by Stacey Dadd | March 28, 2018

It’s tough to keep up with the ever-changing online environment when you are an entrepreneur running a business.

While social platform advertising can seem overwhelming for some, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest low-cost to no-cost options you have. Take a look at the list below for three of the latest options for entrepreneurs to drive traffic to their brick and mortar location or online store:

1. Google Listing Posts | Google is constantly improving its features, and the ability to post on your Google My Business listing is no exception. Originally rolled out in the summer of 2017, Google now offers verified listings the ability to post to their search listing. These posts can include pictures, up to 300 characters of text, and links to the business website or even event registration. This means that when people Google and see your listing, they will also see your latest posts. Did I mention this option is free? Google will even track the basic analytics on each post, such as how many people saw the post. Just log into your Google My Business dashboard and click on Posts to get started.

2. Google Messaging | Google also now offers the ability to let potential customers text your business when they find your listing on a mobile device. This feature can also be set up via your Google My Business account, at no cost. This truly allows potential customers to contact you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so be careful should you choose to implement this. The important thing to note here is that Google does not share your actual phone number with customers. Should they choose the messaging option on the listing, it will open up their text messaging box and show a Google-coded phone number. When you respond, they still see the Google-coded phone number. You can choose any phone number capable of receiving text messages. It does not have to be the one associated with the Google My Business account.

3. Waze Local Ads for Small Businesses | Waze, the navigation app, is now offering advertising options for small businesses on Waze Local. This has been in testing since 2016. This ad features a logo pinned to the map as potential customers drive by your location on their way to a predetermined destination. While this might not be a great option for something like an accounting firm, a pin from a local coffee shop just might be enough to cause a detour that leads to a new customer. According to its website, small businesses can advertise for as little as $2 per day, can pause their campaigns at any time, and track real-time results. There are also additional advertising options such as a static banner on the top of the screen and promoted search ads. Learn more about how it works on the Waze website.

There are monthly updates to small business advertising options on all social platforms. The key is to learn which ones really can have a real positive affect on your business. To learn more about online/social media advertising options, enlist a professional, to avoid potentially costly mistakes.

• Stacey Dadd

  Marketing & Communications Officer/PD Coordinator

  Stacey Dadd has been with the Florida SBDC at University of South Florida as the Marketing and Communications Officer since August 2013. She is responsible for all marketing efforts within the 10-county Tampa Bay region. Dadd has built her career in print, visual and audio communications. She began her career as a writer at a daily newspaper and worked her way up to regional editor and eventually, corporate recruiter. As a corporate recruiter she was responsible for hiring, troubleshooting and headhunting for 54 newspapers in nine states. As a teacher in the Polk County School District, she developed award-winning yearbook and newspaper programs at Ridge Community High School and Lakeland High School. She was nominated for teacher of the year honors in 2007, 2012 and 2013 at her respective teaching establishments. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Julie E. Dodd adviser scholarship from the Florida Scholastic Press Association. Dadd earned her master’s degree in digital journalism and design at University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She is also a Certified Marketing Executive and holds additional certifications in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, as well as broadcast journalism and inbound methodology. In 2015, she also earned a certificate in Marketing Strategy from the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Most recently, she earned the Google Analytics IQ Certification.