In 2017 Google began rolling out a new feature, simply called “posts” - which is exactly what it sounds like. A wooden pole. Just kidding, it’s a post from your Google account for the whole wide world to see. If you’re not familiar with Google posts, keep reading, I’ll show you the way. It’s as easy as A, B, C. Let’s start with “A”.

A) First off, you’ll need to set up a GMail account. After you’ve done that you should familiarize yourself with the dashboard within your new platform to see the many offerings. Next up, find your business on Google and go through the automated process and have it verified. It’s fairly simple and straightforward. Usually they will call the number associated with your business via an automated system, then you have to wait for that to process. Once that’s done - you get the almighty blue checkmark that tells the world you are who you say you are. Now it’s your time to shine & take advantage of all Google has to offer your business.

B) Now that you’ve set up your Google My Business account, you can add categorical information, business hours, website, virtual tours, photos and more. Each of these offerings is important and all help you gain visibility. The majority of people visit Google Business pages before physically visiting a business, so be aware that the photo quality, verbiage and so on are a direct reflection of your business.  Familiarize yourself with the tools in Google My Business, they will help you.

C) Posts! On the left-hand side, you’ll see “Posts”, click on that. Now you may create your post. Always use a picture that has something to do with your topic or offering. Write 100-300 words in the very best light you can and if applicable, create a link using the provided options. Once you’ve done this, preview the post and be sure the image is appropriately cropped and the text is correct. Click “Publish” and you're done. This post will now appear under the knowledge box for your company and will expire eventually, but don't worry - Google will remind you. You’ll also be able to look at the analytics for your posts and see how many users viewed it and how many clicked through to your link.

Posts are a great way to drive potential customers to your site and directly to an event or offering page without users having to click through several pages. In a world with information becoming increasingly dense, you’ll find that simplicity and minimalistic direct approaches to posts and sites work the best.

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