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In this article:\nWhy list your business on Foursquare\nHow to create and claim your business listing on Foursquare\nWhat to do next\nFoursquare is used by more than 50 million people each month. Consumers join Foursquare to find the best local businesses and share what they love about their favorites. \nStill not sure how Foursquare can help your business? Read on to learn how you can help improve your online visibility by listing your business on Foursquare.  \nWhy should you list your business on Foursquare?\nFirst, we just want to express how important it is that you list your business across multiple online directory sites. These directory listings, also known as citations, help search engines verify your business information from a bunch of trustworthy sources. \nThe more directories you have your business listed on (with the correct information), the better opportunity your business has to rank well in the local search engine results. \nGo deeper: \n15 free tips for better local search rankings\nFoursquare is a popular directory site that you should list your business on, not only for potentially better search engine results, but for the other benefits that it can offer your business. \nBenefits of Foursquare for your business:\nFoursquare users love sharing information about their favorite businesses, from tips for other customers to reviews that promote what they love\nYou can send offers and promotions through Foursquare\nYou have the ability to track customers’ behavior and give them rewards for engaging with your listing on Foursquare\nFoursquare turns its platform into a game by rewarding users with badges or naming them the “mayor” of a hot spot for engaging with different businesses\nFoursquare syncs with other social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook\nHow to create or claim your business account on Foursquare\nGet started on creating and claiming your business profile on Foursquare with this step-by-step guide.\n1. Create a Foursquare user account\nThe very first thing you’ll need to do is create a user account on Foursquare. Go to the \nFoursquare City Guide login page\n and click “Sign Up.”\nCreate a new user with at least your email, first name, birthday, password, and gender, and click “Sign up.” Or sign up with Facebook or Google.\n(Image)\n\nOnce you’ve completed the signup process, proceed to the next steps. \n2. Check to see if you already have a Foursquare listing\nDirectory sites like Foursquare often collect data from other sources and could already have your business information listed on their website. Before you create a Foursquare listing for your business, it’s important to check if your business is already listed so you don’t end up with two potentially conflicting listings on the same platform. \nGo to \nbusiness.foursquare.com\n to search for your business on Foursquare. Type in your business name (or previous names if you’ve ever gone through a name change) and the city where your business is located.\n(Image)\n\nWhen you click “Search,” Foursquare will show you whether or not your business is listed. If they did find your business, you’ll see a screen like the one below. You can then click “Claim My Business” to get access to your listing. If the business displayed isn’t yours, then select “Not your business? Click here.”\nIf the business listed is not yours, then do another search with a variation of your business name, and if it’s still not there, that means you can start fresh and create a new listing. \n(Image)\n\nIf the business displayed is your business, after you click “Claim My Business” Foursquare will take you through a three-step verification process.\n3. Claim your business on Foursquare\nFirst, you need to check that you are the owner or working on behalf of the owner to claim the listing. Check this box, then click “Get Started.”\n(Image)\n\nNext, you’ll need to validate ownership by entering your business phone number. Foursquare will use this number to verify that you are a real person who is connected with the business. \n(Image)\n\nThe last step of the verification process is to pay $20 to get immediate access to your business profile. \nPlease note:\n Foursquare allows you to list your business for free (see #4 below), and if you’ve been in business a while it’s likely you already have a listing created by customers or by Foursquare importing data from other platforms. However, if you want full control of your listing you need to “claim” your business, which Foursquare currently charges $20 for. This is optional, but once you’ve done this, you will have full access to edit your listing, add photos, update your info, add links to your social media pages, and use Foursquare’s marketing and customer management tools for your business. \n(Image)\n\n4. Create a new listing\nIf your business is \nnot\n on Foursquare, then go to \nbusiness.foursquare.com\n to get started on creating your listing. Log in to your account and click “Get started now.”\n(Image)\n\nFoursquare will take you to another page to search for your business once more. They just want to make sure you don’t create two listings. Enter your business name and city and hit “Search.”\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nWhen your business doesn’t show up, you’ll be given the option to add your business. Click “here” to get started and you’ll be taken to a page like the image below. \nEnter all of the required information. Even though it doesn’t require you to add your address or phone number, these are important items of information to add if you have a physical storefront where customers can reach you. And you will need to select a pin on the map for your location. \n(Image)\n\nClick “Save” and, if you wish, go back to step 3 of this section to complete the “Claim your business” instructions. These are the same whether you are claiming an existing listing or creating a new listing.  \nWhat next?\nNow that you’ve created and/or claimed your business listing on Foursquare, what’s next? As we mentioned previously, it’s important to list your business across as many online directories as possible. \nCheck out this list of \n25 free listings sites for small businesses\n. This will help you improve your online visibility and rank better in local search engine results. \nMake sure to keep track of your listings and reviews on all appropriate sites, and work to earn fresh reviews.

