I think last week’s news that Google has appointed an agency for a PR drive to get more UK businesses online is good on a number of levels.
Google reckons there are around 1.5 million businesses that aren’t already online. And it makes the point that many of these organisations’ customers are online – with over 41 million people in the UK using the internet.
Now that’s an opportunity.
Great news for businesses who haven’t yet jumped on the Internet bandwagon
According to the story in PR Week on 17 August, a series of nationwide events will give:
“businesses 40-minute one-to-one tutorials with Google technicians, the opportunity to have a website for free in 15 minutes, as well as guidelines on how to market and advertise themselves online.”
The campaign aims to develop new talent by encouraging SMEs to develop a web presence through Google’s free site creation service. It will also increase their use of other free services such as Google Maps.
Many businesses don’t want to invest in a website as they see it as an unnecessary expense. The GBBO campaign will hopefully persuade them to see how the Internet can help them build their business for an investment that suits their budget.
A great opportunity for PR/social media freelancers
Some people may see the Google campaign as competition. How can web designers and marketers compete with a company which is giving away advice and websites (building, domain names & hosting) for free?
On the one hand that is true. We can’t compete.
But let’s look at the plus side.
I don’t have the sort of PR/advertising budget that Google obviously has. But if they have appointed a PR agency for a UK drive I am certainly going to do my best to capitalise on the resulting publicity and increased interest in this type of service from SMEs.
As Google itself points out – the initiative may actually stimulate demand from businesses who decide to explore the world of Internet marketing, but who need more support than this campaign is offering.
Google is moving them “along the sales funnel” for us.
A boost for the UK PR industry
It would be pointless for Google to promote their campaign online. After all, they are targeting businesses that aren’t in this space yet. But their choice of a traditional PR campaign to reach British businesses is a great endorsement for the UK PR industry. Let’s hope that other businesses remember that even in times of recession, they need to keep their brand in front of potential customers creatively and cost-effectively.
And what better way than a PR campaign to do just that?
Do you think GBBO is a good idea or do you think Google will mess up and instead of converting businesses turn them off Internet marketing due to insufficient support?
As a consumer I wish more businesses were on line. At the moment I’m looking for tanalised timber of a certain size and I have to ring up timber merchants one by one to track it down as they are the sort to have no web presence. Luckily I have lived in Leeds 40 yrs so I know where to start. A simple product list would at least guide me to the likely ones to phone. It’s the same for opening times for takeaways etc.
I don’t think you have anything to worry about. As you say it will probably be a ‘funnel’ to guide people onto a more sophisticated presence once they see the benefits.
*Thinks* How can I make that work for print?..
Hello @Leedsprinter! Great point about the fact that consumers are using the internet to search for all sorts of goods and services (I have no idea what tanalised timber is!) :) Companies need to realise that the easier their customers can find them, the more business they will win. Increasingly customers are searching for what they want online – but it’s not just information, it’s also recommendations, reviews and testimonials. Everyone has to start somewhere and I think the GBBO campaign will persuade many to take the plunge. After all, what have they got to lose? In terms of how you can make this work for print… not sure. But you could have a look at what the printers with deep pockets and big marketing budgets are doing in terms of promotion and see if you can hitch a ride on their wave? ;)