Social Media Marketing for Google My Business

Social Media Marketing for Google My Business

​The goal of every business is to be known and to be visible, especially to the eyes of their clients and potential clients. Marketing is an essential aspect of a business because if it is done correctly, then it can bring good sales to your business. However, these days online marketing is very famous, mainly social media usage as a form of marketing. Good thing that there can be a good combination of both Google My Business and Social Media Marketing.

Getting to Know Google My Business

Suppose you are a customer who needs a haircut; what is the first thing that you are going to do? Do you search around town for a barber or a hair salon? No. The smartest thing to do is take your mobile phone and search for a good barbershop around town.

This is the power of the internet and Google. Most people use Google to search for a service or a good that they need. And if you want your business to be seen as people search for something, you should have a Google My Business account.

Google My Business, brought to you by Google, is a free tool that allows businesses to be visible in Google Search and Google Maps. When verified, your business listing can be in the local three-pack of Google.

Having an account is easy. You need an existing Google mail account and log in to Google My Business with that. Then, you need to complete the required information, especially the business name, your full address, and your contact number. Once this information is completed, you can have your business verified. A verified business listing allows you to increase your visibility by managing your business listing.

Social Media Marketing in a Nutshell

Social Media Marketing is a form of online marketing that uses social media and other social networks for marketing their business services and products. There are a lot of advantages of using SMM, and one of them is the fact that most people of all ages have one or two social media accounts. Here are more pros of using social media marketing:

1. People use Social Media - When social media sites have become popular, many people have signed up for them. So, marketing your business on different social media platforms means reading out to more people. Many people use YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, and Pinterest in their daily lives.

    If you want to make a good impact on your business, you have to use social media to reach out to more people. 

1. No Fees - Creating a social media account is generally accessible. You can reach out to different clients without spending a single dime. This means that your business can save a lot of money. The various social media sites give you the chance to boost your posts and post photos of your products and services for free. 
2. Brand Loyalty and Visibility - When more people go to their social media platforms, they have many chances to see your business. When people see your posts, they get more familiar with your business. Soon, this person will visit your store.
3. Social Media Insights - Most social media platforms give you feedback about your post. You are given an idea as to what posts have caught the attention of your clients or the people using social media. This gives you a chance to plan and re-evaluate your strategies.

Overall, social media marketing is effective, and it has a lot of good points. However, it is also essential to understand that social media has disadvantages too. For one, if your posts, your goods, and services will not please your clients, they can go against your brand by posting comments that can ruin your brand. So it is important to take social media marketing seriously. 

Can I link Google My Business and my Social Media Platforms?

Yes. The two online tools can be very effective when they are combined. Once you have a social media page, it can be one of the first pages seen in Google search. So the best thing to do is link your social media account to your Google My Business listing. Here’s how it is done:

1. Copy the code that states your website, your Facebook profile, etc.

Example: <script type=”application/ld+json”>{ “@context” : “http://schema.org”,”@type” : “Organization”,”name” :”Your Organization Name”,”url” : “http://www.your-site.com”,”sameAs” : [“http://www.facebook.com/your-profile”,”http://www.twitter.com/yourProfile”,”http://plus.google.com/your_profile”] }</script>

    Make sure that you fill in the correct information about your business.

1. Fill in the URL part of the script that leads to your website, and this should go as well with your social media platforms.
2. Copy the URL and add them using Google's Structured Testing Tool
3. You are all set

Currently, Google My Business supports the following social media platforms:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Google+
• Myspace

Adding such social media platforms make Google understand that your business is authentic, and therefore you are not going to scam your clients. However, it is essential to understand that your social media platforms cannot be listed automatically. You need to request using the steps above.

How to link Instagram with Google My Business?

Instagram is one of the social media platforms supported by Google My Business. Here are the steps on how to link your Instagram account with Google My Business:

1. It would help if you authenticated your Instagram and your Google My Business - Which means that you have to verify both. For Instagram, you need to enable two-factor authentication.
2. Choose a trigger application or where do you want to see your posts. For this case, you want your Instagram to be seen in GMB. 
3. Choose the information that you want to send to GMB.
4. You are all set.

Is Google considered a social media?

Google itself is not a social media platform but a search engine. This means that you can search for things using Google. However, Google has its own social media platform known as Google+. This social media platform functions like others where you can communicate with people across the world. 

Conclusion
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The power of online marketing should be taken advantage of by different businesses since they are powerful tools for marketing. When your Google My Business listing is active and verified, Google allows you to add your social media platforms. Maximize the combination of the two powerful online marketing tools to make a great impact on your business. 

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