How to list or claim your business profile on Foursquare

In this article:\nWhy use Google Ads/Adwords\nHow to set up your Google Ads search campaign\nHow to view your ad results\nAdditional steps for digital marketing\nGoogle Ads can be a great resource to keep in your tool belt of digital marketing strategies, even for solopreneurs, microbusinesses, sole proprietors, freelancers, and other one-person businesses. It helps you show up at the top of Google’s relevant search results almost immediately. \nWe’ll walk you through the best cases to use Google Ads for your small business and how to get your campaign set up. \nWhy use Google Ads for your small business\nGoogle Ads can work in a variety of ways for your small business. You can create shopping ads that display products from your site, image display ads that show up across other websites, and search ads that show up in Google’s search results. \nWe’re going to focus on \nsearch ads\n for this article, and here are a few reasons why you might want to use search ads for your business. \nSearch ads are a great short-term strategy for showing up in the search engines. Almost as soon as you start your ad campaign, your website is shown at the top of the search results. \nGoogle Ads can be a good solution for displaying limited-time promotions when it doesn’t make sense to do a long-term SEO campaign for them. \nGoogle Ads can help boost your online traffic/sales and drive customer conversions through the roof when optimized well. \nGoogle Ads is constantly learning from users’ interactions with your ads and adapts how it displays your ads to increase conversions. \nIf you need a good short-term strategy to start driving traffic to your website before your SEO campaign kicks in, or you just want to start seeing more sales on your website, follow the guide below to set up your Google Ads search campaign. \nHow to set up your Google Ads search campaign\nLet’s get started. \nStep 1: Create a Google account and log in to Google Ads\nFirst, you need to have a Google account to log in to Google Ads. If you already have a Gmail, then this step is done!\nUsing a business Google account for your Google Ads campaign is smart because it allows any data associated with the campaign to stay with the business for future owners, managers, or marketers to use for other campaigns. \nGo to \nads.google.com\n and click “Sign in” to log in with your Gmail. \n(Image)\n\nWhen you log in, select “New Google Ads Account.” \n(Image)\n\nStep 2: Create a new Google Ads campaign\nNext, you’ll be brought to a screen to start setting up a new campaign for your new Google Ads account. We advise you to look to the bottom of this page and click “Switch to Expert Mode.”\nThis will allow you more capabilities to optimize your campaign and maximize your conversions. You may not be a professional marketer, but we are, and we’re going to walk you through it. \n(Image)\n\nNext, select the type of campaign you want to run. For this specific guide, we’re walking you through setting up your search campaign. So, select “Search.” \n(Image)\n\nChoose a goal\nThen, choose the goal that applies the most to your Google Ads campaign. \n(Image)\n\nYou’ll be given the option to select the ways you want to reach your campaign goal. Select all that apply from the following:\nWebsite visits\nPhone calls\nStore visits\nApp downloads\nThen provide the information such as website, phone number, address, and app info so that Google can help you track the activity on your ads. Click “Continue.”\n(Image)\n\nName your campaign\nUnder “General settings” enter your campaign name. You can also select “Show more settings” to display a dropdown menu that allows you to enter a start and end date for your campaign. If you want to run your ad continuously, just disregard this section. \n(Image)\n\nUpdate targeting and audiences\nScroll down the page to narrow down your targeting and audiences. If you are trying to get nationwide leads or traffic, then you can leave “United States” checked. \nBut if your business is local, you’ll want to check “Enter another location” and enter specific cities or regions to display your ads to. \nClick “Advanced search” if you’d like to add locations in bulk or add a radius to your location target. \n(Image)\n\nBy clicking “Pin Mode” you can even drop a pin to be at the center of your radius rather than choosing an address or city. Click “Save.”\n(Image)\n\nPro tip: Under Locations, click “Location options.” Check the item under “Target” that says “People in or regularly in your targeted locations.” This will keep your ads from showing up for people in other countries or states who are simply “interested in” your targeted locations and not actually in them.\n(Image)\n\nNext, select your languages and audiences. Type in any other languages that are applicable to your campaign. \nIf this is your first campaign, then you won’t have any audience options, so you can move past this. But if you’ve created other campaigns, you can select an audience from one of those to add to this campaign. \n(Image)\n\nAdd your budget\nNow, you can add your budget for this specific ad campaign. You have to add a daily limit to your campaign. We just like to take how much we’re willing to spend monthly and divide it by 30 to get a rough estimate for your daily limit. \nGoogle will use this as a guide for displaying your ads each day, and once it reaches your daily limit, your ads will stop showing until the next day. \nThere is no general recommended budgets for a Google Ads campaign, as this can vary greatly between campaigns depending on your industry and goals. You may have to experiment with this to find your sweet spot for getting the most conversions and return on your investment. \n(Image)\n\nUnder “Bidding,” you’ll only have the option to choose “Clicks” or “Impressions” for your bidding strategy until your campaign has made some conversions. \nWe recommend starting with “Clicks” and then switching to “Conversions” after your ads have been running for a little while. \n(Image)\n\nInclude ad extensions\nAd extensions are additional links and pieces of information that you can include on your search ads. They are great to include not only because they offer more information for potential customers, but they also make your ad take up more space in the search results–making them more visible and appealing to click on. \n(Image)\n\nFor a sitelink extension, click “New Sitelink Extension” and fill in the fields provided:\nSitelink text (i.e. About Us, Products, Videos, Fun Features, etc.)