In honor of our 30th Google Business View tour, master photographer David Hanus and digital engagement manager Andrea Garcia share insights for local business owners using search as a key marketing tool. We give you the tips and tricks that make the biggest impact in taking tours from informative to truly inspiring. Keep reading to learn how to get the most from your Google My Business listing with a Business View tour.
Tips
In a normal photo shoot, only certain parts of your business are shown, but in a Google tour everything will be recorded. Forever. On the internet.
So before the tour, take a look at the big picture. Keep a tidy work space, hide or empty that small, easy-to-ignore trash can, remove the clutter from desks and windowsills, make sure the blinds are all open or all closed, vacuum the carpet, replace those broken light bulbs, tuck away loose computer cables. Prepare and set the scene as if your best customer or client was visiting that day because the tour will be the same for everyone.
In the same vein, if you have important items such as awards, gifts, or special treasures, put them out and show them off. It will make the tour more special for you and more interesting for your customers and prospective clients.
If you’re a restaurant or other type of food establishment, feel free to prepare a special dish. We can record the presentation during the tour and also through the standard photography that’s included with every tour. Banquet halls or bigger venues with party packages might choose to set up as if there were a wedding scheduled to give users the chance to see what the room would look like full of tables.
It’s important to notify any staff or employees about what day and time the tour is scheduled to take place, especially if they’re camera shy. Sometimes, mostly in office settings, having no one in the tour works best, especially since it’s easy to catch blurred motion or ghost images of people walking around. But other times, like in busy cafes, having people engaged in their surroundings works best to show how fun the venue can be.
Tricks
If we’re in a tight spot or surrounded by mirrors, it can be hard to photograph the space without catching ourselves in the shot. When needed, we’ve been known to set the camera on a timer and duck behind a wall, a table, or anything that’s close by to hide us from view.
If there’s a whiteboard or a chalkboard, feel free to leave a message to your viewers!
We try to remember to bring at least one doorstop with us to hold open doors as we go through buildings. Google doesn’t like it when we imagine that we can walk through doors.
If you do choose to stay in the frame for the tour, feel free to wear your best outfit or something funky you wouldn’t normally wear. We’re required to blur out people’s faces, so no one will know it was you.
Not only does the tour sync with your business’ Google+ page, but you can also embed the tour on your website or social media account. This added feature allows potential customers to see the tour no matter how they interact with your company.
When showing off the tours, we like to position the tour in our exact favorite place. That way when someone clicks on the link or sees the embedded tour, they can see the best spot to get them engaged and continue through the tour.
This is an opportunity to share the experience of your work environment by way of a virtual tour on the internet. Think your business or company could benefit from having Google Business View tour? Sign up for a free quote today!
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