Google Reviews – How To Get Them and How Many Is Too Many?

The most public online forum, and the most important elements of your online reputation is Google+. We all know how important customer reviews are (the good and the bad) and we know that your business needs them. But how do we get them? What if you have them, but may have too many reviews…is there such a thing? Click here to find out how to boost your Google+ review plan. 

Google has been the go-to search engine for many years. Now, it has become a top resource for individuals who do their research before buying a product or service. Through Google’s social media component, Google+, consumers can rate and review businesses that will appear on the search engine. Though this platform is consumer-driven, business owners should not feel helpless over what is posted. Instead, direct your consumers to Google as a public display of customer satisfaction.

How to get Google Reviews?

1. Ask! – There is no shame in directing your customers to a public outlet to share their experience with your company. Similar to hosting a customer satisfaction survey, Google Reviews act as a medium for your customers to give honest feedback. By conducting your customer reviews on a public forum, you are sharing complete transparency, and taking the “bull by its horns” with the uncensored experiences that many business owners dread. If this notion scares you, it may be time to revisit your customer service. Place a Google+ Reviews button on your website so customers can easily find your Google Page!
2. Incentivize! – We live in a day of age where we are rarely go out of our way unless there is something in it for us. This is where incentives come in to play! Like a traditional customer service survey, consumers are often prompted to call a number or visit a website with the chance to win a grand prize. This age-old tactic works with Google Reviews as well. We have a client who offers $5 to anyone who writes a review – good or bad. Other companies have monthly drawings for a larger dollar amount, offer a gift card to their store, or give reviewers a chance to win a trip! Google Reviews are too often anonymous, leaving customer service representatives with few options to follow up with their customer. Incentives will drive them to put their contact info on the review, something invaluable when it comes to solving customer service concerns.
3. Respond! – People are more apt to write Google Reviews on companies that manage their online reputation, because they know their voice is being heard. Yes, even respond to the nastiest, ugliest, hairiest post that a reviewer has shared on Google+. People are voicing their experience on the Internet because they want to be noticed by both your company and the public. When addressing a negative review, be sure to thank the reviewer for sharing their input and let them know that you are proactively working to correct the problem. Depending on the situation, it may also help to offer them a refund on their current purchase or a coupon on a future visit. In many cases, after the issue is addressed, the reviewer would then respond on their negative post or write a new positive one praising the company for its customer service.

How NOT to get Google Reviews?

1. Write Them Yourself! – Both Google and your consumers can sniff out “fake glowing testimonies.” Google sees IP addresses. If someone from your place of business writes a review about your company, it will not be shown on the search engine. Google can also see when multiple accounts from the same IP address post. This is a technique that many online reputation management companies use. Consumers also can tell when reviews are fabricated. You know when you see a review that is too good. Indicators include the use of flowery language, calling people by their first and last name, or looks like someone took more than 15 minutes to write. These reviews are detrimental to your company. One phony good review devalues every organic good review your company has gained.
2. Share Reviews From Other Sources! - If you are new to Google Reviews, you may be tempted to share the stockpile of paper or digital feedback you have received from your customers over the years. Similar to writing them yourselves, if you post multiple Google Review for the same company from the same IP address (especially the IP address that is linked to your company) they will not be approved, and will lower your search engine optimization with Google.

How many is too many?

There is no such thing as “too many” Google Reviews, as long as they are received in a genuine way. As a business owner, you may think that steering people to rate your business online and having an influx of reviews will get you flagged by Big Brother Google or appear like they were obtained in an unethical way. This is not the case.

Like stated above, Google knows how your reviews were received. They track who your reviewer is, what they searched to get to your Google page, and what they wrote (it’s not creepy at all). Therefore, they know who is a genuine reviewer. Don’t be afraid to rack up as many reviews as you can! You have worked hard and deserve them. Your potential consumer who does their research will appreciate the honest feedback that your brand has to offer, and enjoy knowing exactly what they’ll get with the product or service as well as customer service.

