Hump Day Headlines: Google, Instagram and Click-to-call

By Art Unlimited.

Today we’re going to be talking about some Google reviews gone missing, how Instagram is making some serious bank, and what’s happening with click-to call-in your new Google posts.

You can either watch the video or read the transcript below. Plan to join us live each Wednesday on Facebook.

Google Reviews Gone Missing (for the better?)

So, the first thing we wanted to talk about is the reviews disappearing. If you’ve noticed maybe you lost some reviews, it might be because they were anonymous on your Google business listing. Now, what basically happened is Google went through and decided that anonymous reviews are something people can hide behind. And quite honestly, they’re a little passive-aggressive. So when they took those off, it actually decreased the number of reviews you have overall.

We’ve seen some serious things that in happened in terms of ranking factors, like specific business locations compared to your competitors. Maybe they lost reviews, or maybe you did. This is an important thing to be aware of because it could affect your overall ranking. So be looking to get reviews from people, because they’re now actually required to have a Google account to be able to review a business. Definitely be looking out for issues and trying to gain reviews, because this could have impacted your findability.

Instagram is Really Making Bank!

The second thing we wanted to bring up is just some data that came forward from Facebook and Instagram about their Q2 season.

Facebook had a 40% increase in their ads in Q2, which is a pretty hefty number, especially for Facebook, considering the platform is kind of plateauing. However, Instagram, which is another service they’ve purchased—everyone’s been using it! During their second quarter, they increased their ad spend by 177 percent! So, they’ve pretty much blown Facebook out of the water.

This is also one of the areas where people that are younger than millennials are more prevalent on Instagram than they are on their original Facebook. On top of this, it is much easier to display ads as a small business owner on Instagram because it is extremely mobile friendly! You can do everything right from your cell phone, and they will actually change the color of your ad to match your photo. So, you can actually have a little more branding and work a little bit within the platform. That is why we’re seeing such a big jump there. So, if you haven’t gone out and started using Instagram as a business, you should definitely claim your Instagram handle and optimize it.

One of the things we’ve been noticing too is that Facebook has really gotten into the video aspect, and right now, YouTube is basically the number one place that is bringing in a lot of money for Google. And what we’ve been seeing is that as Facebook goes more and more into different video advertising options, it’s really making people use Instagram and Facebook a lot more. I mean, 40%’s not something to sneeze at for Facebook!

Everyone keeps thinking “What’s happening with Cambridge Analytica,” but they’re still doing fine financially. I think they only got fined, what was it? 600 thousand dollars? Compared to Google, which is getting sued for something else in Europe for 5 billion dollars. FIVE BILLION.

So, this is a really interesting thing to be aware of, because Instagram is growing like crazy, which means there’s more competition out there for your business. So, like we were saying, make sure you at least have your Instagram page claimed and you have that optimized for your business. That way, when you’re ready to go for it, you don’t have to start with a blank slate. If you already have stuff out there, you’re going to have better luck when you start running ads or ramping up your content. You have people there to receive it right away.

Click to Call in Google Posts

So the last thing we wanted to talk about is the “Call Now” feature within Google posts. So, if you have heard us talk about Google posts in the past, that’s great, and if you haven’t, it’s basically within your Google business listing. It’s a section where you can create posts. It's almost like it has its own social media page at the bottom of your business listing. Maybe they’re deals you’ve had, maybe they’re blogs you've written, and they have little call-to-actions like ‘Book Now,’ ‘Read More’—now there’s one for ‘Call Now.’

With that, you can enter the phone number that you already have on your Google business listing. So, the bummer is you can’t add a tracking line in (yet), but you’ll still be able to see the insights of how many people called you. And here’s the part that is a game changer for people who have excellent customer service: If you have that call now button and people are using it, right after the person has ended the call with your business, right in that business listing section a little thing will pop up that says “How was the experience? Review your conversation!”

That’s a huge thing, because it means you’re building opportunities while people already have a chance to review you and give you a great score.

So, if you think about that from the user side, that user has looked up your information, so they’re already on your Google business listing, but they’re pressing click-to-call, which pulls them out of the internet for a second to get to their phone app. But when you get off a call with them, it’s programmed to bring them back to the internet, right to your review section. And it’s opened for them so they can give you the review right there. Pretty sneaky!

I’m excited about it, because it’s a great way to not even have to ask them. It’s just, “Hey, how was it?” You DO have to be on your customer service game! And you do have to have your listing claimed and verified. Otherwise this option is not going to be there. If you don’t see the option, check on your verification status.

Thanks for joining us! We’ll see you next week.

Would you like to know more about social media, Google reviews, or anything digital marketing? The Art Unlimited Team has the answers for you! Connect with us today.

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32bX1lSlQ8s