L
ADING

Category Archives for Social Marketing

Social marketing is important. You dont need a website to do it.

Search Point UK SCAM

Businesses, Google, Maps, Marketing, Reputation, Security, SEO, Social Marketing
By   May 22, 2019

I came across this today with a new client of ours. They rang us up asking about renewing their ‘Google places subscription?’ My response was quite short (sorry client) ‘renew google places, what are you on about?’

After that exclamation we stated again and they explained that they bought a subscription from google places. That is obviously inaccurate as google places is free! So we dived a bit more into it and we found out that the company they were using was SearchPoint UK.

Ok we have a starting point, after a bit of searching on the web I found them. I found them at the top (that’s a good start) so going through their website. Which is a bit thin on content, but on the footer you find this statement…

‘SEARCH POINT UK IS IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED, AFFILIATED OR ENDORSED BY GOOGLE.

WE ARE A THIRD PARTY COMPANY THAT PROVIDES MANAGEMENT SERVICES OF A GOOGLE PRODUCT.’

So NO affiliation with Google. I am starting get bad feeling about this.

Then number three on the list of results from Google for SearchPoint gives this WHICH? Article

Google Maps Trap? What is Search Point UK?

So alarm bells are falling off the wall now! I’ll give you the highlights of the page below. [sic]

  1. ‘I run a photography business and about two years ago I got a call from Search Point UK – I believed they were calling from Google. I agreed to have them manage our Google My Business listing for a year and paid about £300.’
  2. Search Point UK Ltd was dissolved 6th November 2018.
    https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10668759
    It uses a virtual address that it shares with over 300 other ‘companies’:
    West House, King Cross Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, HX1 1EB
    It was previously called Map Registrations Ltd for a period of 3 days in March 2017.
  3. Just been phoned by these pests saying my Google Business registration had not been set up correctly. I seemed to recognise the name and Googled it whilst caller still on the phone. I suggested to him that it was a scam and said I was not interested. I have never been called “sir” so many times in one conversation.
    He finally rang off when I asked why Google was showing the company as a scam.

For a dissolved company they are still very much active. So at the very best this company is taking advantage of vulnerable businesses and at the very worst it’s a SCAM.

We don’t like that here it has made us quite angry. So if you are in the Pontyclun, Llantrisant, Cowbridge, Cardiff well anywhere in South Wales we will get your Google listing back for you and put it in an account in YOUR name for free!

Contact us using our contact form now!

Facebook website displaying incorrectly

Facebook Marketing, Social Marketing
By   0 April 16, 2018

Just a quick one as I forget that people are not aware of this tool.
After any major update or build of your website you usually want to show it off in Facebook. Only to find that the website Facebook shows in the post is your old one.

This happens because of something that Facebook calls scraping. When a website is URL is entered into a post or a messenger post then Facebook ‘scrapes’ that website and stores a copy of it. This is to reduce time and data for the future. But as anything in a cache this can go stale. So what can you do? Just wait? NO!

You can force Facebook to re-scrape your site. And in at the same time check for other problems.

Access this tool here

https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/sharing/

HAPPY SCRAPPING!!

Facebook or Website?

Facebook Marketing, Social Marketing
By   October 18, 2017

A lot of people come to us saying they need a website for their business. After sitting down and drilling through their needs vs budget we devise a plan. We believe that Social Media in this day and age is a key driver in the promotion of a business, while a website verifies the business. Both are necessary but in what order.

Recently we have worked with a client who wanted a website, his Facebook business page was active. His budget was limited, its one of those situations where you need something to drive more business but don’t have the funds to put behind it until the business is there. So what do you do……. start at the beginning……

  1. What is free? Social Media, word of mouth, referrals
  2. Creating the business image, business cards, flyers etc. This means a little leg work in getting the flyers out there.
  3. Finding the right person to work with. You need a designer / expert in web and social media. These people will guide you through the process and how to maximise every opportunity.
  4. Work out what you have to spend and forecast any future monies you will have to put into marketing.

Plan, plan, plan!!! I cannot stress that enough. Goals are important!! No matter what method of advertising you choose there needs to be a plan in place with clear goals. This should be linked to your marketing strategy. By using SMART objectives (yes here comes the jargon…..) you can measure the success. This applies to both Facebook and your website.

There are lots of people and software out there that can help with your analytics, choose wisely. Don’t get bogged down with information overload that you don’t understand. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or say “I don’t get it”.

So, Facebook or Website? In essence, Facebook will enable to to reach many individuals that maybe your website wont in the initial stages and its all free. That is unless you boost posts, but that’s for another blog.

A website will verify your business and is required but at a cost. Just think what do you do when you see something on your Facebook about a business…… you click on the link and check out their website. The same will go for your potential customers.

My advice…… get your Facebook up and running asap, then as soon as you have the funds available get a website done!!

We are always here to help at FunGrenade!!!