Go forth and accrue Google Reviews without fear!

Trade Show To-Dos… Before, During & After

Trade shows are exciting on multiple levels! First, they are usually located in a fun location (we’re jealous of our clients attending upcoming events in Las Vegas and New Orleans!) Second, they provide a great opportunity to network with individuals in your industry and reach your target audience directly. Need advice on how to improve your ROI on trade shows? We have compiled a list of marketing techniques to put into practice before, during and after the show. READ MORE!

Pre-show:

• Share to the world that you are attending this event. Post the news on your website and social media accounts. Pitch a press release to the media, announcing your involvement and what attendees should expect to find at your booth. Share information about the event out in an e-newsletter sent to all your contacts. Get the word out about your booth and evoke excitement around it!
• Advertise show-exclusive specials to entice your audience to stop by your booth. Such promotions can help you meet your trade show goals – whatever they may be! Through a trade-show exclusive promotion, you can establish qualified leads, generate sales revenue and facilitate awareness. It will incentivize attendees to take action on your product – to learn more about it and ultimately purchase your product! For example, Iowa-based SMK Sprayers decided their goal was to target distributors at the upcoming Las Vegas trade show, World Of Concrete. In order to sell more to distributors they already have as well as to gain new distributors, they are offering a 15% discount to those who purchase directly at their trade show booth.
• Be certain to plan well-ahead and order promotional products to hand out at the show! For more info about how to get a great ROI on those profitable little trinkets, contact MaryAnne at Primary Source!

Showtime:

• Craft your message and make it count. More often than not, a percentage of your trade show audience will have never heard of your brand or product. Trade shows provide a creative way to differentiate your company from competitors (which may also be participating in that particular trade show). What makes you different? Capitalize on your unique selling point in a visual way – by letting attendees experience your products and services first hand. Bring your message to life by creating a bright and interactive booth. Give your audience a reason to stop at your booth, whether it is to play a game that has to do with your product or the chance to win a TV!
• Focus on building relationships. As much as you may like your shiny display to speak for itself, the average attendee will not remember every aspect of your booth after the show. The number one thing attendees will remember about your company’s exhibit is not the exhibit itself, rather the staff. By manning your booth with dynamic staff members who encompass your company’s culture and connect with you target audience is key. The glitz and excitement of a trade show often wears off for attendees within a week. Listen to those you talk to, ask them questions about their life and business to find common interests, not just to make a sale. Trade shows are a great opportunity to learn more about your target audience, and find more ways to connect with them.

Post-show:

• Share content generated during the trade show. Share videos, pictures, testimonials and exciting news that happened at the trade show on your website and social media right after the event. Treat your website and social media accounts as a medium to encompass the trade show experience to viewers who could not attend. What should you include? Share pictures of attendees testing out your product, followed by a 30 second video clip of your salespeople having a conversation with the individual about how they liked the product and how they foresaw themselves using it. Announce the winner of a prize that was raffled off at the event. Try to capture the same excitement felt at the show!
• Follow up with the leads you’ve gained with additional content. Attendees have given you their contact information (whether they wanted more information on your product or just wanted to win the prize)… use it! Follow up by thanking them for taking time out of the busy event to stop by your booth. Send them surveys asking them what they thought of your booth to learn what to improve upon – offer a discount to those who take time to fill out the survey. Add them to your database of contacts to send e-newsletters to, and personally follow up with individuals that expressed questions about your products at the show.

With these tips, you will not only be able to generate awareness at the trade show, but create hype beforehand about the event, foster sales during the show, and cultivate relationships with your target audience that will last long after the show is done. Be sure to keep track of the events success, to make adjustments for next year.

Build Your Brand Through Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful way to connect customers to your brand. From a consumer’s perspective, the story behind your brand differentiates your product or company from a similar one. Read MORE to find out how a simple story can capture the hearts of your customers and your competition!

