? It’s a frequency illusion and it occurs when something you’ve just noticed starts to pop up everywhere. For example, if you recently bought a new white car, now you start to realize how many white cars there are on the road. Just the other day I was scrolling through Facebook and a friend of mine pointed out that all the new New York state license plates all start with the letter “K”, and guess what? Now that’s all I see, which I never would have noticed before if she didn’t point it out. From this point forward, you will no longer look at Googling a business the same.

Google is a fascinating platform in so many ways for both consumers and business owners, and it acts as a bridge to connect the two. Google processes over 99,000 searches every single second; that’s over 8.5 billion searches a day! One way for businesses to make it easier for consumers to find them is to use Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, allows business owners to have more control over the information which Google displays about businesses when it populates search results pages and Google Maps. If you have ever Googled the name of a business to find a phone number, address, hours, etc., the result that you see on the right-hand side, that is called a Knowledge Graph. It appears on a Google search results page and that information is all populated from a business’ Google Business Profile.

If you’ve ever used Google Maps, that information that appears is also populated using information that a business has entered about themselves in their Google Business Profile.

Another listing feature that also pulls information from a Google Business Profile is the Google “Snack Pack” local listing.

Sixty four percent of consumers have used Google Business Profile listing info on a Google search results page to find contact details for a local business, and this figure is likely to grow. With over 60% of consumers using Google Business Profile, it is imperative that businesses keep up to date with their profile. Some of the most crucial optimizations that they want to make consist of the following:

Claiming the Business Profile
Complete every section of the Google Business Profile account
Be meticulous with contact information
Select primary and secondary categories
Mark off applicable attributes
Write a complete “from the business” description
Publish Google updates weekly
Upload new photos weekly
Answer questions
Collect and respond to reviews
Add your products and/or services
Set up messaging
Maintain your Business Profile

Keeping the information that is listed in the Google Business Profile is important because it is one of the primary places Google looks for information when populating the search page and maps results. On average, businesses receive 943 search views of their Google Business Profile listing information on a Google search results page and 317 Maps views each month. I don’t know about you, but if someone was looking for my business 943 times in a month, I would want to make sure I had the correct information listed! Another reason the right information should be listed is because almost 50% of searchers don’t even click past the search page, meaning they are getting the information they are looking for without going to the business’ website, and that is called a Zero Click Search. If I Google “Pizza Hut near me” to see where the closest Pizza Hut is, this is what I see:

Without even going to the website, I can see the different locations, get directions, or place an order over the phone without leaving the search results page. If almost 50% of searchers are getting all the information they want from a Google search, this example shows how important is it to have 100% accurate information.

Google is constantly making changes when it comes to their platform as a whole, and the Google Business Profile interface is one of those that is in the process of being updated. If you do not have a Google Business Profile yet, that is going to be the first thing you want to set up by going to google.com/business. From there you will sign in and create an account. If you do have a Google Business Profile and you’re an admin, you can click “Manage Now” to get into your account.

Some of the changes that Google is making to Google Business Profile is how you can update information and it is all still in the works, so you may see a message that says “Manage on Search”, or if you’re logged into Google, and you type in Google Business Profile, it will bring up all the profiles you are an admin for and you can click “View Profile”.

Once you’re in, you’ll see a newer looking format compared to the old Google My Business setup. The previous setup was a dashboard where you could make edits to the Google Business Profile listing, and now you have all the editing capabilities, but you’re still within Google. Right from this page you can edit the profile, read reviews, add photos, edit products, respond to questions, and more. Google is calling this new interface “New Merchant Experience”, or “NMX”.

If you click on “Edit Profile”, it will bring you to a page where you have full control over the business name, the business category, the description of the business, the phone number, the website, hours, location, and more. For businesses that don’t have a physical location, Google will allow you to leave that section blank. For businesses that have products and services that they offer, when you click on “Edit Products”, you will see another screen where you can add or edit any products that they have. With “Edit Services”, you can add or edit any services the business provides, and you want to make sure to check this routinely because Google will make suggestions based on what people search. To do this, Google is looking at what people search and what they click on to go through to that website, so it may not be a service that you have listed in your Google Business Profile, but based on recent searches, Google thinks it should be added. If there are services that they add that don’t pertain to that business, they will want to make sure to remove them.