\nDescription line 1\nDescription line 2\nFinal URL (where the sitelink points to on your website)\nSitelink extensions are great for highlighting other relevant pages on your website. \n(Image)\n\nCallout extensions are perfect for advertising additional reasons that customers should choose you, like Free Shipping, Hand-Crafted, Pain-Free, Low Cost, etc. Pick some unique attributes about your business and enter them here. \nClick “New Callout Extension” and enter at least two callouts. Click “Save.”\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nCall extensions allow you to enter your phone number to your ads. Customers can then call you directly without even clicking on your ad (win-win since it costs you money for each click you receive). \nClick “New Call Extension” and add your phone number. Click “Save.”\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nClick “Save and continue” to move on to creating your ads. \nStep 3: Set up Google ad groups\nNext, we’ll set up ad groups. These are a good way to organize your ads if they fall under different categories and will require different types of search phrases. \nFor example, if you want to use Google Ads to promote a new shoe sale and a grand opening for another location of your store, you’d want to set these ads up in different ad groups so you can target them differently. \nLeave the “Ad group type” set as “Standard.” Name your ad group(s) and add any relevant keywords for your phrases. We recommend only starting out with 10-15 highly relevant phrases with the “quotation marks” around them. \nSee our example in the photo. \nThe quotation marks around your keywords will tell Google that you only want your ads to show up for searches that include that phrase. The ads may be displayed to other searches that are very similar. This will help weed out unqualified traffic. \nThe more keywords you enter, the more unqualified traffic and clicks you might drive, meaning you’re paying more than you need to. You can always add more keywords later if you aren’t getting the results that you want. \n(Image)\n\nClick “Save and continue.”\nStep 4: Create your Google ads\nNow for the fun part–setting up your ads. This is what people will actually see on Google when your ads are displayed. \nWe recommend creating 2-3 ads to start with. This will give Google multiple options to display, and then you can see which ads perform the best. \nInclude the following in your ad:\nWebsite URL\nThree headlines (make these attention-grabbing and relevant)\nTwo descriptions (include keywords and additional details about your ad)\n(Image)\n\nClick “Done” to save your ad. \nClick “New Ad” above the ad creation section to create more ads for Google to choose from. \n(Image)\n\nOnce you have created 2-3 ads, click “Save and continue” at the bottom of the page. \nStep 5: Add your billing information\nYou can’t start running your ads until you have a way to pay for them. On this final step of the campaign set up, add your billing information into the fields provided:\nPromotional code (if applicable)\nAccount type (business or individual)\nBusiness name\nBank account or credit card\nFor bank account, include name on account, account type, routing number, and account number\nFor credit card, include card number, expiration date, CVC, cardholder name, and zip code\nClick “Submit.”\n(Image)\n\nNow your ads are officially set up! It may take up to 48 hours (though usually less) for Google to review and approve your ads. Once that is done, they will start showing up in Google searches and you’ll start seeing results. \nHow to view your Google adwords search results\nOnce your ads are approved, Google will start showing them in searches that include your keywords. Then you can view the results from your ads, like how many impressions (searches they’ve showed up in) and clicks they have received. \nLog in to \nads.google.com\n with the same Gmail you used to set up your account. You’ll be brought to an overview or dashboard for your search campaign. \nYou can then view your results by Ad groups, Ads & extensions, or Keywords. In the left menu bar, click the option that you want to filter your results by. \n(Image)\n\nWhen you click one of these options, you’ll be shown the number of clicks your ads, ad groups, or specific keywords received, how many impressions they received, the cost per click, and the total cost for all of the clicks. \nYou can also filter by specific dates to see how your ads perform week to week or month to month. You can even click the “Columns” icon in the menu bar below the dates to add additional metrics into your view. \n(Image)\n\nNow, just sit back and watch as your ads start bringing in traffic. \nWhat can you do in addition to Google Ads/Adwords search?\nGoogle Ads is a fantastic strategy for getting immediate traffic and short-term results. But it can be an expensive strategy to maintain for a long period of time. \nIf you want to start showing up in the search engines organically, you should compliment your Google Ads strategy with a long-term search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. SEO takes time, but it helps you show up in search engine results without having to pay for ads forever. \nHere are a couple guides that can help you improve your SEO:\nLocal SEO: 15 free tips for better search rankings\n\n25 free business listing websites every small or local business should be on\n\n

How to set up a Google Ads search campaign for your small business

