26th May was an excellent day for the fantastic guests who managed to join George McGillivray, Michele Macfarlane and the Private House Stays Team for the incredibly informative webinar.  We gained insights into how we can make Google and various social media work, do the work for us, and improve our digital presence.

If you want the exclusive answers from George and Michelle to the questions they could not answer during the webinar, then continue reading!

George’s questions and answers!

What’s the difference between Google Business Profile and Google My Business?

A: The renaming is part of Google’s effort to differentiate small businesses with one location and those with multiple locations. This will make it easier for small business owners to manage their business on Google with a single listing. Google My Business is going to be renamed Business Profile Manager, which will be supporting larger businesses with multiple locations.

 Do I need a Google Business Profile if I already have a website?

A: Yes, because your free Business Profile complements your website by adding more visibility to your current business website on Google Search and Google Maps.

 How do I sign up for a Google Business Profile?

A: First check to see if you have a Google Business Profile already set up
On Google Search, search for "my business."
On Google Search or Maps, search for your business name and city.
In your Google Maps app, at the top right, tap your profile photo.
If you haven't got a profile to click on, go to https://business.google.com/create and complete your details.

How do I manage Multiple Locations?

A:  To manage multiple profiles in bulk, you can use Business Profile Manager.

Create a business group
Sign in to Business Profile Manager.
At the top left, click the 'Businesses' tab. ...
Click Create group.
Enter the name of your group.

What do I do if my listing has been claimed by someone else?

A: You can request ownership of your Business Profile. Here is a link which will explain how to do this

https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566671?hl=en-GB

Michelle's questions and answers!

Do we need to be on as many social media platforms as possible? 

A: No, you need to understand where your target audience find their information and consumes online content. Then pick the ones which will give you the best return on your effort!

How important is video marketing?

 A: Video marketing is one if the most effective forms of social media content. Consumers like it because it's easy to digest, entertaining and engaging, and marketers like it because it can give a potentially huge return on investment (ROI) through many channels. Video is also very accessible to anyone with internet access, both to watch and to produce.

Can we put hashtag into the graphics – will it work for searches? 

A: No, the text on organic social media images cannot be read at all – only use it if it is for branding or humour purposes as part of the image. It will not be findable because of the #. META searches the text on your paid images only when you submit your ads for approval to ensure nothing is against community standards but does not affect the findability of your content at all.

What are Instagram reels and how are they different to video posts?

A:  Reels are short, entertaining videos on Instagram where you can express your creativity and bring your brand to life. People come to Reels to participate in cultural trends, collaborate with the community and discover new ideas. The best thing about reels is that they are shown to people who are interested in the topic of your content, even if they aren’t a follower. You can find new followers and reach a wider audience through reels rather than feed posts which only your followers will see.

We hope that these will fill in any gaps that you might have been worried about when following Michelle and Georges's advice.

You can pair this blog post with the video of the webinar to expand your knowledge and take that next step confidently. Find the video here!

If you have any other questions for the team or George and Michelle, do not hesitate to get in touch with us!