Google comes out with game-changing online tools each year. The tech giant also revamps and improves many of its popular apps. These fast-paced changes can be confusing—even for businesses that are well-acquainted with Google’s products. Take Google’s Business Messages and Google My Business.
Google My Business was released in 2014. Since Google’s Business Messages was released in 2020, plenty of companies are wondering: what’s the difference between the two tools? Does every company need both? How do these services work with business text messaging? Can they be used for conversational marketing or customer engagement?
Let’s dive in.
What’s Google My Business?
Google My Business is a feature that lets you manage the information people see when they search for your brand from Google. The information is set aside on a small card, so customers’ attention is drawn to it.
You can customize your company’s Google My Business profile, adding your operating hours, website, and street address. The profile also gives them quick access to your customer reviews. You can even use the tool to learn how customers found your Google My Business page, and where they come from.
What’s Google’s Business Messages?
Google’s Business Messages allows customers to message your company through local search in Google Maps, Google search, answer cards on Google, or a Google widget on your website. When customers see your company through one of these entry points, they will also find an option to message your team.
In essence, this feature makes it easier for customers to communicate with your team. They can use the channel to schedule appointments, select product and service options, or be routed to a relevant team to resolve issues. Your agents can enrich customer conversations with cards that support configurable images, text, and buttons. This way, customers can browse options and explore landing page links from within the channel they started from.
In addition, Business Messages is:
- Device agnostic, so customers can use it from all types of devices (mobile phones, computers, tablets, etc.)
- Flexible, so your customer engagement team can use a best-of-breed communications service provider app that works with Business Messages as well as business text messaging and other channels
- Media rich, so your team can engage customers with text, images, emojis, and GIFs
- Support-centric, offering Business Messages chips that help your team schedule appointments, select product and service options, or be routed to the appropriate department
Ultimately, Google’s Business Messages is the perfect channel for conversational customer engagement. This new strategy emphasizes making it easy for leads and customers to reach out, ask questions, and have person-to-person chats.
How Do They Work Together?
When you turn on the “messaging” option for Google My Business, customers will find a “Message” button right within your Google My Business page. That way, once they’ve looked through customer reviews and your basic information, they can reach out with any additional questions. The “Message” button has historically been used for business text messaging, but it can now be configured for Google’s Business Messages.
Of course, Google’s Business Messages also allows customers to text you from within Google Search, Maps, answer cards on Google, or a Google widget on your website if you choose to install one. It’s a versatile tool.
If you set up Google My Business, Google’s Business Messages will be available to customers no matter which Google tools they use.
How Do They Work with Business Text Messaging?
If you already use business texting services, you may be wondering how Google’s Business Messages and Google My Business fit in.
Your team can easily integrate Google’s Business Messages with your business text messaging platform. This integration will ensure that:
- Any messages sent from customers to Google’s Business Messages (including those sent to your Google My Business page) will be routed to the appropriate shared inbox and customer care team
- Your team can send identical auto-replies no matter which channel incoming queries come from
- Managers and team members can access chat history for all contacts, including those who engaged through Google’s Business Messages and native SMS apps
Ultimately, business text messaging platforms make it even easier to manage Google’s Business Messages alongside all of your other messaging channels. It’s a must-have for centralizing customer communications and providing the top-notch experience they expect.
Learn more about Google’s Business Messages here. Have questions? Ask our team.