In this article:\nHow your small business can benefit from a YouTube presence\nHow to set up a YouTube account for your small business\nEnhance your marketing efforts with other social media outlets\nYouTube is a great resource and social media channel for small businesses to utilize, particularly if your business is visual by nature or you have a big personality. \nHowever, even plumbers, landscapers, decorators, pet groomers—pretty much any type of business you can think of—have developed huge followings and marketing reach on YouTube\nIf your business doesn’t have a YouTube channel yet, we’ll show you how to create one, as well as give you some pointers for how a YouTube account can benefit your small business.\nWhy your small business should be on YouTube\nConsumers are highly engaged by visual media—memes, photography, infographics, and video. YouTube is also the 3rd-largest \nsearch engine\n and the 3rd most visited site on a global scale with more than 1 billion visitors each month. \nIf that’s not reason enough to help increase some brand awareness by using this channel, here are a few additional benefits your business can gain by using YouTube as a marketing tool:\nYouTube videos can help your business get found on Google through video search\nYour content can last longer as you repurpose blog posts into videos that you can share on YouTube\nYour audience will promote you as they share your videos\nIncrease customer conversions with video\nTarget video ads through Google Ads on YouTube\nAdd a face to your brand that people will recognize and connect with\nYouTube can add transcripts and captions to videos to make them more accessible\nIf you are already producing video content for your business, then take advantage of the many benefits of YouTube and set up an account. We’ll show you how in the next section of this article. \nHow to set up a YouTube account for your small business\nLet’s get to it. \nStep 1: Set up a business Google account\nDo you have a Gmail that you’ve already set up for your business? That will be the first step to creating your YouTube account. If you already have a business Google account, skip to Step 2. \nYouTube is owned by Google, so you need to sign in with a Google account. We recommend creating a separate Google account for your business rather than signing in with a personal account. This will make it easier to share the account information with other employees as your business grows. \nGo to Google.com and click “Sign in” to set up a Google account. \n(Image)\n\nClick “Create account” and then select “To manage my business.”\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nAdd your first name, last name, username, and password. Then click “Next” and follow the prompts to finish setting up your account. \n(Image)\n\nStep 2: Create your YouTube channel\nNow go to YouTube.com. If you are already signed into your Google account, then YouTube will already be signed in for you. If you’re not signed in yet, just click “Sign in” in the top right corner and use your business Google account to sign in. \n(Image)\n\nOnce you are signed in, click on your profile avatar in the top right corner and go to “Create a channel.”\n(Image)\n\nClick “Get Started.”\n(Image)\n\nNext, you’ll be given the option to use your username for your new channel or use a custom name. For businesses and brands, we recommend using a custom name so you can brand your YouTube channel.\n(Image)\n\nAdd your channel name (your business name is fine here), check the “I understand…” box and click “Create.”\n(Image)\n\nOn the next screen you can and should add all of the following:\nProfile picture (your business logo is great for this)\nChannel description (what kind of videos will you be sharing?)\nLink to your website and other social profiles\nClick “Save and Continue.”\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nNow you have a YouTube channel for your business! Continue to Step 3 to further customize your channel. \nStep 3: Customize your YouTube channel\nWhile you can now upload videos and technically do have a YouTube channel for your business, you should customize your channel to fit with your branding. \nStart by clicking “Customize channel” on the new screen you are brought to. \n(Image)\n\nHere, you can add channel art (a banner photo), add featured channels that are relevant to your business, and add new sections to organize your videos. \n(Image)\n\nGo to the “About” section to edit your description, add a business email, and add your location. \n(Image)\n\nStep 4: Upload your first video\nNow all that’s left to do is start adding videos. Wherever you are on YouTube, you can always click the video camera icon in the top right corner to upload a new video to your business channel. Click “Upload video” and follow the prompts to get your video added. \n(Image)\n\nEnhance your marketing efforts with other social media outlets\nYouTube isn’t the only social media outlet that you should take advantage of. Learn the benefits that you can gain from other social media channels for your business and use those that best suit your needs. \nHere are a few guides to get you started:\nHow to create and claim your business’s Facebook page\nHow to create an Instagram account for your business\nHow to create a business Twitter account\n\nHow to create a business LinkedIn account\n
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How to set up a YouTube channel for your small business

In this article:\nWhy use Instagram for business\nHow to set up and claim your business Instagram account\nWhat to post on Instagram\nEighty percent of Instagram’s one billion users follow at least one business on their Instagram account. They enjoy the aesthetically pleasing content that brands tend to share on this channel, and feel more connected to brands they like.  \nWith so many potential customers on Instagram, this platform provides tons of opportunities for your business to increase awareness of your brand and improve your online visibility. \nWhy use Instagram for your business?