hmm.. Maybe Yelp does work.

[WillS]

Below is what I've been trying with our social marketing. Something a bit different, it is time for a mix up in social media advertising for us. No more Facebook for a bit and thought I'd share what has happened in the last month and a half. (Since I see people on the board posting good results advertising on Yelp, I had to try (cough Mikey).

I've mostly used Facebook for ads. I have hated Yelp for the last 2 years and have chose to neglect paying for it. Basically because of the reasons in this article/video about their "possible" practices. I felt this happened when we began using Yelp -- as a free acct. I understand just as everyone should: there is a rating system for reviewers; how many reviews done, friends they have, IP address, being active that allows reviews to be filtered/or not. Horrible system. Our real customer's reviews would drop off. I've mostly used FaceBook for ads and customers to review us. Soooo I decided to pause running FB ads for the last month and a half and put money towards Yelp. We have been booking less jobs, but at higher job amount$..

I've been doing the $550 a month which they said was average for our area. Can't provide every minor detail of how I ran the ads, etc. due to there being 200 cleaners in vegas and I'm sure at least 1 or 2 are on this board. But, this is happening right now:

Yelp has helped increase the average job to $700-1500. Our avg invoice advertising on FB was $250-300. $700+ jobs has cut us down to 2-3 jobs a day instead of 4-5 on a truck. Being on the first page of Google has sent us tons of business also. This is supporting higher avg job booking$ along with Yelp. I do the SEO myself for Google, this counts at zero cost, just the luck of being graced by the Google Gods. (BTW: We don't use Adwords). Techs cutting down on driving times, loading times, etc. General exhaustion with less jobs for more $ is pretty nice. Online booking has also increased. I'm paying for the extra features on the Yelp page: Picture Sorting, Link to Your Site, and No competitors on our page. Google Analytic's shows decent clicks from Yelp & Google to our Online Booking (fittlebug). Also, referrals and FillMySchedule for addt. bookings.

Spending 2k+ on FB ads monthly did really well for us for a while. Now I've spent 0 on FB. We do get decent calls from it still. Either remembered liking our page or an ad they seen us run over the last 3 years. We've advertised on their so much, I'm sure we've reached everyone in Vegas at least once. lol Plus FB is getting saturated with carpet cleaners right now. I've seen about 20 companies in our area advertising on it contentiously. Not properly, but advertising. I was ahead of the curve for the last 3 years w FB ads, but now with users getting flooded with these carpet ads, I'm spending way more to out advertise them without greater greater results.

I've spent an additional $400 last month on LinkedIn and $250 on Twitter. SUCKS. I figured targeting certain types of business professionals in our area would work. I think people are just to busy looking for jobs or showing off their titles on LinkedIn. They don't scroll threw the newsfeed enough and click on ads. Twitter too. Unless its something to go viral about. Like me draining a pool of water and dumping it in a house and saying, "HWE or VLM?". jk. My recommendation: don't use either of those Social Media sites for advertising. And if anyone has a result different then that, please explain!

This month I'm going to be running ads on both FB and Yelp along with Instagram and see the results. While keeping front page on Google, I'm hoping it's just nuts. One day, having a huge ad budget to put towards every media, now That's My Dream.

 

[Mikey P]

Cough.

 

[hogjowl]

He put a lot of effort into that post. The font was irritating.

 

[WillS]

Ah ha! I copied and posted it from one of the marketing forums I'm apart of and posted it to help those marketing illiterate cleaners. You would have to know what social media is first to apply it Marty mart. I wish y'all wouldn't have kept the secret about Yelp for so long. Didn't realize you just have to throw hundreds of dollars at it to work. So hopefully this will save the rest of you some money on advertising on other platforms i.e. LinkedIn/Twitter

 

[hogjowl]

Yelp sucks here.

