We love the thrill and buzz of social media here at 24 fingers towers, everyone knows that. But the biggest buzz? Watching a small business owner go from barely understanding what Facebook does to reaping the rewards of a successful ad campaign, or another who, in the real world is quite shy, but strides Instagram like Beyonce when it comes to marketing their product.  Imagine the cheer that went round the office then, after Emma was invited to take part in Reputation’s Transform21 event in June for Europe.

It’s a three-hour, action-packed virtual event that includes keynote speakers from Google and Forrester, followed by breakout sessions hosted by marketing and customer experience leaders – including Emma – answering people’s most pressing questions. 

Whether you’re drowning in data, struggling to turn customer feedback into sales, or managing too many tools, Transform21 aims to gather the biggest pain points and provide insights and actionable takeaways. After all, who doesn’t want to know how their brand is being perceived on social media? (Ed’s note: nobody, that’s who).

“I’m delighted to have been invited to this amazing event,” said Emma, who is a panellist in the ‘How Can I Do More with the Reputation Platform?’ breakout session. Having been a long-term user of social media platform Nuvi, the company has experienced first-hand the benefits of having rich data insights at its (err) fingerstips and I’m looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned along the way.”

Transform21 will be held on Tuesday 8th June from 9:30am-12:30pm. You can register for free here. 

We’re 24 fingers, a digital marketing agency and a proud member of the 42 Club, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Excel Business Networking Group, the Trusted Business Community, the Organisation for Responsible Businesses and the Rotary Club of Brentwood à Becket. We help companies who are all fingers and thumbs with their social media grow their business and brand. Book your free strategy call here.

It’s a documented fact that we LOVE a good natter here at 24 fingers towers, but Norwich-based Kay Skelton might just take it to another level. She’s a self-confessed networking junkie and loves interacting with people. 

So we couldn’t be more thrilled that she’s joining our ranks as a client relationship manager. “I call customers and chat about services they have had, products bought, or just for a quick ‘Hi, how’s it going? Are you keeping well and is there anything we can help you with?'” Kay said. 

She describes herself as a ‘client whisperer’ (who’s now thinking about horses and Robert Redford’s bum in jeans?). If ever she swapped her idyllic family life for a spell in Hollywood and met Tom Cruise in a lift, he’d better think fast because she’d definitely bend his ear about his fave actresses and broken bones and THEN ask for his phone number… 

But back to business. “I was introduced to Emma via a lady I met at a Heads-Up networking meeting, the lovely Kathy Ennis.” Kay said. 

“Emma values the personal touch in her business and sees the value in keeping in touch with her clients. I’m really excited to be working with Emma – her enthusiasm and personality are very infectious.” 

We can’t wait to get started either – bring on the mojitos, Aperol Spritzes or the G&Ts (she’s not fussy) and welcome to the team Kay. 

There’s no escaping the fact the vast majority of people, whether they want to know what’s on at the local cinema or where they can find the perfect pair of shoes, turn to Google for the answer. 

For entrepreneurs, the Google My Business (GMB) listing is a hugely powerful tool that can have customers beating a regular path to your door – if used to its fullest potential. So, settle back and enjoy our 10 ways to optimise your GMB. 

Don’t be caught NAPping 

It’s a fundamental but you’d be surprised how many businesses can be caught out by leaving out-of-date name, address, and phone number (known as NAP) details on their Google Listing. But don’t forget to make sure any local mentions of your business NAP online are also bang up to date. It’s not just Google’s algorithms that will look you up, people use online directories and social bookmarking sites too. 

What’s in a short name?

Newcomers to GMB should know part of getting started includes choosing a short name for your company. Log into GMB, click info on the left-hand side then scroll down to “claim short name”. Basically it’s an easy way for local customers to find you and it has to be something that’s specific to or commonly known about your business. You are limited to 32 characters though… 

Let the words flow…

There’s a little more room to breathe with the 750 characters Google gives you to write a belting, straight-to-the-point business description. You can’t include sales content or links, but you can be authentic and tell local customers about you, your brand, its USP and the story that took you to where you are now. To optimise the description, make sure one or two keywords crucial to your business are mentioned early doors, as well as a location keyword. 

Square pegs into round holes

Choosing a category for your business can be easier said than done, as not everyone fits neatly into a box. Google says: “Categories are used to describe your business and connect you to customers searching for the services you offer. For example, if your primary category is ‘pizza restaurant’, Google may show your business in local search results to people who search for restaurants, Italian restaurants  or pizza in their area”. 

