Does this sound familiar?
“I have no time for digital marketing, I have rooms to clean, guests to attend to and tours to run.” “I can’t afford to market my business, times are tough”
Given it’s highly unlikely I’m going to convert you with one blog to commit to a digital marketing plan, perhaps some “must do’s” might help , so grab a coffee and let’s get started.
Why? because your customers are looking on line right now!
1. What are People Saying About My Business?
Firstly, I would look at what is being said about my business online, chances are if you haven’t invested in Search Engine Optimisation it’s highly unlikely consumers are easily finding your site, but they maybe finding what is being said about you.
Set up a “Google alert” so I would be notified into my inbox what’s being said. It’s simple and it’s free click here to get started.
More information for Tribe members can be found here
2. How are People Ranking My Service?
Secondly, I would certainly invest some time in managing my online reviews such a TripAdvisor.
Even if you have not registered your business on TripAdvisor, anyone can request that a listing be created for your business so that they can review it. You can’t choose ‘not to participate’ as reviews will be posted whether you like it or not. It makes sense to at least register as a business owner so you can monitor reviews of your business and respond where appropriate.
It will only take you five minutes and is free.
- First you’ll need to go to the business pages of TripAdvisor here
- Click through on one of the four categories: Hotel/Accommodation; Vacation Rental; Restaurant or Attraction
- Search for your travel business on the site and follow the prompts to add your business as a free listing.
If you are not able to find your business after searching on TripAdvisor’s Owners Page, this likely means that you are not yet listed on TripAdvisor. - In order to read the site’s listing policies and submit your information, visit TripAdvisor’s Get Listed page. Once you have submitted your listing request, TripAdvisor will review your business’ information and respond with an outcome in a couple of days.
- Visit your TripAdvisor management centre by hovering on the “Your Business & Account” link on the top right when logged in and clicking on “Your business”.
For more detailed step by steps about your free TripAdvisor listing, refer here.
More information for Tribe members can be found here
3. Google is the Online God…Get Friendly with Google’s World
Next, I’d look into setting up a Google account. If you don’t already have an account with Google we strongly recommend you get one for several reasons. The primary reason is because it is also free and it will allow you to take advantage of some extremely useful tools. But the the main reasons I’d get a Google+ account is that it improves your ranking/indexing by Google. You increase the odds of getting highly targeted visitors from Google’s organic search results if you have a Google Plus account.
The following is a list of steps that will guide you through the process of creating a Google account.
- Type in www.google.com into your browser
- Go to the top right hand side of the screen and click on sign in
You will be taken to a new page asking you to either sign in with your Google account details or to create a new account (sign up) - Follow the steps to create an account
After completing this Google will send you an email for verification purposes. In the email you will be asked to click on the supplied link to activate your account. - To sign in to your Google account, go back to www.google.com and click sign in. Log in with your newly-created credentials.
4. Google My Business!
‘Google My Business‘ is Google’s one stop shop where Businesses can manage their online presence.
‘Google My Business’ centre allows you to:
- Create and manage your Google Local listing
- Appear on Google Maps
- Create and manage your Google Plus Business Page
- Monitor and respond to your Google Reviews
- Set up a video call with your clients using Google Hangouts
Google My Business is a new product by Google and the user interface is very different from the old ones. Here are some articles that will help you increase your Google My Business productivity:
Make sure you also read these FAQ http://www.google.com.au/business/faq.html
The Google My Business help pages are located here: https://support.google.com/business/?hl=en#topic=4539640
You can access your Google My Business one stop shop at: https://www.google.com/business/. There is also a very handy app for your smartphone and/or tablet that you can download from the App Store or the Google Play Store.
More information for Tribe members can be found here
Those are four things you can do to improve your digital presence leading up to the Christmas holiday season, they’re free and they don’t take long.
