How to use Google Business Profile for Black Friday
With Black Friday upon us, many businesses and digital marketers will be investing their time updating their websites and social media channels (and rightly so) but there’s one platform that gets routinely missed that you should be using. Enter Google Business Profile, previously called Google My Business. This is your businesses’ Google listing which appears on Google Search and Maps and lists your key business information such as opening hours and location.
There are features on your Google listing which can be used to promote Black Friday offers. Firstly, I will tell you what they are and then I will tell you where to find them.
Features to use
Opening hours
If you have special opening hours for Black Friday, update them on your profile. You can do this by navigating to ‘Edit profile’ in the dashboard and selecting ‘Hours’. Select ‘Special hours’ and add the date that Black Friday falls with the start and end time. This will avoid interfering with your set opening hours.
Products
Add your Black Friday products to this section. This product area is similar to a website’s shop but doesn’t take half as long to update. If you have your product images, description and prices to hand, this job can be done in half an hour (at the most).
Here are my top tips:
Use a strong image - you need an image which shows off your products and reflects your brand. Try to avoid text on images as this isn’t recommended for accessibility reasons.
Select a category - create a new category called ‘Black Friday’ which neatly separates all your Black Friday products from others.
Product description - don’t miss out this section. Write some catchy words to ensure that your customers click the products link.
Product landing page URL - add UTM code to your link that’s different from any used elsewhere, so you can find out how many people clicked the link from your Google Business Profile. I recommend using Google’s Campaign URL Builder, which is a free tool that can generate a campaign URL for you to track in Google Analytics.
Q&A
Use the Question and Answer section of your Google Business Profile to add questions such as ‘What is your Black Friday returns policy?’ and answer them. This gives your prospective customer a good overview of your Black Friday offering without them trawling your website to find the answers. Trust me, they’ll be so grateful the information was easy to find. It will definitely give your business added kudos.
It might sound nuts for a business owner to ask themselves questions on their own profile, but it’s totally acceptable and adds value to your profile.
Add an update
Show off your Black Friday offering by adding an update. I recommend you do the following:
Add offer - add a photo which represents your offer and select a start and end date. You can also add additional information such as a voucher code and the offer’s terms and conditions.
Add event - add your Black Friday offer as an event. Don’t forget to add a button linking to a web page which contains more information about your Black Friday offer.
Bookings
Add your bookings system (if you have one) to your page so that visitors to your Google Business Profile can book a Black Friday deal without having to visit your website first.
Ask for reviews
If you know a happy customer that has received a Black Friday deal, then ask them for a review on your Google Business Profile. Their review will likely include the keywords ‘Black Friday’ which will signal to prospective customers that you participate in Black Friday and have good deals.
Use your email marketing newsletter to ask for Black Friday reviews. Alternatively, when the customer receives an email after buying a Black Friday product, include an ask for a Google review.
Do not email people that haven’t opted in for email communications as you will be breaching GDPR laws, which will undermine your businesses’ credibility.
Where to find the features
To access your Google Business Profile, follow these instructions:
Log into Google using the email address linked to your profile.
Select the 9 dots in the far right-hand corner next to your account’s logo.
Navigate to ‘Business Profile Manager’ and your profile’s dashboard will appear in Google Search ready for you to edit.
Any questions?
If you are having trouble updating your Google Business Profile or need some advice in advance of Black Friday, email me.
Get training
I offer Google Business Profile training which empowers individuals and businesses to confidently manage their listings and optimise them.