Sliding Into The DMs
Google My Business is an important part of your online presence. Having a fully optimized profile can be a great way of helping customers find out the information they need for your business. To further enhance this Google have now given users the opportunity to send direct messages to business owners through the Google My Business platform. So, if someone isn’t sure what time you close on Sunday, they can send you a direct message to ask.
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You’ve Got Mail
Don’t panic! Direct messaging is not automatically turned on. You need to log into your GMB profile and enable direct messaging if you would like to let your customers contact you in this way as many businesses won’t have the resources to have someone replying to the messages. However, if you do have someone to reply, direct messaging can be a powerful tool in getting new customers.
Facebook messenger has been allowing direct chat between businesses and customers for some time now and it is a great outlet for small questions that customers might not want to put into an email or pick up the phone for. For example, chasing a delivery or checking if something is in stock. These little questions that might turn a customer away from making a purchase can quickly be answered via live chat. Live chat is also a good tool for addressing customer complaints. If a customer has received bad service then they will often want to vent their frustration on the company in question. Having the option to talk over live chat is a good way of letting off steam (and hopefully solve the problem) when compared to writing a negative review that will be on your Google My Business forever.
Timing is Everything
If you are thinking of turning on Google My Business direct messaging then you need to make sure the messages are being quickly dealt with. While customers may not expect an instantaneous response from an email, they will form a direct message. You don’t need to have someone waiting next to the computer all day, but ideally, you should have a KPI of waiting no more than a couple of hours before sending a response. As we said above, the questions are likely to be small, practical, questions that need prompt responses.
Google My Business
Do you use Facebook Messenger or Google My Business to talk directly with your customers? We’d love to hear if live chat helps you get more customers.
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We are Spectrum Group Online, and we offer strategic and tactical consulting so you can monetize your online presence. Call us for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your website’s user experience and translate that into sales.
Photo credit – Top: Joe the Goat Farmer
Photo credit – Bottom: Pixabay
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