Within our society filled with advertisement overload and persuasive sales people, the greatest way to capture your audience’s attention is to sell them on the core ideals and values of your brand in a unique way. Chances are, consumers have come upon your business because they sense a better value in your product or service compared to your competitors. By promoting those differences, your company’s story and rationale will come to mind when consumers are shopping for your product.

So, what’s your story? In the e-book “The Beginners Guide to Online Marketing,” authors Neil Patel and Ritika Puri define brand storytelling as:

• The reason why your company came to be
• What motivates your team to wake up and come to work everyday
• How your product came to be
• What types of customers find value in working with your brand and why
• A transparent view into the people behind the company
• A relationship-building tool
• More subtle than you realize
• A concept that underscores your entire web presence
• Something that your entire team, at organizational levels, embraces
• A look into who you are as a company
• Direct

Spin your story to focus on the value consumers get when engaging with your product or service, while invoking an emotional appeal. One great example of brand storytelling is Apple – a company whose unique personality always comes to mind when consumers think of their brand.

Apple values innovation and “bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world.” Apple is known for having keynote speeches by its CEO to introduce their new products before they are advertised. In these speeches, millions tune in to connect with the brand and hear about new products and recent updates– catered to how the consumer will use its products. Apple then takes the same clear, concise, informative approach across platforms through its website, advertisements, and even in the way the products are presented at Apple stores.

Another exceptional storytelling brand that hits closer to home is Midwest Mattress. Through radio ads, the mattress company shares its value to its customers from the voice of its spokesperson, Tom Hansen.

Listening to the “Made in Iowa” ad, Hansen gave a factorial anecdote about great things that are “Made in Iowa” including corn, athletes, movie stars and, of course, mattresses, to catch the listener’s attention. Conversationally, he throws in “more than 90 percent of all mattresses sold at Midwest Mattress are made in Iowa.” Honoring the hard working Iowans that make most of the inventory available at Midwest mattress, Hansen goes on to include a few Iowa cliches as well! By candidly sharing Midwest Mattress’ points of difference through a figurehead who conveys himself as human and conversational, the mattress store sets itself apart from the average ads of its competition.

We have all heard the phrases “It isn’t about what you say, but how you say it,” and “Facts tell, stories sell.” By crafting a message rooted in the reality of your brand, product and industry, good stories can give big voices to small ventures. By promoting your company’s values internally and externally, your consumers will also live and breathe your mission when engaging and sharing your products. That kind of marketing is invaluable for your business!

Is Online Marketing at the Forefront of Your 2015 Business Plan?

Does your 2015 marketing plan include an online strategy? Not including a way to interact with your target market could cost your company big bucks next year. Take a peek as to why. Read MORE…

How would you rate your organization’s online presence? Think that it is not that important?

Meet the Millennials, the notorious Generation Y-ers who prefer to do their Christmas shopping from the comfort of their couches and who aren’t afraid to “Yelp” to the entire Internet about a bad – or good – experience they’ve had with a business. In a current University of Massachusetts study*, “social commerce,” is when individuals between the ages of 18 to 33 are interacting with brands through social media platforms and mobile websites. This is important because it gives them a “participative” role in your organization’s marketing efforts.

By putting your online marketing agenda on the back burner, you will miss the chance to connect with 25 percent of our nation’s population. By 2015, Millennials world wide will have a combined purchasing power of $2.45 trillion. You want a piece of that, don’t you? If you are not talking to this demographic in the way that they “listen” to the world around them (i.e. actively updating your website and social media sources) then you will be losing sales, big time.

Expectations for 2015’s online marketing tactics are higher than the innovations the industry has made in 2014. News needs to be delivered faster, email campaigns have to be concise and easy-to-navigate, and finding your organization’s website must be a simple Google search away. Up-to-date online marketing is the key to keeping your brand relevant amongst competitors.