\nMore people join Instagram every year. This popular social media channel is the perfect way for consumers to relax and pass time as they check out fun and inspiring images and engage with their favorite brands. \nSome advantages that Instagram can provide your business:\nAny size business can be successful on Instagram\nThere are about 1 billion active Instagram users worldwide daily\nLocal advertising functionality can help you reach targeted audiences\nYou can partner with influencers to share your brand and gain more awareness\nEasily engage with customers through comments, polls, and direct messaging\nMobile users are more frequently on Instagram than any other social media channel\nMonitor competitors’ Instagram accounts to see how they engage their followers\nBoost sales by showcasing new products and services\nGet feedback from consumer polls and collect data to improve your business\nHow to set up your business Instagram account\nNow that you know some ways Instagram can help your business, let’s dive in. Follow these steps to set up your business Instagram account. \n1. Download the app or go to the Instagram website\nFirst, you’ll need to go to Instagram’s platform. You can download the mobile app on your phone or tablet, or you can go to Instagram.com in any web browser. \nFrom there, you’ll need to sign up for a new account. \n(Image)\n\n2. Sign up for Instagram\nContinue the signup process by clicking “Sign up” and entering in all of the required information. You are given the option to “Log in with Facebook,” but this is really only a good option for personal accounts. (For those who aren’t aware, Facebook owns Instagram.)\nFor a business account, you’ll want to keep it separate from personal Facebook accounts so anyone that you need to can have access to the account. \nEnter a mobile number or email (one of these will be used to verify the account), the name of your business, a username, and a password. Then click “Sign up.”\n(Image)\n\nVerify your phone number or email next. You’ll receive a 6-digit code that you need to confirm in order to finish setting up your account. \n(Image)\n\n3. Switch to a business Instagram account. \nNow that you’ve created an account, you’ll want to make sure you change the settings so your profile appears as a business account. You’ll need to log in to the mobile app to do this. \nWhen you’re there, click the user icon on the bottom right corner of the app. \n(Image)\n\nNext, click the menu icon in the top right of your screen and navigate to your settings. \n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nAfter that, click “Account”… \n(Image)\n\n…and then go to “Switch to Professional Account.”\n(Image)\n\nFrom there, you will be prompted to select a “Creator” account or a “Business” account. As a small business, we urge you to select business to gain the best opportunities for your brand. \n(Image)\n\nThen you’ll be directed to a series of screens that let you know what a business account can do for you. Click “Continue” through each of the next four slides. \n(Image)\n\nNext, select the best category for your business. Scroll through the list or search for the most relevant category that represents your business. \n(Image)\n\nThen you’ll want to add your business’s contact information: email, phone number, and address. If you have a business cell phone, that would be the best number to associate with the account. \nYou don’t have to display your contact information, but the more places this is accessible, the more opportunities you have for customers to get in touch with your business. \n(Image)\n\nAfter you’ve updated your information, it’s time to connect to your business Facebook page. Facebook and Instagram advertising are integrated together, so you’ll want to make sure to link these two accounts. \nDon’t have a Facebook page for your business? Check out our guide: \nHow to create and claim your Facebook business page\nYou will need to be an admin of your business Facebook page in order to connect it to your Instagram account, and when you select “Choose Page” you’ll be prompted to log into your personal Facebook account to see the pages that you are an admin on. \nSelect your business page and click “Done.” \nYou can also link your Instagram account from your Facebook page on a desktop computer if someone else is the admin or if you want to do this at a later time.\n(Image)\n\nNow you officially have a business Instagram account! But there are a couple more things you’ll want to do to really complete your profile. \n4. Complete your profile\nNow you need to add a profile photo, bio, and your website in order to complete your business’s Instagram profile. \nTo add a profile photo, go back to your profile and click the “+” on the profile icon in the top left of your screen. \nFrom there, select “Add Profile Photo” and “New Profile Photo.” \nA company logo is usually the best picture to use here because it helps to reinforce your brand. \n(Image)\n\nWhen you have your profile photo added, go back to your profile and select “Edit Profile.”\nThis is where you can update your bio and website. Add your website into the appropriate field. And then add a short description of your business into the bio section. \nThen click the checkmark in the top right corner, and your profile is officially complete!\n(Image)\n\n5. Add content\nYou have signed up for Instagram, switched to a business account, and completed your profile. Now it’s time to start posting. \nGet some beautiful images together of products or employees on the job and start tracking engagement. \nMost businesses post on Instagram between 1 and 3 times each day. Try to set a goal for your business and select an employee who can keep up with the posts. \nRead on to learn more about what kinds of things you should post. \nWhat kind of content should businesses post on Instagram?\nInstagram is a creative platform, so be sure to get creative with your posts. Professional photos and videos will go a long way here. \nTo get help you get started, we’ve put together this small list of ideas that your business can use to post on Instagram:\nNew products and services\nDiscounts and deals\nEmployee features\nCustomer features\nInspirational images and quotes\nMemes\nContests/giveaways\nCelebrations for your business (anniversaries, milestones reached)\nTrending hashtag posts (#NationalDoughnutDay anyone?)\nBehind the scenes photos and videos\nUpcoming events\nHoliday posts\nGet creative and have fun with it!\nThere are so many ways that small businesses can take advantage of Instagram and find success on this platform. You just need to determine your goals for your business’s Instagram account and start working toward those.

