Given recent, present, and future circumstances, many organizations have had to adapt to shifting state and local regulations that directly impact their operations. From essential business designations, to phased re-opening plans, and shifting consumer behavior, there have been many considerations that impact how an organization serves its customers.
For any organizations that provide local services or have brick and mortar presence, this has likely required constant communication with customers through both online and offline channels. While most of the digital focus is often directed to an organization’s website, email, and social media channels, an often forgotten but equally important (if not more important) channel is Google My Business (GMB). As we move towards and into the re-opening and relaxing of restrictions, GMB is a critical channel to keep up-to-date. This begins with a plan for how you will proactively keep your audience and customers informed and up-to-date with your business operations.
If you have consumers who search for your products or services at a local level, GMB is likely to be one of the first (and possibly only) channels that your customer sees when searching for information about your products or services. For example, I recently ran out of printer paper, but needed to print a document to sign and mail in a timely manner. I could have ordered online, but didn’t want to risk the potential shipping delays. Therefore, I searched for “Printer Paper” to find local office supply stores. In this case, you can see that Office Depot has done a great job with reviews, updated hours, guidance on what’s in stock, and notifications that they offer in-store shopping, curbside pickup, and delivery.
Therefore it is critical to have a strong plan in place for leveraging GMB to communicate to your audience and keep them informed about the latest changes with your operations. Here are the primary ways that we recommend doing so:
Ultimately, like most communication strategies, it’s important to have a well-defined plan in place and provide regular, consistent, and proactive communication. As we look forward to businesses re-opening in a safe manner, I hope this helps provide you with some actionable steps you can take to keep your customers informed about your operations.