How do you improve your online marketing in 2015?

• Incorporate daily or weekly content for outlets such as email and social media to your 2015 marketing agenda.
• Make your website Google-friendly and easy to find by seeking ways to improve your search engine optimization techniques.
• Be interactive and conversational through social media to engage individuals in conversations regarding your brand.

The bigger your digital footprint, the greater of an impression your organization will leave. Need help with your online marketing in 2015? Now is the time to plan your attack. TRIO can help. Contact us anytime for a free online marketing consultation! In just an hour, we can come up with some key updates to your current program that will get you noticed next year.

*http://www.umassd.edu/cmr/socialmediaresearch/socialcommerce/

How To Utilize Twitter For The Holidays

Happy Halloween! As October winds to an end, it is time to face the fact that Christmas is only 55 days away. Have you planned your social media holiday marketing strategy? I tuned in to Twitter’s live #SmallGoesBig seminar on Tuesday for some insightful tips on how to spice up your small business’s digital presence this holiday season. Here are some key takeaways that social media professionals suggest you use to create a Twitter presence that will drive sales and promote awareness of your small to medium sized business (SMBs).

Research shows that consumers do use Twitter as a resource while holiday shopping.

Twitter represents a valuable opportunity to reach holiday shoppers. The social media platform performed market research on its users, and found that 24 percent of respondents plan to use twitter for holiday shopping. This does not account for individuals that browse the platform and are inspired by the content they stumble upon. Fifty-two percent of respondents also stated that in the past, they have seen something on Twitter that prompted them to make a holiday purchase.

Want specific stats toward small businesses? Research shows that six out of 10 shoppers follow a small business retailer or e-commerce site on Twitter. Consumers of SMBs are active on Twitter, it’s our job to catch their eye.

Give them what they want to hear.

Content is key. Holiday shoppers who use Twitter as a resource have stated they would like to see the following posts on SMB social media accounts:

• 44 percent want deals and special only
• 44 percent want sneak peeks/ first looks
• 36 percent want ideas for holiday gifts
• 35 percent want links to your online store

Twitter is about talking with, not at, your customers. Don’t be afraid to interact with your followers! Create in-the-moment conversations, engaging in topics regarding the holidays and your business’s services. Ask open ended questions to your followers like “What’s on your shopping list for #BlackFriday?” or “What’s your favorite #Christmas tradition?” Hashtags allow individuals searching for the topic to see your tweet, giving your brand wider exposure.

Use direct offers to engage customers

This tactic is aimed towards catching the eye of the 76 percent of Twitter users who have not planned on using Twitter as a holiday shopping resource. Twitter experts have coined two terms for direct offers shared on the social media platform - “Twixclusive” and “Flock to unlock.”

• Twixclusive offers are an exclusive offer on Twitter that your followers cannot find anywhere else. Post a link or an online code with the offer on a tweet. For example, “Get 20% off web hosting in the next 24 hours. Click the link to redeem.” The more frequently you offer Twixclusives, the more likely followers are going to check back on your page in the future.

• Flock to unlock incentivizes followers to spread your message by retweeting your tweet in order to unlock exclusive content. “Once this hits 30 re-tweets (RTs) we’ll give a code to save on a Yoga 11 making it $399! Make sure you’re following us!” When the follower retweets the content, it will show up on the home page of everyone who follows them, reaching a wider range of people. This method also encourages followers to check back on your page to see how many retweets the tweet received and what the code is to redeem the prize.

All Good Things Must Come to an End. (Period.)

OK, I know we just started 4th quarter, but in the marketing world, it is time to start thinking 2015. For many of you 2014 was a good…no, GREAT year. For others, not so much…but yes, my friends ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END.

Who knows what lies in wait for us as 2015 actually rolls in? Well (this is me, getting on my soap box), as an organized, strategic business owner…you know what lies in wait for you because you have PLANNED IT! Now is the time to start thinking about your 2015 marketing objectives and strategies (kudos to you if you have started already!).

