Google My Business is a free and easy way to manage your business online. It’s a great tool for businesses that are looking to increase their visibility on the web. With Google My Business, you can create an accurate, professional-looking profile that will show up in search results and maps. Doing this allows potential customers to find your company more easily.

But aside from being just a listing service, Google My Business has introduced several features often used in social media platforms. These features make Google My Business more convenient not only to business owners but also to customers searching for products and services. If you’re a business owner, maximizing the use of these features could help you stand out from your competitors and gain more revenue.

Here are 5 Google My Business features that you should use so your GMB profile can double up as a social media tool.  

1. Social Posts

Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and keep them up-to-date on the latest news about your products and services. Regular posts help a business by increasing brand awareness, reaching new audiences, attracting more followers, and generating sales leads. You don’t need to spend a lot of time and money changing up your website again and again because you can use your social platforms to share frequent updates.

Google made it easier for customers to find these updates by allowing business owners to share social posts right on their own Google My Business profile. If you make use of GMB’s social posts feature, your customers won’t need to be directed to your other social media platforms and can quickly learn about what’s new about your company.

2. Welcome Offers

Sales and promotions are a great way to get people talking about your business. Offering customers special deals can help drive traffic to your website or store. On social platforms, offering deals and discounts is a classic social media promotion tactic to draw more customers and increase engagement.

The good news is you can also add an offer to your GMB profile, and it’s totally free.  If you have a GMB profile, you can set up a welcome offer for potential customers. This allows you to advertise promotions and can even place a link so people can claim the offer.

3. Photos and Videos

Photos and videos are the most engaging content on social media. They make it easier for potential customers to learn more about your business’s offerings. On your Google My Business profile, you can also upload your own pictures and videos to attract more customers. Customers can also add their own photos so you want to make sure that you’re uploading your own professional-looking images to better project your business image. 

Adding these visuals and updating them regularly can help your profile stand out from competitors.This can also help you rank better in search results and break through the Google Map Pack

4. User Reviews

One of the most useful aspects of social networks is giving users a platform to share their views about anything under the sun – including reviews about products and services that they’ve used. But how important are user reviews for businesses? In a 2021 study, 94% of respondents said that positive reviews made them more likely to use a business. This means that the more good reviews you have, the more potential customers.

Google My Business has this feature integrated into business profiles. As a business owner, you need to encourage reviews from your customers and at the same time manage negative reviews. Having more reviews and providing well-thought-out responses also increase your chances of showing up first on search results. 

5. Q&A Section

Social platforms empowered customers to directly engage with businesses. If they have questions or concerns, there’s no need to email or phone the company because they can easily tag a business or post a comment. 

What many business owners don’t realize is that there is also a Q&A section on their GMB profiles. When a customer posts a question, the profile owner will be notified so they can supply an answer.

It is important to stay on top of this section to make sure that the responses are accurate and relevant. This is also an opportunity for you to engage or convert these potential customers (leads) to sales.

Do you have a Google My Business Profile?

Google My Business is a powerful tool that local business owners in Chattanooga should maximize. If you are a small business owner and you want to grow your digital presence, give us a call and we’ll help you get started in optimizing your Google My Business profile.