aloa.org May 2024 Keynotes 29 profile to keep your personal and busi- ness social media presences separate. When making posts, be consistent with your message, and always include your logo and contact information on all posts. If you use Facebook, the @ yourbusiness name will connect the post content to your business profile, and the # (hashtag) will connect your post to other similar posts. When working social media, here are a few ideas for posts: Completed Jobs. This can be a great source of posts, but don’t overdo it. Too many “look at what I did” posts will become digital noise to your followers. 5-Star Customer Reviews. Again, these can be a good source of post mate- rial, but don’t overdo it. Interesting Customers. If you helped a unique customer or completed a par- ticularly interesting job, this can be a great post source. However, be mindful of customer privacy, and don’t use the customer’s name or address. Some Personal Events. If you have a special occasion such as a birth or other family event, that too can be a good social media story. Make these posts very human, and write in the first person. Holiday Recognition (Christmas, Fourth of July, other popular holi- days). Commemorating holidays can be another great post source. Make certain to attach your logo and perhaps your contact information to any holiday post images. Online Business Profiles There are many places where you can create a free online profile. Some of these include Google, Yelp, Nextdoor, Insta- gram, etc. These platforms can be a great way to promote your brand. Remember to use your brand’s fonts, color schemes and logo on your profile page to connect your brand to your profile. Online Customer Reviews Online customer reviews are designed to allow platform users to give feedback about businesses, their products and their employees. Reviews can also help prospective customers to make informed purchase decisions before they contract with a business. However, bad online reviews can also discourage customers from choosing a particular business and ultimately cost them sales. When you receive a review, you should make it a practice to respond to all of them, good and bad. If a customer takes the time to leave you a review, you should take the time to respond. If you do get a bad review, take a bit of time to think about your response. When you respond, do so in a friendly manner, and encourage the customer to contact you to give you an opportunity to make things right. If the customer will not remove the bad review, respond in a truthful and respectful manner, explain- ing your side of the situation. When you respond to positive reviews, do so in a friendly and first-per- son manner. Make the customer feel like they are valued and appreciated for choosing your business over your competition. Review Sources There are many platforms that offer places for customers to leave reviews. These include Google, Yelp, Square, Facebook and others. Keep in mind that arguably the most highly used review platform is Google. Reviews left on Goo- gle can appear in their search engine results pages. For more insight about how to get more reviews, see my “The DIY Review Magnet Article” article in the February/ March 2024 issue of Keynotes magazine. Paying Someone Else to Brand Your Business If you don’t feel comfortable or able to build your own brand, hire a professional to help. Keep in mind that if you do hire someone else, you want to make certain that you own the rights to the branding pieces that they create. You should also try to use companies that you do not have to pay on an ongoing basis. Live Your Brand Your brand is your business. Build it every day and often. Build it every day and often. Keep a stack of business cards and giveaways handy, and give them out wherever you go. Remember that, as a small business owner, you are a marke- teer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Steve Sacco, CRL, CAI, along with his wife Sharon, own and operate Local Locksmith in Queen Creek, Arizona. He has owned and operated many different businesses, ranging from computer repair to locksmithing-related business models. He’s been a locksmith for 20-plus years and is an ALOA CAI (Certified Ace Instructor). He has taught for Just Cars, the Texas Locksmith Association, the Pro- fessional Associated Locksmiths of Arizona and other professional organizations. He has helped many fellow locksmiths and business owners learn business marketing basics and enjoys sharing marketing techniques that are budget-friendly and effective. When you receive a review, you should make it a practice to respond to all of them, good and bad.
