Everyone has heard of Google and you’re probably not surprised to learn that it’s the world’s most visited website! It currently holds more than 92% of the search engine share- it’s seemingly unstoppable!

So if you’re making sure your SEO is getting your business seen in searches it makes sense to go one step further and take advantage of Google Business Profile.
 
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business) is a free business listing provided by Google. The listing lets you include all your important business contact details and photos and is a brilliant way to boost your business discoverability. It’s only available to businesses that have customer contact, so you’ll have to stick to other tools and analytics if your business is online-only.
 
It’s really beneficial to your business to create a Google Business Profile as once you’re up and running your listing can appear in any of the Google Services from Google Search, Google Maps and Google Shopping.
 
How Can Google Reviews Impact Your Website?
Customer reviews are great for your business- they give you valuable insights into your customer and their journey, build trust and credibility and give you great content to use in your social media marketing to boot! Obviously the difference with Google reviews as opposed to say reviews on your business Facebook page is that they’re there for everyone to see- this might seem scary especially as you can’t pick and choose which reviews to share but the combination of star rating and written detail really help your potential customers make an informed choice.
 
Negative Review? Don’t panic!
Criticism or negative reviews can be hard to handle but don’t let that put you off creating your Google Business Profile. It’s important to respond to your reviews, positive or negative, as this has been found to affect how your business comes across to customers. A survey carried out by Google and Ipsos Connect found that businesses that respond to reviews are viewed as being more trustworthy than those that don’t so it’s well worth taking the time to reply.
 
Be sure to respond in a timely manner and remain true to your brand voice and image. If a review is negative you should respond honestly and always offer an apology where it is necessary. Criticism is a great learning tool so use it to help improve the weak points in your business.
 
If you get a review that is inappropriate then you can get it removed by reporting it to Google.
 
Top tips for optimising your Google Business Profile

• Keep your business details up to date i.e contact details, business hours etc
• Verify your business
• Complete all elements of your profile and add real photos of your business location etc
• If you sell products be sure to add them to your listing
  
• Make use of the free Google marketing tools
  
• Include relevant keywords in your profile
• Ask your customers to share their questions and reviews
  

 
 
Need help with your Google My Business listing? Want help improving your existing profile?  Book a Health Check for first aid assistance.

If you’ve spent time coming up with a name and creating a logo for your business the last thing you want is for another business to start trading with a similar name and logo. There are laws in place (the common law trade mark) giving you some protection from this but without an officially protected trade mark your rights are not as secure as they could be. You might have put off registering your logo because it seems like too much hassle but in this blog we are going to show why it’s worth the time to protect your brand.

What is a trade mark?
In basic terms a trade mark is any intellectual property that can be used to distinguish your business or services from another (logo, name, song, sound shape etc). You can use your name in a trade mark, for example if you offer a specific service such as a photographer, ie Annie Smith Photography but there would be nothing to stop someone with the same name registering a trade mark as Annie Smith as long as visually it is significantly different.
 
Registering your logo adds value
Registering your logo as a trade mark is a valuable asset to your business and allows you to sell, franchise or licence it. If your end goal is to ultimately build a sellable business then having the trade mark registered is vital. It shows the buyer you have carried out every step possible to protect your brand.
 
Differentiate your business from your competitors and protects your brand
Your brand and logo are what helps build customer loyalty and confidence and having a registered trade mark helps prevent other businesses from imitating your brand or logo. By registering your trade mark you are ensuring you are legally entitled to take legal action against anyone who tries to replicate your brand.
 
Exclusivity
Registering your trade mark will give you exclusive rights to use your trade mark in the territory it is registered (eg UK, USA etc). Don’t forget to renew your registration when the time comes though (10 years in the UK).
 
Cost
HMRC have a detailed breakdown of costs associated with applying to register your trade mark, starting from £170 for online application. Creative Remedy will do all the hard work for you with costs starting from 3 hours, this is to carry out the necessary research, complete the registration and liaise with you tthe client and HMRC if required.
 
At Creative Remedy we will work with you to ensure your brand logo meets the requirements for trade mark registration before helping you start the registration process. Once the trade mark is registered your brand is protected for 10 years before you need to renew.
 
Do you have a brand, product or service  logo that you need to register as a trade mark? Contact us for help and advice and we can help you protect your brand.

Running a business is expensive - from property rental and the associated bills to employing staff. So, when it comes to marketing your products and services it makes sense to utilise all the free tools at your disposal.

In this month's blog we are discussing the best free online tools available to promote your business on the internet.

Google Business Profile
All businesses should be making the most of Google and most will already be making sure to optimise their website to boost their Google ranking but it’s easy to forget another important part of Google that requires attention- Google business listing. Previously known as Google My Business, your Google Business Profile allows you to optimise the Google listing for your business by adding details such as location, services and products as well as photos of your business. Note that Google Business Profile is only available to businesses that have contact with customers either via a physical premises or meeting customers in other locations (ie consultants, electricians etc).

A Google Business Profile is a fantastic free tool to reach customers that are searching for products and services like yours in their local area.
 
