What if your time for online marketing is incredibly limited, and the boss or powers-that-be simply will not budget for another staff member, or even part-time freelance/contract assistance?
What do you absolutely HAVE to do to avoid being invisible online?
What can you absolutely NOT ignore, or blow off because you’re “too busy?”
Here’s what I’d recommend:
1) Claim your business profile on Google My Business.
Why — This will help your visibility when people search, for example, for “antique shop in XYZ town,” and it also helps to literally put you on the map – Google Maps.
How — Fill out your brand profile as completely as possible – including adding photos – and make sure that your name, physical address, and phone number are accurate and consistent across all online profiles. Respond to any reviews, positive or negative.
2) Have a rocking Facebook Page.
Why — You need to be where your customers are online. I can almost guarantee that they are one of the over one billion people on Facebook….so don’t screw it up. Your Facebook Page URL will come up when people search for your business name, too, so it helps your search engine visibility. Even smaller destinations can have great tourism Facebook Pages.
How — Fill out your Page information as completely as possible, decide what sort of Facebook posts will support your overall business or organization strategy, and post at LEAST 2-3 times a week. Learn more here about setting up a successful Page. Budget for occasional Sponsored posts (ads) to ensure that you stay in front of your Page followers despite the recent drop in organic reach.
That’s my answer to Tourism Currents social media training clients who say, “What do I really have to do for online marketing?” (and you’d be surprised by how few tourism partners do either, much less both, very well.)
Do you agree with the two things I recommend, or disagree? The comments below are open.
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Yep. Right now I’m working on a “rocking” Facebook page. I just hope it’s going to be a success.
Good for you – keep plugging!
Hi Sheila
I appreciate with your words and as i been in this field for years. But you had forget to mention other things like regular content updating and linking to valuable sources.
Those practices fall mostly under how to maintain a “rocking Facebook Page” although they also apply to keeping track of reviews posted to a Google Business account.