MAP MARKETING
HOW TO CREATE GOOGLE MAPS AND USE GOOGLE MAP MARKETING
For many independent and even big hotel chains, map marketing is a much under utilised marketing resource. Google is continually integrating its web aps with Google Maps. Many hotels fail to up-date their Google+ business page profile and worse still some fail to claim management of their Google+ profile, leaving it:
- Unverified (no shield with a tick inside)
- a default cover (at least 2020 pixels wide)
- a default circular profile image instead of their brand.
It's your Google+ business profile which whether you know it or not, shows up on Google Maps. Google Maps leads to discovery. If
you understand copywriting
for SEO, your Google maps can show up on the Google search
engine. Eg: ours yellow highlighted on page one of the Google
search engine.
Another form of discovery by travellers is they know the brand Google
Maps, go to it and start searching for hotels near their
destination such as a convention centre, airport, river, mountain,
lake, beach etc. Eg for me I
look for accommodation near nice beaches while my wife +Suree
Sribuathet looks for swimming pools from satellite photos used
to make Google Earth.
Another benefit is:
Google maps are easily embedded on your web pages. Eg We embedded
our mapgoogle.org at the bottom
of our accommodationnear.com
All our web marketing clients get a free pin on our maps for years as a bonus reward for loyalty, containing:
- sales pitch
- photos and or video
- links back to their website
- Our mapgoogle.org gets about 100 thousand views per year. Not bad considering it's not even a website but rather only a domain name, redirect to our layer of Google maps. One of the video pins with a cine camera icon, links to the Google+ Travel Videos Open Community where anyone can reach out to travellers, vloggers, and over 1,000 members with up-to one free promotional post per month for hoteliers, or more if I consider them public interest destinations.
HOW TO CREATE GOOGLE MAPS
- Go to
google.com/maps.
If you don't see your Google+ profile circular photo in the top
RHS corner, sign in to your Google account.
HOW TO ADD VIDEOS TO GOOGLE MAPS
- You can add videos to Google maps but only with Android.
-
On
your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app. - Search for a place or tap it on the map.
- From the bottom, tap the place's name or address to see more info.
- Tap Add photos. (You might have to scroll
down).
- Choose a photo or video from your gallery: Tap Folder.
- Take a new photo: Tap Camera, then tap the shutter.
- Take a new video:
- Tap Camera tap and hold the shutter for up to 10 seconds to record a video. To remove a video’s sound, tap the sound bars on the bottom right.
See Video Marketing
Last map marketing tip: If you have a land mark near your hotel and want to add it to Google maps, you can add it via www.google.com/mapmaker Then when travellers search for the landmark, they'll see your nearby hotel's Google+ profile.
If you need help with creating a Google map or need to know why or how's of marketing advice or any other type of web marketing advice, phone our map marketer, 8 to 5 Western Australian Standard time, Monday to Friday for up-to 10 minutes of free consultation or contact me via 4webmarketing.biz/contact.htm
