Customer engagement continuously becomes a more adamant focus when building a client base or gaining the attention of new consumers. Whether through social media or comments on blog posts, interacting with customers or potential clients is a bread and butter way to grow your business. With Google My Business, your business already shows up in search results with an address, phone number, directions, and a link to your website. Recently, Google has implemented a new feature that allows customers to send a text message directly to your business seamlessly. By using this feature, your business will be able to interact with clients who might not feel like going through the hassle of a phone call.
How to Set Up Your Account to Allow Texting
Setting up your Google My Business account to allow texting is a simple process. To get started, you must have a verified Google My Business account. Then you should:
- Sign into your Google My Business account and select “Turn On Messaging” from the home menu or messaging tab on the left.
- Verify your phone number through Google.
- Add an automated message that customers will receive after they text your business.
- Save your settings.
And there you have it! Your business is ready to send and receive text messages directly from customers. Make sure whatever company phone you decide to use can receive SMS messages. When your business shows up in Google search results, a “Message” button will appear alongside your address and phone number for a convenient way to interact with and answer a customer’s question.
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
As texting becomes the primary method of communication in our society, the demand for businesses to allow texting has skyrocketed. For small or local businesses, texting gives business owners more ways to capitalize on customer and potential client engagement. Google doesn’t publicly display the business phone number you’ve verified and instead forwards a customer’s message through Google straight to your phone. A few ways texting can be utilized for your business are:
- Quick answers to a client’s question
- Potential sales through engagement with a curious Google searcher
- Capitalization of mobile users
- Time flexibility if a customer isn’t able to complete a conversation
- Gaining an edge over your competition
More than six billion text messages are sent every day. Your business can take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of that massive number.
Texting is a new way for businesses to market and engage with customers. Continuing to stay up-to-date with new marketing tactics is important for small businesses and large corporations. If you think you need a little extra help with your marketing strategies, don’t be afraid to reach out to us! Market My Market has years of experience with SEO and customer engagement. We’re here to offer our digital marketing expertise to help your business grow.