Google My Business has a multitude of features available that businesses can utilize to help promote their business online and improve their digital footprint. One of these features is the Post feature which lets you do just what the name implies: post.

Very similar to a Facebook or Twitter post, the Post feature lets you make posts within your Google My Business Dashboard to be featured on your Google Maps listing for consumers to see. These posts can be anything you want them to be. Whether you're showcasing a new product you have in stock, advertising a sale, or reminding people to shop for an upcoming holiday; you can make a post for all of these. That being said, how exactly do you go about making a post? That's the question we are here to answer.

Step 1: Logging In

Start by going to business.google.com and you will see a login screen. Click "Sign In." You will be taken to a login screen. Here you will be shown a list of all the accounts that have logged in on the device you're using. Either click the one you want or click "Use another account," at the bottom of the listings to log into an account of your choice if it isn't already shown. Log into whichever account is used to manage your Google My Business listing.

Step 2: Accessing the "Post" Feature

Once logged in to the account, you will land on the home page which should look very similar to the photo above. From there, you have a list of tabs on the left side of the screen to pick from. Click on the "Posts" tab that the arrow points to in the screenshot. For reference, it will usually be the second option from the top. The "Posts" tab shows all of your past posts (if you have made any). You will see an area in the top-middle of the page that says "Write your post". Click here to get started.

Step 3: Making the Post/Types of Posts

When you click to start making your post, you should have a box pop up in the middle of your screen like the one shown to the left. This is where the magic happens and you actually make the post. Notice the categories outlined by the red box; these are the different types of posts (more on each type later).

• What's New: This is a basic post of your choosing. You can attach a photo (such as a product you sell or of an example of some of your past work), write 100-300 words about the post and then attach a link of your choosing via the "add a button" option.
  Note: All of the following post types can do everything that the "What's New" post type can but with additional functionality for their specific purposes. The one exception to this is the "Offer" post, which cannot add a button with a link (although it can still add a link on its own).
• Event: This is a post type for when you are wanting to highlight a special event going on at your business. It could be a week-long sale of some kind, a grand opening, a limited-time contest- any type of event at your business really.
  
• Offer: This post type is designed to highlight specific promotions your business is currently offering. Whether it is a 1-day sale or a coupon code offering; it will let you specify the time frame for the offer and what type of discount/benefit is being offered.
• Product: This post type is designed to highlight a specific product or service you offer. It lets you showcase the name of the product/service and how much it costs; be that a specific price or a price range with a minimum and maximum.
• For the post itself, you will click anywhere in the grey box to attach a photo to the post. The photo can be one that is saved to your computer or mobile device or it can be an existing photo that you've previously uploaded to your Google My Business Dashboard. Clicking the "add a button" option allows you to attach a url (preferably your website or a page from it) of your choice to a button. Button types include "Order online", "Learn more", "Buy", and more.

Making a "What's New" Post

The "What's New" post is the default post type, and is just a general post about whatever you choose. The photo below shows an example of what this type of post may look like. This is a post for a lawn care and landscaping business. It is simply a quick paragraph about the business itself aimed to promote awareness with a photo attached and a URL attached to a "Learn more" button. By clicking the "Preview" button in the top right, you are taken to a preview of what the post will look like.

Making an "Event" Post

In the example below, we're making a post to advertise an end-of-season sale to try and sell leftover inventory from the holiday season. You can give the event a title (Holiday Clean-out!) and a time frame (Dec 26. - Jan. 4). We've attached a URL to a "Learn more" button so that consumers can click to find out more information on the event.

The highlighted section gives us a preview of what the "Event" post will look like. You can see that the title and time frame are showcased at the top, with the paragraph and our call-to-action "Learn more" button following. We didn't attach a photo in this example, but if you were making a post about a similar event, you would likely add a photo of a banner or promotional poster about the event.

Making an "Offer" Post

Like an "Event" post, you can give the offer a title and a time frame. You can't add a button to this type of post, but you can still attach a link via the "Link to redeem offer." You can also advertise a coupon code if your offer promotion requires the use of one. Additionally, you can add the terms and conditions of this offer at the bottom.

For our example, we are offering a coupon that will save you 10% on your purchase for one week; we make this known to the consumer in our post description. We then showcase the week that this coupon is valid in our time frame section and provide the coupon code itself in the coupon code section. All of that information is available for the consumer in one place!

We see our coupon displayed prominently for the consumer to see, and our post description calls the consumer's attention to the coupon itself as well as the time frame that it is valid. We didn't attach a photo in this example because it isn't really necessary, but feel free to attach a photo to your offer posts.

Making a "Product" Post

"Product" posts do just what it sounds like they do: showcase a specific product or service you wish to sell.

For this post, the business is advertising a specific floral arrangement available for purchase on their website: the "Jubilation! Bouquet". This product has a price range of $45-$65 based on the size of the arrangement that is outlined clearly within the post. For products like this especially, attaching a photo is a must so that consumers can see the product being advertised at first glance. The post also has a clear call to action with the website url being attached to an "Order online button", encouraging consumers to go straight to the website and order the product if they like what they see.

We can see the preview for the post in the photo above. Our product name and price range are clearly showcased along with a gorgeous photo of the product. Also, the "Order online" button is prominently displayed so the consumer knows they can order this arrangement online quickly if they wish to do so.

Step 4: Reviewing and Viewing the Post

Once your post is complete and published, you will see it when you go to the “Posts” tab along with any other posts you have made. Posts typically are only shown publicly for 2-4 weeks, and then they disappear from the public and fall into your history. Your post history is always viewable so you can go back and browse past posts even if they are no longer published onto the Maps listing itself.

If a consumer were to click on the post, they would be taken to an image similar to the one on the right. They get a larger version of the picture and can see the entire post description. This is how the consumer will see your posts, so keep that in mind when creating them. For example, you may include something in your description such as "browse our website via the order online button below!"

Step 5: Insights For Your Post

Lastly, you are probably interested in how your posts are doing. Once the post has expired publicly (again, that 2-4 week time frame) you can go to your post history that was shown earlier. Here, you will see your past posts and you will also see the Google Insights for those posts. The insights for the post are shown in the bottom left of the post as "views" and "clicks". These insights let you know how many people actually saw the post and how many people clicked on your link button. This can be a good way to monitor your posts and see what is working and what isn't. If your posts are being viewed regularly but not generating any clicks; you may want to try a different call to action to encourage the consumer to click on your button.

Hopefully this guide has showed you the different ways posts on Google Maps can be beneficial for you and your business. There are no limit to how many posts you can make, but just always remember the most recent post will be the one that is showcased for consumers to see out on your business’s Google Maps listing. As a good rule of thumb, we recommend posting at least every 2 weeks, as that is about the timeframe that a post will be showcased for before being taken down and stashed in your post history.

Remember the different post types you can make and always link your website on each post. When your posts expire, look at the insights and see how much exposure they are getting and adjust your posting strategy accordingly. What you are you waiting for? Log in and start posting!