How to create an Instagram account for your business

In this post:\nHow many customers actually leave reviews online?\nWhat motivates your customers to leave a review?\nHow to get reviews from more customers\nWhat about customers who don’t leave reviews no matter what?\nIn today’s always online world, it feels like everyone has an opinion to share and an online megaphone to share it with. But while it’s true that everyone \ndoes\n have an opinion, fewer people share them online than some might realize.\nFor anyone who owns their own business, even  microbusinesses, sole proprietors, freelancers, gig workers, content creators, solopreneurs, etc., this should come as no surprise. Getting consistent reviews can feel like a monumental task for even the hottest spot in town. All too often it can feel like after spending your week helping hundreds of happy customers, you’ll still only end up with a handful of 1 star reviews.\nThe power and importance of online review sites is growing. So what can you do? Let’s start by looking at how people behave online.\nHow many customers actually leave reviews on review sites?\nGetting a review from a happy customer might sound easy on the surface. But the truth is, a customer has several hurdles to clear before posting a review.\nFirst, you have to make the customer happy (the easy part). Next, you have to hope they already have an account set up for a review site. Don’t bank on even the happiest customer taking the time to set up a new account just for you.\nFinally, even if the customer already has an account on a review site, it’s unlikely they write reviews for \nany \nbusiness.\nIn a study about online user behavior, \nJakob Nielsen named this phenomenon “the 90-9-1 rule.”\n Put simply, the rule states:\n90% of online users are lurkers (they read or observe, but don’t contribute)\n9% of users contribute intermittently\n1% of users participate a \nlot\n and account for most contributions\nThe 90-9-1 rule is familiar to anyone who works in social media marketing or related fields, but what does it \nreally\n mean? Does it mean that only 1% of your customers are likely to leave a review of your business?\nNot quite.\nWhich customers are likely to leave a review of your business?\nTo learn more about how the 90-9-1 rule and how it might impact local businesses, we decided to reach out to \nBill Johnston\n, an online community expert and the founder of \nStructure3C\n, who gave us some valuable insight pulled from his over 20 years of experience.\nHere’s what Bill had to say:\n“The 90-9-1 rule is one of the most often quoted and misunderstood ‘rules of thumb’ for social.\nFar too many people hear the rule and then assume, “Okay, so only 1% or 9% of my customers are the ones who will leave a review of my pizza place.” Which isn’t the case. \nThe 90-9-1 rule tells us 1% of users online generate a ton of the internet’s content, but to think that only 1% or 9% of your customers are willing to leave a review of your business misses the point of Nielsen’s findings and sets you up for failure.\nThe fact is, there are 2 sets of motivating factors for people to contribute online:\n1) Intrinsic — When the customer is motivated by altruism. They had a good experience, or liked you personally, or simply want to help other “people like them” find something great.\n2) Extrinsic — When the user is acknowledged, rewarded or compensated\nGoing even deeper, though, I believe one of the following experiences is what motivates a customer to leave a review: \nThey’re really \nfrustrated\nThey’ve been \ndelighted\nThey \ngenuinely want to help\n others\nThey \nfeel passionate about the topic or product\n, and see themselves as a tastemaker\nThey are \ncompensated or rewarded\nMy advice to local businesses would be to think less about the 90-9-1 rule and more about how likely their customers are to have one of the types of experiences above.”\nWhat to do if you’re having a hard time getting reviews from your customers\nAs Bill explained above, it’s important for business owners to be aware of the 90-9-1 rule. But it’s even more important to understand what it means. \nYes, the majority of your customers will be online ‘lurkers,’ and thus unlikely to leave a review of your business. Still, you should always start by thinking about\n \nwhy\n a customer would leave a review.\nTake Bill’s motivators above and then ask yourself these questions about them:\nWhen and why are my customers feeling frustrated, and can I head off that frustration turning into a bad review?\nWhen and why are my customers feeling delighted, and are there things I can do to help them share their delight? \nWhy might a customer feel motivated to help me or my business?\nWho would feel passionate about my business and why? Are there connoisseurs who want to be associated with your brand, or be seen as an insider for discovering or promoting your business?\nIt’s against the rules to buy or offer something in exchange for reviews, but how can I show customers how leaving a review could result in a better customer experience?\nStarting with customer motivators is an extremely effective way to put your business in a position to get reviews. Use them as methods to identify areas for improvement or emphasis. \nThis will help you find even more success when following our tips on \nhow to get more reviews\n for your business like: using signage, making verbal requests, creating direct links to your review sites, and replying to all your reviews.\nPlus, recent research shows that businesses that regularly respond to their online business reviews earn more revenue!\nWhat about customers who still won’t leave a review of your business?\nWhile the 90-9-1 rule is often misunderstood and misused, it does still contain helpful insights. For example, no matter how hard you try, there will always be a significant number of users who simply will not leave a review online. \nBut just because a customer doesn’t want to leave a review doesn’t mean they don’t want you to know about their experience. And, of course, few things are more valuable to a business owner than understanding their customers.\nAnother helpful takeaway from the 90-9-1 rule is that you can’t rely on online reviews to understand how your customers actually feel. It’s why big businesses spend millions to survey and analyze their customers to know what’s working and what’s not. \nIt’s also why every small, local business should have a system to get direct feedback from all of their customers. Whether they’re someone who will leave an online review or not.