Be as specific as you can at this point, as it will help local searchers. The secondary categories will help you refine even further the services you offer. A massage therapist would list that as their primary category, while secondary ones could include tarot card readings and spiritual advice. 

Seeing is believing

Having a cracking business description is all very well and good, but we all know a picture paints a thousand words and on Google, posts are three times more likely to be shared if they include a photo. Select at least three high-quality images of your products, as well as your interior and exterior if you have a bricks-and-mortar presence, and shots of staff as they deal with customers. Try to think of any way that will attract local searchers to your door – the world’s your lobster.  

Right of reply

Reviews are amazing tools to help a business grow their reputation, and who among us doesn’t love a bit of flattery? But reviews are also crucial for inspiring trust among customers, and it can take up to 10 before locals will put their faith into a company. You can automate the review process either on your site at the checkout, or by sending a follow-up email after your product has been delivered. While it’s always lovely to get glowing reviews, it’s equally as important to respond transparently to the not-so-positive ones. Customers can see how you react, whether there’s an issue to be fixed and how efficiently you do so. 

Posts within posts

Google Posts is a fantastic mini-blog feature (you can have a maximum of 1,500 characters) that not only boosts your GMB but can also spread your message to a wider local audience. They pop up in the Knowledge Panel and are a great way to advertise offers or upcoming events. 

Questions, questions…

Google’s Google Q&A feature is a nifty tool that helps inform local searchers about a business, with the questions and answers displayed in the knowledge graph. As well as being a great way to build local exposure, business owners have control about what questions to ask, so you can find out more about the local area and use it to help draw people to the services you provide. Avoid the hard sell though. It’s about learning, rather than keyword stuffing. 

Social media family

We said right at the start that having up-to-date information was crucial to getting the best out of your GMB, but it doesn’t mean just listing your NAP (hands up how many had to zip back to the top to remember what that was?). Your listing should include ALL your social media profiles too, giving local searchers every opportunity to find you, your business and your products. Just be sure to check the business name used on your social media profile matches the GMB profile. 

Do some digging

Google has bent over backwards to offer a slew of features as part of the Business Listing tool, and it’s worth taking the time to dig through them and find out how many you can use to optimise your business. If you offer appointments, there’s a “book” button, restaurants can link their menus, while service-area firms can hide their address and list a serviced area instead. The possibilities are endless. 

If it all sounds a bit much, don’t worry. Book in your free session and we can talk you through every step of polishing your GMB until it’s blinding. 

We all know data is the new gold in this digital age, and many people are – quite rightly – more protective of their personal information than ever. In 2018, EU implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (better known as GDPR), legislation that required businesses to secure users’ permission to collect their data online for marketing purposes – and nothing else.

GDPR demands that: “consent of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.”

Dontcha just love legalspeak? If that sounds like gobbledygook, fear not – here are our 10 tips to mastering GDPR compliance when marketing.

Unbundled
When requesting consent, it MUST be separate from your other terms and conditions. Businesses or marketers can no longer make it a prerequisite to signing up for a service. Check boxes or sliders work equally as well.

Active
Blank, opt-in boxes or a similar unambiguous method in which the choice is equally prominent must be used, so users actively elect to give consent. Pre-ticked, opt-in boxes are no longer valid under GDPR.

Clear
The request for consent must be phrased or written in a way that’s easy to understand. Confusing or vague demands will not pass muster.

Granular
Additional choices, known as granular options, must be offered when possible, so customers can give their consent to all the separate ways you intend to use their data. You can offer a list of options with check boxes, and ALWAYS include the ability to say no.

Named
The name of your company, as well as any third party whose consent you’re asking on behalf of, must be clearly given, so customers are fully informed about who is accessing their data.

Easy to withdraw
Consent must be easy to withdraw and customers should be made aware of how to do this. Always have the unsubscribe button in plain sight.

Documented
A record of what each person has consented to, what they were told, and when and how they consented must be kept.

Data minimisation
Make auditing and erasing the data you no longer need a part of the day-to-day or month-to-month operations, and keep only what you need for your business to function.

Ongoing compliance
GDPR is not a one-shot deal. As your business evolves and new systems are added, you’ll need to examine what impact they have on customers and ensure your firm remains compliant.

Confidence is key
Despite all the scary talk when it first emerged, GDPR isn’t something for businesses to be frightened of. In fact, it’s actually helped build trust with customers, as 62% are more willing to share their data if GDPR is explained to them, according to Digital Marketing Association.

If you’re still concerned about getting GDPR right, don’t worry – talk to us at 24 fingers and we’ll get you on the right regulatory track tout de suite.