Mailchimp
Free for businesses with less than 2000 subscribers, Mailchimp is an indispensable tool for your email marketing strategy. Mailchimp is one of the best-known email marketing tools and for a good reason. Mailchimp has been helping businesses communicate with their customers since 2001 and their free plan, if you have a designer on board, lets you create great looking email templates, automate email campaigns, follow up leads and convert leads to clients. It also has a fantastic analytics dashboard.

Hubspot
For a free Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool you can’t go far wrong with Hubspot. With Hubspot you have access to tools that help with everything from blogging to SEO, marketing to analytics. It really is a one stop shop marketing software tool. Great for startups and established businesses alike, there’s no wonder Hubspot is such a popular choice amongst many business owners.

Hotjar
With a free basic plan, Hotjar is a fantastic tool for discovering more about your website visitors. Using heatmaps to visualise user behaviour allows you to build up a picture of how customers navigate your website. Over time you can see where you need to make changes to your site in order to improve performance and engagement. 

Typeform
When it comes to knowing where to make improvements to your business, nothing gives you better insight than customer feedback. Typeform is a great online tool that allows you to design forms and surveys so you can collect all the important data you need to help you give your customers what they want!

There are lots of other great tools out there that can help with promoting your business, what tools do you use to help with online promotion? Let us know in the comments!
 
If you are in need of help with your online marketing, contact us for advice.

If your relationship with Instagram is in need of a boost then now is the perfect time to spend some quality time getting to know how to nurture your Instagram account and cultivate the perfect partner for your business.

Take Time to Connect
Instagram is a great way to boost your brand and engagement- you can post photos and videos of products and services, interact with followers and gain insights into their preferences.

1. Listen to your audience Your followers and customers will all publish a wealth of content that gives you all the information you need to create a detailed picture of your customer.
2. Looking Good Videos are a fantastic way to showcase your products and services, you can upload tutorials and product demonstrations and get immediate feedback from your followers.
3. Communication is Key Posting regularly with interesting and relevant content will really boost your engagement and your followers will like and share your posts so you reach a wider audience.
   
4. Build Trust  Brand loyalty requires trust and Instagram is a perfect tool to do this.
   

Our Top Tips for Keeping the Love Alive
 
Keep it professional- A business account is free and will give you much needed insights to help you tailor your content and post it at the right time for maximum reach.
 
Show you care- Post regularly and consistently with interesting and relevant content and make sure it is clear and communicates well.
 
Get your Hashtags On- Use up to 30 hashtags in every post. Make sure they are relevant to the post and make sure you always add brand specific ones to your posts. Research the most popular hashtags relevant to your business and make a list specifically for you and your key products and services.
 
Sell Yourself- Make sure your profile has all the information about your business clearly describes what you provide or offer. Use a great profile picture and make sure you include your website url!
 
Stay true to yourself (and your brand)- You want to try and mirror your brand identity as much as possible so try and use similar colours, fonts and images as used on your website and branding. Be sure to keep your voice and tone consistent too. Only use the best photos and videos, Instagram is a visual platform so use it to your advantage.
 
Share the love- Actively engage with your followers. Your best advocates might already be posting amazing content that is relevant to your business. Consider collaborations for maximum return for both parties.

This month we’re taking a look at the emerging trends in digital marketing for 2022. The pandemic and it’s continuing effect on the way we live, and work has had a huge influence on the marketing industry. These are difficult times in many ways and all industries are having to adapt to the ever-changing landscape.

So, as we slowly step into 2022 what can we expect to see trending in digital marketing?

Metaverse and Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality experiences
When Mark Zuckerberg announced the transformation of Facebook to Meta it was met with mixed reviews. But whatever your opinion on the ‘Metaverse', it can’t be ignored. There are loads of apps that work in augmented reality via the smartphone camera and as mobile devices advance VR will become more accessible too. AR and VR are a great way for consumers to experience products and services and interact with brands!

Voice Search
It was hailed as a digital marketing trend a few years ago but never really took off as predicted, however it looks like it might be finally catching on so you might want to consider including optimisation for voice search in your marketing strategy for 2022.

Personalised Messaging
Targeted marketing is a huge trend for 2022. When you’re planning your marketing strategy for the year be sure to hone your customer lists so you can ensure you tailor your ads to their preferences.

Micro Moments
Closely linked to targeted marketing, micro moments is a term coined by Google to describe the way we make snap-decisions. The key here is to make sure you have a presence on all the same platforms as your customers, using short and snappy targeted ads and personalised marketing.

CSR
Brands and businesses need to show they care about their communities and act with respect and authenticity. Recent reports in the US showed customers will actively boycott companies that have unethical practices or values.

Influencers
During the pandemic consumers put more trust in influencers than they did big brands so there’s no doubt influencer marketing is set to rise this year as well.

Creator Led Shopping
By introducing affiliate revenue Instagram is making it easier for Creators to share and earn money on the products they love.

Clear Communication
Make searching and shopping a breeze with a clean, simple and easy to navigate website. If it’s not clear what you sell or the services you offer then you are going to lose customers so make sure your website communicates well.
 
Takeaway message: This fast-paced industry is not slowing down but don’t panic, there are lots of exciting opportunities and developments to embrace that will help your brand soar in 2022!
 
If you’re not sure your website can stand up to the fast-paced world of 2022 get your FREE website audit here.