\nWhy direct feedback works\nDirect feedback avoids many of the hurdles that prevent customers from posting on review sites. Signing up for an account, privacy issues, and not wanting to attach reviews to a personal profile — none of these prevent a customer from submitting direct feedback about their experience. \nYou’ll also find customers are more willing to provide “feedback” about their experience than a “review” of your business.\nDirect feedback can help prevent potential negative reviews\nMany business owners can testify—few things will motivate a customer to leave an online review like a negative experience. Providing an avenue for direct feedback can go a long way to prevent that.\nYes, some customers take to review sites simply to air grievances. But many others feel it’s their only option to resolve a bad experience. Instead, giving a direct feedback option gives an upset customer a much more effective method to share their frustrating experience with you. \nSome customers will ultimately still take to review sites, but you’ll be surprised at how many more would much prefer to “take it offline.”\nDirect feedback can lead to more good reviews\nA good direct feedback program can also help bring in more positive reviews for your business.\nFirst, it helps all your customers feel valued, listened to, and respected. Few things are more frustrating for customers than a business who takes them for granted. The simple act of asking “how was your experience today?” speaks volumes.\nSecond, gathering as much feedback as possible gives you a better idea about what is and is not working. This can help you focus on expanding the most popular parts of your business and improve areas causing frustration.\nFinally, if you’re using a direct feedback program that involves two-way communication (via email, etc), you can respond to positive feedback with a direct link to your review sites. Which makes it easier than ever for your happiest customers to leave you a review.

Why most of your customers don’t leave reviews of your business (and what to do about it)

In this article:\nWhy you need a blog for your small business \nDo’s of writing an effective small business blog \nDon’ts of writing a blog for your business\nBlogging can be an important facet of any content marketing campaign. From providing value, to attracting new customers, to helping your website show up better online, there are several ways that writing a blog can help even truly small businesses. \nAs you begin planning your blog strategy, you should keep a few things in mind along the way. There are right and wrong ways to blog, so let’s go over what those are and discuss how to get started. \nWhy you should consider using a blog to help market your small business\nStarting a blog for your small business can provide several benefits for your online marketing, SEO, and customer experience. \nBlogging can improve search engine visibility\nBlogging is a great way to enhance your search engine visibility, or in other words, \nSEO for your small business\n. Google and other search engines place a high value on fresh, new content on websites and social media. \nPosting regular content shows Google that your website isn’t stagnant and that you are trying to provide constant value to your (and by extension Google’s) users. \nA quality blog positions you as an expert in your field\nWhen you write blog articles on your website, they help set you apart as an expert in your field. Your blog articles should be relevant to your industry and help others to learn more about it. \nA good blog will provide value for your readers and current customers\nAlong with making you the expert, a blog helps to provide additional value to your customers–like how to use your products or additional information about your services. \nA blog can increase traffic to your website and social profiles\nAs you post your blog articles and share them on your social profiles, they provide more opportunities for you to increase traffic to your website and social channels. This can also help your search engine visibility as more people find and view your blogs. \nThe do’s of writing an effective small business blog\nSeveral things are necessary for writing a good blog post beyond just the writing itself. You need to have it well-organized and easy to read and consume. \nFollow these do’s for writing a blog to give yourself the best opportunities to succeed. \nHave a clear focus\nEach article you write should have a definite focus. Before writing any blog article, think about the topics that would best benefit your customers and readers. \nRather than try to cover too much, choose a specific topic for each article to keep your readers engaged and help them easily follow the article.  \nUse relevant headings and subheadings\nAll blog articles should be easy to read and follow. One thing that makes for better readability is separating the different sections of the article by using headings and subheadings. \nMost people have low attention spans when it comes to reading through large blocks of text, so using headings to help break the article up will allow them to easily scan it to see what it is about. And then if they choose to dive deeper and read the full article, they have that option. \nThis technique also helps with SEO, as your H1/H2/H3 tags help search engines determine what your blog is about. Learn more in our article about \nfree tips for better SEO rankings\n.\nPost updates frequently\nIf you are going to start a blog for your small business, you should commit to a blogging schedule. Posting frequently and consistently will be important, especially if you start picking up regular readers. A good beginning goal to shoot for is 1-3 articles per month. \nDetermine what your team is capable of handling and work up from there. (More is generally better, but make sure every post is valuable and relevant.)\nLook for keyword opportunities\nYour blog is a great place to try ranking for new keywords, especially long-tail phrases. Long-tail phrases are the longer phrases people type when searching for something online. They are usually 5 or more words. \nSome examples of long-tail phrases are “how to write a blog for small businesses” or “where to find the best restaurants in NYC.”