Google posts are also picking up steam. These posts are a way for brands to share timely information on products, special offers, events, and announcements. Credit unions must act quickly to produce new posts because Google displays them for only seven days.
The bottom line: Google wants to be a part of every business’s content strategy. Take advantage of GMB features and make sure to include Google My Business in the credit union’s 2019 social plan.
No. 2: Reviews Signals
If you read CreditUnions.com, you’ve heard us folks at Callahan say this time and again: Reviews matter!
That rings true now more than ever. Review signals accounted for 10.8% of ranking importance in 2015. They jumped to more than 15% in 2018. These signals include several different review factors, including overall number of reviews, reviews by site, average star rating, response rate, and more.
If your credit union doesn’t have a review management strategy, it needs to put one into place as soon as possible. (Need some help? Refer to the links above.) Reviews are often the first thing potential members see about the credit union, and they have a powerful influence over a consumer’s purchasing decision.
In his own review of the survey findings, Shaw underscores the value that positive reviews bring in encouraging people to “pick up the phone and call your business.”
But responding to reviews isn’t only a good practice for managing search rankings, it’s also a good practice for managing regulators. Anecdotally, several credit unions have said their regulators asked for documentation regarding social media review strategies and tracking plans during audits. Best to have a solid plan in place.
To echo Shaw: “If you’re not making the most of reviews yet, get on it!”
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