 

[smastio]

Below is what I've been trying with our social marketing. Something a bit different, it is time for a mix up in social media advertising for us. No more Facebook for a bit and thought I'd share what has happened in the last month and a half. (Since I see people on the board posting good results advertising on Yelp, I had to try (cough Mikey).

I've mostly used Facebook for ads. I have hated Yelp for the last 2 years...

Will - I have always admired your abundance mentality of helping. I have always said that there are two kinds of people - 1. Scarcity people and 2. Abundance people. Scarcity people think they have all the answer, the best approaches and are smarter than most. Abundance people believe that more good things can be done in groups, listen to other sides (even if they disagree) and tend to join forces for better accomplishments.

You my friend are an "Abundance Person" and should feel good about it....

 

[Charlie Lyman]

I'm keeping an eye on Yelp here. It's not really big here except for restaurants. The only activity I get from it is from people out of town moving here. It's not big here yet, but it will be.

 

[Goomer]

. It's not really big here except for restaurants.

Yelp IS big everywhere.

Yelp seems irrelevant only because they have no first page search result presence for the carpet cleaning category, which is because no company has seized the opportunity YET.

Foolish to dismiss Yelp because they do not seem to be a major player in a particular area, when the reason they are not a major player yet, is because no local company has established themselves with Yelp enough to MAKE Yelp a major player, which begins as soon as they show on the first page results.

Yelp is just sitting idle waiting for a local company to take advantage of the opportunity, and to be the first company to establish themselves in an UNCLAIMED service area, and to use their influence with Google to rapidly reward them with a first page, company specific search result.

Soon after any company takes advantage of this, whether it's your company or a competitor, Yelp WILL become a major player as soon as their listing returns first page results.

You going to let someone else beat you to the punch?

Git on it.

 

[jcooper]

Charlie Lyman said: ↑
. It's not really big here except for restaurants.
Yelp IS big everywhere.
Yelp seems irrelevant only because they have no first page search result presence for the carpet cleaning category, which is because no company has seized the opportunity YET.
Foolish to dismiss Yelp because they do not seem to be a major player in a particular area, when the reason they are not a major player yet, is because no local company has established themselves with Yelp enough to MAKE Yelp a major player, which begins as soon as they show on the first page results.
Yelp is just sitting idle waiting for a local company to take advantage of the opportunity, and to be the first company to establish themselves in an UNCLAIMED service area, and to use their influence with Google to rapidly reward them with a first page, company specific search result.
Soon after any company takes advantage of this, whether it's your company or a competitor, Yelp WILL become a major player as soon as their listing returns first page results.
You going to let someone else beat you to the Punch?
Git on it.

100% correct.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Yelp IS big everywhere.

Yelp has really no presence here....

I have claimed my Yelp page...but there is really no activity around these parts.....

Even have the Yelp app on my new Dodge Ram Truck GPS, high end stereo....people do more Facebook around here....

Small towns are different....and really Northern small towns....different

 

[Goomer]

Saiger" data-source="post: 4418822" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Yelp has really no presence here....

I have claimed my Yelp page...but there is really no activity around these parts.....

Click any restaurant A-G from the results.............

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en.....1ac.1.34.heirloom-hp..0.17.1277.ekJo1lumNG0

Notice something in all the results for each restaurant?

Yelp is everywhere...............except the Carpet Cleaning category in your area.

Good thing that you at least claimed our page.

Did you complete your profile and add pics??

Once a completed listing gains a couple of reviews in a vacant category/coverage area, it should in time generate a first page return.

Your just a couple of reviews away from a high ranking first page company-specific result courtesy of Yelp, which will gain you more exposure to prospective customers, irregardless if they are Yelpers or not.....everyone will see it.

Surely you can conjure up a couple of reviews from active Yelpers to get the ball rolling..........

 

[Mikey P]

listen to Goomer.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

Goomer's google link goes to Grand Rapids Michigan, not Grand Rapids Minnesota.

 

[hogjowl]

Ok, I'm not listening.