\nStrategically plan keywords that each of your blog posts could go after and then stick to that plan as you write your articles. \nUse effective, high-quality images\nImages help enhance your blog posts. People are visual by nature, so adding a compelling image to your blog post will help grab their attention and keep them interested throughout the article. \nLearn more in our \nguide to getting professional-quality photography for your small business\n.\nChoose your blog article length strategically\nA blog article is drastically different from a social media post. On social media, it’s important to keep your posts very short and to the point. But blog articles can (and should) go a little more in-depth and provide additional value. \nMore and more frequently, we are finding that long-form blog posts perform better on Google. They provide more value to users by answering their questions within one post. Long-form blog posts can range from 800-2500 words (and sometimes more). \nThe important thing here is to make sure you provide a well-rounded article that stays to the point. If you can write everything your customers need to know in 500 words, that’s great. Don’t try to stretch it out to get a certain word count. \nAnd if you feel you need to keep adding additional sections and the article starts to creep beyond 2500 words, the subject may merit being separated into multiple, more specific articles. \nReview, review, review\nWe cannot express enough how important the review process is for your blog. After each blog post is written it is crucial to have another set of eyes (preferably multiple sets) review the article for any misguided facts, spelling, layout problems, non-functional links, grammatical errors, etc. \nYour blog is an extension of your brand and represents your business. Make sure it represents you well. \nPromote your blog articles\nOnce your articles are written, it’s important to share them everywhere you can. Share your content across all of your social channels and be sure to include keyword-rich anchor text links back to your blog. \n(For example if you want your business to rank well in searches for local pet services businesses, you would select some keywords and use those as the “anchor text” to your article, thus: \nlocal pet services\n.)\nYou may even decide that some blog articles are important enough to boost as a paid ad on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. That’s a great way to get more readers for your blog. \nThe don’ts of writing a small business blog\nWe’ve outlined the right ways to do create and promote small business blog. Now here are the things to avoid doing if you want to do well in the search engines and keep your readers engaged. \nDon’t set unrealistic goals for your blog\nIt’s important not to set goals that you can’t achieve. Let’s say you want to post 5-6 articles every month, but you don’t have the time to do that yourself, and you don’t have any other writers on your staff to help you out. You’re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. \nSet realistic goals for yourself as you start your blog writing endeavors. Start small and grow as you are able to. \nDon’t copy others’ content or plagiarize\nThis should be an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many small businesses just copy some content they like from another website and post it on their own without giving any attribution to the original source. \nPlagiarizing large amounts of content on your website, even if you do give credit to the original publisher, is illegal, unethical, and can hurt your search engine visibility. \nIt’s important to write unique content on your website. And if you do need to copy some content from another site, make sure to give them proper attribution and try to keep this to a minimum and only when absolutely necessary. \nIf you want to mention other people’s blogs or social media and link to them, recommending them as another good source of info, this is usually perfectly fine (and actually desirable for the other party).\nDon’t post inconsistently or infrequently\nDon’t start a blog on your website, post once, and then leave the blog stagnant for several months. Your website should be a living, breathing thing that you are consistently feeding new content to. Determine a realistic frequency to post blogs and try to stick to it. \nIf you don’t apply real effort to creating good, relevant, fresh content for your blog, you will see practically zero benefit from it.\nDon’t post irrelevant content\nYour blog should be relevant to your business. If you run a veterinary clinic, you’re not going to want to post blog articles about interior decorating (unless it somehow relates to a pet’s health). \nKeep your blog articles relevant to your business and the needs of your customers. \nDon’t ramble \nRambling is a big no-no. No one is going to want to read an article that rambles on and on about any given topic (or gets way off topic). Rambling usually doesn’t have a clear focus and tends to take away from the overall impact and value of the article. \nKeep your articles well-organized and concise. \nDon’t use long spans of text\nGoing back to consumer attention spans, it’s important to avoid long walls of text within your blog articles. Keep your paragraphs short. \nThree to 4 short sentences is a good goal to have. This will make your articles easier to read and skim through. \nFor most people, if they see a long wall of text when they land on an article, they will go back and find a different one that is easier to consume quickly. \nDon’t forget to proofread\nProofreading and reviewing all articles before they get published is an important part of the process. Don’t be in such a rush that you publish mistakes or poorly crafted content just for the sake of posting.\nRemember that your blog represents you. Show that you care by publishing quality, well-built articles. 

121 articles found in “Customer relations”

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Why most of your customers don’t leave reviews of your business (and what to do about it)

The do’s and don’ts of writing an effective small business blog

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