Claim Your Business

How to get started in social media management.

I routinely run across clients that have not claimed, listed or updated their business on social media. Merchants do not need to hire a third party to verify their business. This is because listing your business is free and easy. It’s a great way to get your operation up and running, or update changes at to expense.

Be aware of the social media sites listed below offering upgrades for an additional charge, and some of this information may be used for email and telemarketing purposes. Beware of marketers contacting you claiming to be with Google, because Google will not call you. These telemarketers usually say they want to help verify your site with them.

The verification process is very easy to do, and should be done by the business owner themselves. In addition to the cost savings of doing it yourself, you want to be in control of your content. It will also alert you of reviews so you can respond to reviews of your organization.

There are many more social media sites than the ones listed here, but the following are some important ones to start with.

How to list your business:

Optionally, you will need your logo in various .jpg file sizes, typically 300 x 300 pixels. You will also need photos of your business interior and exterior, phone number, email, website address, etc.

Google My Business – search for your business and claim it (connects with Google Maps)

Apple Maps – register your business (you will need to set up an Apple I.D.)

Linkedin Company Directory – register your business

Better Business Bureau – register your business

Yelp – search for your business and claim it (they will try to sell you)

Bing – search for your business and claim it

Map Quest – search for your  business and claim it (minimum $3 monthly fee)

Hubspot – register your business

Manta – search for your business and claim it

Four Square – search for your business and claim it

Merchant Circle – search for your business and claim it

Yellow Pages – search for your business and claim it

Local – search for your business and claim it (they will try to sell you)

Yellow Bot – search for your business and claim it

eLocal – search for your business and claim it (they will try to sell you)

Entireweb – search for your business and claim it

POI – GPS submission site (Garmin, Magellan, Navman, Route 66, TomTom, Nokia, Destinator and others)

1. Remember to keep your website updated with fresh authentic content. Google likes authority and relevancy. Customers reviews contribute to your standing on the web too. Google Street View 360º virtual tours also helps your standing. For expert Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advise, consult a professional SEO firm such as 2theTopDesign in Nashville, Tennessee.
2. Make sure your website is constructed properly. Here are some questions to ask your webmaster.
3. Get your website monitored with Google Analytics. It’s free and provides great insights into your website traffic. More on Google Metrics.
4. Check your website health and speed with this free diagnostic by GTmetrix. More tools here.

Here is a more recent article, that may be more current:

https://www.valendigital.co.uk/blog/guide-to-local-seo/

#socialmediamarketing