Geographic marketing is a uniquely effective opportunity for business marketing teams to fully optimize their local business listings online. Many businesses have gone down the path of claiming their local business listings, but we have seen two distinct problems. The first is that while the local business listings have been claimed, they are only claimed at Google Places. That doesn’t necessarily benefit the overall geographic marketing process on the web, which we will discuss further.

Let’s discuss briefly why there is more to geographic marketing than Google Places. You will find that there this is a closed loop circle that begins with customer using Google Places to search for a business, product or service. Once they have experienced doing business with you, they go to other websites to post their review about your business, product, or service. The other websites then push these reviews into your Google local listing for future customers to see. You can see this requires that you manage your business marketing tools and local listing at other websites.

The other is that no other local business marketing tools associated with the listing have been utilized. Geographic marketing is a multi-faceted operation, and requires updating and using many different local business marketing tools online. For example, for many business listings, we find no coupons updated, no customer reviews disputed, no events, no videos, and no photos. Essentially the listing was claimed, but from a geographic marketing standpoint, it is not being used for local business marketing purposes or to support reputation management problems.

Undoubtedly, businesses that are interested in creating a geographic marketing strategy have claimed their local business listings, but have found that their time resources are limited in order to manage the business marketing tools and listings at Google Places let alone managing the local listings at many other websites, searches engines, social communities, 411 websites, GPS websites and general business directories.

This doesn’t include the frustration they may have encountered in the claiming process that could have led to an anxiety to do anything further with the listings or their geographic marketing strategy. Changes we have see with Google Places and Bing Local during 2011 would scare anyone from spending anymore time with this process.

Here are a few items to consider when creating a geographic marketing strategy that includes multiple local business listing websites, search engines, social communities, 411 websites, and GPS websites:

• Claim your local business listing at more than just Google Places
• Updating your business listing with local business marketing materials (coupons, offers, events, discounts, promotions, events, photos, videos, map marker location, business information, and much more)
• Removing or Claiming duplicate listings
• Responding to existing customer reviews (particularly negative ones, but you can also thank positive reviews too)
• Securing positive customer reviews from satisfied customers
• Monitoring your local listing for new duplicates and customer reviews
• Managing your local listing with online business marketing tools like local listing analytics and tweaking your local listing monthly with new business marketing information.

There is of course another reason to stay on top of geographic marketing tools like local listings besides the consumer reviews. Local business listings show up not only in web searches, but also in mobile searches, mobile applications, and some GPS applications (for searches based on a specific area, latitude, or longitude.) Thus, mobile application developers decide which database they will use for their mobile application. If a business only concentrates on Google Places, but the mobile application developer uses another website, then you would be missing out on potential business despite your geographic marketing efforts.

You see, when it comes to successfully implementing geographic marketing strategies, local business listings are the interactive yellow pages of the 21st century. They are also one part of your total Geographic Marketing strategy.

Consider the following as part of your Geographic Marketing components:

• Hyperlocal Advertising
• QR Code Marketing with Content Marketing and Social Media
• Consumer Ratings and Reviews Management
• Mobile Location Finder Application
• Broadcast Data Services for wide distribution
• Analysis and Analytics with data Interpretation for actionable steps for ongoing improvement

As a company who has claimed your local business listing as part of your geographic marketing strategy, you are heading down the right path, but time resources, expertise, and experience will prevent you from using this interactive marketing tool to truly benefit your business and reach the local consumers. Geographic marketing services can support your business listings for as low as $2 per day per location. Do not be fooled by the lower cost data only services as you will get what you pay for.

Certainly your time resources are limited and Geographic Marketing Solutions for multi-location companies are provided by SmartFinds Marketing. Let the experts of over 17 years Internet marketing experience help you use this local business marketing tool properly through monthly management marketing services and broadcast data services for mass business data distribution.

SmartFinds Marketing
330 East Maple Road, Suite 503
Birmingham, MI 48009
Tel: (866) 501-5758
Fax: (866) 501-57587