“Add Photos” is another header you want to make sure you utilize because photos have a big impact on engagement. Searchers are 42% more likely to request directions to a business if its profile has photos, and 35% more likely to click through to its website. Businesses with more than 100 photos get 520% more calls, 2,717% more direction requests, and 1,065% more website clicks than the average business.

Under the “Performance” header, Google has performance metrics as it relates to the Google Business Profile. When you click on that header, it will take you to another screen where you can change the time period and it will give you a breakout of overview, calls, messages, bookings, directions, website clicks, how people view the business profile, and certain words they typed in to find that search.

Asking for reviews is another important part of Google Business Profile. Here, you can share a link with customers to review your business on Google. If they shared with you that they had a great experience, take advantage of that and ask them if they would be willing to leave a review via a link that you can text or email them. Google reviews have become an integral part of the buyer’s journey, so much so that 77% of consumers now say they ‘always’ or ‘regularly’ read online reviews when browsing for local businesses.

Under the “Review” header, it will take you to a section where you can read the reviews that customer leave, and it is imperative that you respond to not only good reviews, but the bad reviews, too. People want to know that their opinion is heard, and it also shows that you are active. Almost nine out of ten people read online reviews, and close to 3/4ths  also read the business’ responses to these reviews.

With “Add Update”, you will use this for periodic updates like a change in hours for the holiday season, special offers, if there is an event going on, blog content, etc..

Continuing with our New Merchant Experience, under “Calls”, you can see how many customers called your business from Google Search or Google Maps.

Another option with Google Business Profile is businesses can turn on messaging so that consumers can message with that business right from their phone. If a searcher Googles the business on a smartphone or in Google Maps, a message button appears so they can initiate that conversation, and the first greeting from the business can be customized.

The last header is Questions and Answers, and this is a great section to create Frequently Asked Questions for your business to be displayed right on that search results page. If you go in here, you can ask questions about your own business that you think people would be interested in, but searchers can also go in and ask questions and you want to make sure you are answering those. This is another instance of where Google likes to see that you are active within your Google Business Profile, and they also look at how quickly you respond to questions.

Now here is where everything is going to come full circle. All of that information that we just updated and put into our Google Business Profile is now going to be displayed within that Knowledge Graph on the Google Search page.

Next time you Google a business and see that Knowledge Graph, you know what kind of work goes into creating, listing, and updating all that information. You will also start to notice how many times you are doing a “Zero Click Search” and experiencing the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.

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Digital Trends 2023

In the age of digital, it is crazy to think that just a mere 30 years ago as it seems like yesterday, when the first website on the World Wide Web was launched there were hardly any online users. And now as 2022 is coming to a close and we enter 2023, Internet users have surpassed 5 billion users.

In this time, the WWW and the internet and digital technology have gravitated us to a whole new world.

On average, the typical internet user now spends more than 40% of their life using connected devices and services.

And that means that the world’s internet population will spend a combined total of more than 1.4 billion years of collective human existence using the internet in 2022 alone.

That’s crazy right?

Surprisingly however, the amount of time internet users spend online has remained the same the past few years and recently has seen a slight decline in global users.

How come?

A few things to note about the usage and slight decline is we are more active now than we were during the pandemic. During the pandemic our Internet usage skyrocketed and then it hovers at the same usage. And we also are exposed to many different forms of digital and technology and it is shifting time away from online and other digital activities.

Where does this take us as we enter 2023? A few highlights that almost any business needs to focus on moving forward.

Being relevant and present where users are.

Cutting thru the clutter.

And compelling messaging.

Let’s talk Social Media. Social Media used to be just thought of as Facebook and sometimes Instagram. But now there are so many social platforms. TikTok, What’s App, YouTube, Pinterest, Line and more.

So even though usage across social media has remained the same over the past few years, it is much more diverse.

This means we need to shift our mindset from social media being a channel. It is a behavior and a lifestyle. But each platform functions differently and occupies different emotional spaces in people’s lives.