 

[Blue Monarch]

Not big everywhere IMO. Just because companies are present doesn't mean folks are making use of it. Survey your market(I have).....and find out if your type of client is really using yelp.

 

[Mikey P]

Dirk you are top dog there w/ three reviews.


So no calls to speak of?



I see some restaurants getting quite a few...

Go here much?

 

[Charlie Lyman]

This is my activity for the last two months. I don't see this as significant enough to pay for advertising with them.
I get better results from Facebook for free or $20 a month.

 

[Blue Monarch]

One call from yelp.

Haven't been to maggies yet, but I'd like to. I eat more like you than you may think.

 

[Nate The Great]

One call from yelp.

Haven't been to maggies yet, but I'd like to. I eat more like you than you may think.

I guess your only on a liquid diet at MF, huh?!?!

 

[Blue Monarch]

No comment!

 

[Mikey P]

Dang Dirk



We have been on MB together now for almost ten years.


Most here now wont remember that you were my original IT guy, before Mark and Andrechelle..


I had a guy in Scruz put up the VBulletin forum and you and the original six (now down to 3) helped me figure it all out.

 

[Blue Monarch]

What the heck brought that up?

 

[Mikey P]

Saw your join date in your profile and I got all sniffly.


Thanks for hanging in there/here...



unlike that jerk....

 

[Blue Monarch]

Good lord....10 years.....I should probably get a life.

 

[Nate The Great]

Good lord....10 years.....I should probably get a life.

Nah, just toast to another 10 years!!

 

[Dr J]

Does anyone have advice on Big west marketing? I need a website asap . what do you guys recommend?

 

[Goomer]

Not big everywhere IMO. Just because companies are present doesn't mean folks are making use of it. Survey your market(I have).....and find out if your type of client is really using yelp.

The impression that Yelp is not present in a particular area for cleaning related services can actually be a blessing in disguise.

Such a situation means that there is an OPPORTUNITY that will benefit the first company that takes action.

The amount of local people that are actually active within Yelp is not as important as you think, because the initial goal is to get a FREE high ranking supplemental search result courtesy of Yelp which should follow soon after a completing a business profile and obtaining a few reviews that stick if your the first one to reach the goal.

Understand that a Yelp search result will be seen by EVERYONE, regardless if they are a Yelper or not, without being required to log-in to Yelp or join.

ANYONE will be able to see your Yelp page, read your reviews, see your phone number, and familiarize themselves with your business with no obligation to actually become a Yelp member or leave a review.

The vast majority of my new customers who tell me they read my Yelp reviews don't even have Yelp accounts, so the number of local ACTIVE Yelpers is not as important as you may think.

The initial stage is more about the free search result that can often outrank well established sites.

Any additional business you get from exposure to active Yelpers once established within their system is gravy.

A free high ranking search result from so little effort is a no-brainer, especially given the additional legitimacy that Yelp can imply about a business.

Will a competitor's Yelp listing all of a sudden popping up out of nowhere, ranking #2 on Google results be your sign that Yelp has finally arrived?

 

[Mikey P]

listen to Goomer.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

Spending 2k+ on FB ads monthly did really well for us for a while. Now I've spent 0 on FB. We do get decent calls from it still. Either remembered liking our page or an ad they seen us run over the last 3 years. We've advertised on their so much, I'm sure we've reached everyone in Vegas at least once. lol Plus FB is getting saturated with carpet cleaners right now. I've seen about 20 companies in our area advertising on it contentiously.
I'm just poking fun at you -But what did you expect when you do webinars and such to other carpet cleaners advertise your FB success?

. One day, having a huge ad budget to put towards every media, now That's My Dream.
Maybe it's just me but when your spending 2k+ a month just on one source you sound like your pretty close to a huge ad budget.

 

[Mikey P]

Does anyone have advice on Big west marketing? I need a website asap . what do you guys recommend?

I know personally of one happy user of Big West


I know many happy users of @Hoody Steven Hoodledink