Recently my beautician, moved to the same street as my workplace. Talk about convenient!

In moving to new and larger premises, which are more centrally located than where she was previously, my beautician is keen to expand her business and take on new clients.

Knowing what I know about location based marketing, it was only right of me to give her a few tips at the end of my first session with her.
I thought it may be useful to share these same tips with you too in case you are also looking for more people to know where you are located, and to come in and visit and do business with you.

 

1. Google+ Local

Previously known as Google Places, Google+ Local gives you a free listing on google. All you need to get started is a gmail account, which many peple have or you can also get a Google account at googleplus.com/account.

It is important to flesh out your Google+ Local listing as much as possible to get the most out of it. Include opening hours, categorise your place of work, add images and the correct address, telephone information, etc. This is particularly important if you are moving from a previous location to a new location, as it will help Google to understand that you no longer want them to pull down from other sources such as online directories but rather to go by the new Google+ local listing which you have created and verified by way of a postcard that Google will send out to you. It is very important to look out for the postcard from Google, and complete the verification process to reap the full benefits of Google+ Local.

To further enhance your Google+ Local listing (and online visibility on Google), find ways to encourage your guests or clients to leave reviews, hopefully positive, about your business. There’s a few way to do this. One is by having an iPad at your checkout area and asking them to do it. Another is by sending them an email with a link post them engaging your service or buying a product from you. And yet another is by actually integrating a Google+ review encouraging promotion on your website. See this link for more information on how to do that.

2. Yelp

Yelp is very popular in the US and has also gained a lot of momentum in Australia. Yelp is one of the four places you must list your local business because iPhone users who rely on, or turn to Siri (the built in smart machine within your phone of which you can ask directions, restaurant tips and so on) pulls its location related results from Yelp. Hold down the menu button on an iPhone for instance and ask siri for ‘best steak restaurant in Maroochydore’. Siri will pull results from those listed on Yelp. If you’re not listed there, you won’t come up as a suggestion by Siri.

Listing on Yelp is also free and relatively easy. Simply go to this link and follow the steps: https://biz.yelp.com.au/claiming.

Again, flesh out your listing with photos, categorise, correct address and phone information and add as much information as you can provide. Be consistent in terms of putting similar information on Google+ Local as you do on Yelp, and others.

3. Foursquare

I first got onto Foursquare in 2010 and found it to be a fun way to ‘check in’ to places (long before Facebook offered check ins) and be incentivised for doing so. I hoped it would take off in Australia but truth be told, it never really did. However, ever since Instragram did a deal whereby it pulls location results from Foursquare when you name the location of where you are when you add an image, say a picture of the steak at the restaurant, savvy users will search for your business on Instagram, which is pulling results from Foursquare, to allow you to show that you are at that restaurant and the picture was taken there. reason why I included it in the list of four places you must enlist your business if So if your business is not listed on Foursquare, and people have taken an image whilst at your venue and wanted to post it and say where they are, your business will not be among the list of options presented to them.

Read more about Foursquare here: read a previous post I have written about it here and claim or start your listing here: https://business.foursquare.com/listing/.

4. Bing Places

 

Whilst Bing is still very much a poor cousin to Google when it comes to location and maps, when people are searching on Facebook, if they don’t find what they are looking for in the search bar, because perhaps they spelled the name wrong or they are searching for a service or product, without knowing the name and there is no existing Facebook page for that business, a Bing maps listing will result.

Wouldn’t it be cool if your business is there waving its flag encouraging people to know you are there and to come on over? To list your business on Bing go to: https://www.bingplaces.com/.

So there it is. Four places that you must list your local business if you want more of a slice of the action. They’re all free, and are well worth spending a little time on getting right. I encourage you to go ahead and check if you are already listed with these networks. If not, get listed! If you are already listed, check what the listing features, claim it, and maximise it’s potential by ensuring you have a complete and up to date listing.

Are some of these suggestions new to you? Are you going to list your business? Have you got a good result from reading and exploring the article? I would love to hear your comments below….