For instance, Facebook and Instagram. may be used more for a visual escape and a way to connect with others. So advertising here is still relevant, but the messaging needs to be visually compelling as well as something that makes me feel good and feel connected with brands.

TikTok is more of an entertainment channel and may be more aligned similarly to a streaming channel like OTT or video pre-roll.

With the largest active user base, Facebook & Instgram is still a powerful place to be for advertisers.

It is important when utilizing this space, to be more engaging with users. Research has shown that people prefer visual content to plain text.

Bright colors, engaging visuals and video content carry the audience, especially in the social arena. We like “pretty” things.

Here are a few facts about visual content and how our brain processes them.

Google, Pinterest, and several other companies are also investing in visual search technology. Images are already returned for 19% of searches on Google, and 62% of millennials say they are more interested in visual search than any other new technology.

To piggy back on the power of social media and visual content, Social Mirror, Social Mirror OTT and OTT/Video pre-roll is a natural to expose these visuals and messages in other places online.

Social Mirror ads look like your social media display or video posts but appear on other websites and apps, linking back to the social media platform and your website, and run across all devices using our targeting strategies. We are “mirroring” the EXACT look of your social post as an ad that runs on thousands of OTHER websites and apps, targeted just to the people you want to reach across all devices.  Social Mirror ads can be done with any organic or paid posts from your business account on these 8 social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, or YouTube.  Ads can be display, video, OTT across connected TVs or carousel.

Because our brains are trained on what social media posts are and we live in and out of social media all day long, Social Mirror captures that audience outside of those platforms and has the cadence that these businesses and brands are everywhere and what’s even better they yield in high CTR and conversions. 7 times the national average in fact!

Nothing tells a story like a video. And whether you are using video on Social Media, Social Mirror, Social Mirror OTT, OTT or Video Pre-roll (links to Vici website) it has the best opportunity to attract users to the emotional draw of a company, product or service.

Today, 84% of consumers have been convinced to purchase a product after watching a video.

https://marketinginsidergroup.com/marketing-strategy/marketing-trends/

Many studies reveal that the more personal messaging is and more conversational gets the most attention. When a customer has two relatively equal products in front of them, and then needs to decide which one they will buy, my money’s on the brand that won their heart. There are a few ways digitally to accomplish this. Making sure the campaign is targeting the right individual. Not just demographic targeting like age, income, etc, but also what are the behaviors and interests that align with the brand. Example: Nascar Fans, Soccer Moms, Fitness Enthusiasts, Foodies and more. The other way is with video and sharing that story and capturing that audience. Here is an article dedicated to creating compelling video content. https://www.vicimediainc.com/how-to-create-compelling-online-videos/

While you capture their attention and drive them to a clients website, let’s strike the iron while it is HOT!

Live Chat and Virtual Assistant do just that.

Need a way to show ROI to your clients on their digital advertising?  Live Chat on their website is the answer.  Having Live Chat on a client’s website enables them to get more leads and engage website visitors with live, trained, chat agents, 24/7.

Virtual Assistant is for simple conversions like signing up for a newsletter, collecting emails, or ask for more info and paying per lead would get too expensive. Pay a flat fee per month for unlimited leads.

Consumers expect businesses to be available at all times and Live Chat and Virtual Assistant allows businesses to be available to them.  In return, it produce leads for that business that they may have otherwise missed.

Let 2023 be the year where you put the best digital tools in place to be relevant attract attention in the clutter and have a compelling message to share and capture leads!

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Where should I spend my Digital Advertising dollars in 2023?

As the holidays come into view on the calendar, so do the budget meetings, review meetings, and strategy planning for the upcoming year.   A question that we get asked quite often is “How much should I invest into digital advertising next year?”

This is a great question, as we are seeing an increase in digital advertising spend throughout the United States.

According the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau), digital advertising is expected to see an almost 7% increase from 2022 to 2023.

In addition, if we look at global expectations, we can see a high level breakout as to where some of those dollars are going to be invested.

As you can see, Online Video and Social Media Stories are the top two categories where businesses plan to increase their spending.   And while we offer many of the others listed above, the opportunity to understand options for Online Video and Social Media Stories is where we will focus.