And, how can you do that? How can you start planning for next year, when there is still 1/4 left of the current one? SIMPLE! Take an afternoon and complete these few easy steps.

1. Reflect back on what you did in 2014 that worked in your marketing.
2. What didn’t work?
3. What was your overall ROI in regards to marketing?
4. PLAN – in 2015, do more of what worked…and less of what didn’t in 2014.

Genius, I know!

As much as I hate “looking in the rear view mirror” when planning for the next year, it is imparative that we know where we have come from. That way, we know where we are going, and at least for the next 12 months, we can (try to) look forward through the windshield. Your business is now at the crossroads from where you were, to what you want to become.

With a proper marketing plan in place which outlines where you want to GO in your business, steps in how to GET there and ways to MEASURE the success of your plan, you will (no doubt) be ready to tackle 2015 like a pro.

Need help reflecting, planning and executing your marketing in 2015? Contact me anytime for a free marketing brainstorming session!

Renee SchneiderTrio Marketingp. 515.259.0577
c. 316.644.7029
e. renee@trioagency.com

Marketing Success in 3…2…1…

Marketing Success in 3…2…1…

You’ve done your homework. You’ve defined your target market, developed a Unique Selling Proposition,  established a competitive advantage and refined your branding! Now you’re ready for the fun stuff—the marketing mix (i.e. direct mail, email, brochure, web site refresh, public relations) and all of the various tactics you’ve determined make the most sense for your company.

Now, the hard part comes! Translating your ideas into an effective and efficient (aka – affordable) marketing plan. We have had several Client Marketing Audits (we call them CMAs)  lately where we have reviewed the marketing mix for our clients and provided feedback on what they’re doing well and where they can improve. In almost every case, we found our clients needed to work on the following:

• Consistency: It is extremely important to your business success that all of your marketing looks, feels, and sounds the same. If your target markets hear the same message over and over again, the same way each time, they are much more able to spread the word in the way you want it to be spread (instead of making up their own stories)! We recommend that you audit all marketing communication pieces, as well as other customer touch points (i.e. invoices, fax sheets, email signatures, etc.) for consistency of your brand use (logo, fonts, design elements) and message. Where it is not consistent…fix it immediately.
• Frequency: The proper amount of “Marketing Frequency” depends on what you are selling, your target market, your business goals, your special offer, etc. Once you’ve prioritized your primary and secondary target markets, we’d recommend you “touch” your primary market twice a month and your secondary market once a month. Without this level of frequency, your momentum is lost between marketing touches and the impact severely diminished. Unfortunately, as humans, our memory is somewhat short (nearly that of a goldfish!), so constant reminders that you exist and have something to offer is necessary to establishing great top-of-mind awareneses.
• Variety: Consistency is good and frequency is even better, but if your marketing mix lacks variety, your efforts will suffer the consequences. Having your marketing rely on one or two tactics (i.e. direct mail, email, and web site) lacks the power of “touching” your audience from the many angles they take to review their options. A recent study showed that humans research on 10 DIFFERENT forms of media before buying your product/service. Are you advertising in 10 different ways? Or, only 3 (‘cause, that’s the average!)?  A combination of activities (i.e. a monthly newsletter, an email promotion, public relations, and social media) working together in concert allows you to “touch” your customer often! And, don’t forget this variety should include both value-add content and promotional content and not be too heavily weighted on either.

As you can see, designing the marketing mix to support your marketing strategy is much more complicated than just picking the communication vehicles you’ll use to “get the word out.” You must also be sure that your implementation plan includes all three of the above elements. Audit your own marketing mix for these elements, making adjustments as needed, and you’ll be on your way to a more effective and efficient marketing effort! Need help? You know who to call!

Renee SchneiderTrio Marketingp. 515.259.0577
c. 316.644.7029
e. renee@trioagency.com