Is Google the new social network for restaurants?
Restaurants across the country have been posting pictures and videos to Facebook and Instagram for years, but is it now time to pay more attention to Google?
Late last year, Google quietly updated the 'Google My Business’ app, allowing you to publish content directly to your business profile.
Did you know that customers can also ‘follow’ and ‘message’ you, as well as leaving reviews too!? Following the exact same concept as the other social networks you’ve come to love.
This platform can have so many benefits for your business and (so far), very few restaurant have taken advantage of it. The most amazing thing about Google My Business (the place where you update your opening hours, menu and map listing) is that it is often the first interaction that a consumer has with your business. We all know that the first thing anyone does when searching for restaurants in the area is Google it… So this new brand new concept gives you the perfect opportunity to take one step ahead of your competitors.
Using Facebook and Instagram is a fantastic way to showcase your business and will certainly encourage ‘word of mouth’ recommendations from customers. We all love it when a customer posts a fantastic picture and tags our restaurant in it.
However, when a customer is searching for a restaurant to visit for dinner, Google is the prime place. You’ve now got the chance to share regular and authentic content straight onto your business listing in the place where people are so actively searching.
In an experiment with their clients, Really Social found that businesses who were regularly updating photos and content onto Google My Business were receiving significantly more clicks compared to those who didn’t.
As Brexit looms and customer spending is squeezed, social media is going to play a key role in enabling businesses to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Google has just given you another avenue to do this, so take the time to focus on high quality video and photo content and publish it everywhere you possibly can.
If we are to give you one tip in 2019 - it is to use Google My Business just as actively as you do Facebook and Instagram.
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