When it comes to Online Video, there are several options as to where you can invest your money:

OTT (Over-the-Top) Video
Video Pre-Roll
YouTube
(all of the other platforms that offer video as a creative option)

Starting with OTT, there are several types of OTT that you can include into your Marketing Mix.

OTT
OTT with Visit Tracking
Amazon OTT
Social Mirror OTT

What is OTT, or Over-the-Top Advertising?  This is an umbrella term for video programming transmitted via the Internet that bypasses traditional cable or broadcast (linear) distribution. It can be consumed on any device including computers, mobile devices, Connected TVs, and gaming systems.

However, here at Vici, everything that we do is over the top (pun intended).  That means, ALL our OTT inventory runs on Connected TV’s (CTV); which is the premium and most preferred inventory.   eMarketer reports that 95% of marketers reported CTV achieved desired key performance indicators and it is the most used device to stream programming…so wouldn’t you want your ads to appear here?

That means with all of our OTT outlets, including Amazon OTT and Social Mirror OTT, you’re getting prime inventory for all of your campaigns.  And, with OTT Ads, they are unskippable.

When you think of OTT and where you ads may appear, think of Amazon Firestick, Roku devices, Chromecast, AndroidTV, Apple TV, Sling TV, XBOX TV, and so many more!  We have access to most of the major networks and channels.   The two exclusions (for now) where your ads can’t appear through our OTT offerings are Netflix and Hulu (in beta).

In the Amazon OTT, we get to take advantage of Amazon’s targeting data and serve ads to your potential customers on Amazon-owned streaming platforms, like Amazon Firestick and FreeVee.  In addition, we also get to take advantage of the streaming partnerships Amazon has, and have your commercials follow Amazon users to those platforms as well.

For Social Mirror OTT, we get to take the content that you’re already utilizing on your social media platforms, and create an OTT ad out of it.  We can utilize any horizontal/vertical image/video content that you have, use a description that coincides with your social content, and we also create a QR code that will link to your website.

Next up is Video Pre-Roll.  Video Pre-Roll ads play before the content someone has clicked to watch and they appear on thousands of websites and apps, across all devices. These types of ads can be skippable and unskippable.  It depends on the publisher that’s serving the creative.

These ads, since they are served across all devices, they can be seen on laptops, desktops, smart phones, tablets, and even gaming devices.  Whether you’re logging on to ESPN.com to watch highlights of this week’s football games or going to watch a video on HGTV about how the latest DIY project you want to make on your home, there’s a good likelihood that you’ll see an ad before you get to the content that you’re wanting to watch.  That, my friend, is a video pre-roll ad.

Lastly, is YouTube.  Bought by Google back in 2006, YouTube is currently the 2nd largest search engine behind Google.  YouTube ads are video pre-roll ads, just on YouTube, meaning that before you can watch the video you want on YouTube, you’ll get served an ad.  But, with 63% of people saying that they bought from a brand after seeing their commercial on YouTube, it’s a great place to have your message running.

Social Media Stories

The reemergence of storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you have to share with your customers.  There are several ways to include social media stories into your marketing mix.

First, you can utilize Facebook/Instagram stories to promote your business.  Thanks to the launch of Instagram Stories back on August 2, 2016 and Facebook’s duplication of the offering in 2017, you now have the ability to share your story on both platforms. These stories inspire action. After seeing a stories ad, 50% of viewers visited websites where they could buy it and 31% have gone to a store to check it out.

The newest player to Social Media Stories comes to us in the form of Social Mirror.

These ads have several engagement opportunities:

Clicking on the logo or advertiser name is going to take the user to the advertiser’s website
Tapping on the right side of the story, will take the user to the next slide of the ad
Tapping on the left side of the story, will take the user to the previous slide of the ad or start over
Tapping and holding will allow the user to pause the story
Tapping on the last slide will take the user to the advertiser’s website

The Social Mirror Story Ads format is the style of Social Mirror creative that has the highest click-through, over the last two years that we’ve been running this.

As you can see, with anticipated increase in digital advertising spend next year, there are many ways to get your message out there.  Video and Social Stories are two of the biggest projected areas for growth.  These are two areas you definitely want to include in your strategy for next year.

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