Over the past decade, people have been utilizing features like Google Maps and Google Search to find information about businesses online. However, they found it difficult to find an easier and effective way to contact particular businesses till the introduction of Google My Business (GMB). Since then, there were no features businesses could use to manage the information users see while they search for businesses on Google.  

Google My Business comes with a feature with business information displayed on a small card,  while searching for a business, along with the contact and messaging details, thereby grabbing the attention of customers to it. Google My Business messaging is the novel way where the visitors can directly message your business from your business listings that appear on Google Maps or Google Search. This way, there is no need for the users to spend their time in search of your contact details on the website. 

Think of the Google Business Profile Messaging feature as something similar to Facebook messenger- where your customers can quickly reach out to you and shoot questions or concerns. As per the Facebook research, the majority of users say that they feel much confident about a brand when they can message a business. 

This blog focuses on discussing in detail the way Google My Business messaging works and how to use the automated messages effectively for your business. 

What is Google My Business messaging? 

While running any business, keeping your customers engaged plays a significant role. While considering a Google My Business profile, there are four ways to drive customer engagement, such as the Question & Answers feature, Analytics, Customer Reviews, and most importantly, Google messaging. Google My Business messaging is a reliable and free tool for business messaging that helps customers contact your business in real-time, right from the Google Business Profile listing. This can help the customers to directly find you from the Google search results, instead of having trouble clicking your business website, in search of your email address or contact information. 

Evolution of Google My Business Messaging 

GMB messaging was initially released in 2017, using SMS, and helped customers to send messages that will be visible in the GMB profile dashboard. SMS messaging was then replaced with something similar to IM-like messages in March 2019. This had benefited users to message from Google Maps or Google Search, where the message passed through Google’s infrastructure, and now, the businesses are capable of answering their queries through the newly launched Google My Business App. 

GMB has two different products, namely Google My Business App and Google My Business Message API. The former is used by small businesses to send messages in one go and the latter is used by large businesses to integrate the messaging feature into their stack. Using GMB API, businesses can manage their messages across multiple listings. 

How does Google My Business Messaging Work? 

GMB messaging can be considered as a kind of instant messaging. Once you activate this feature, customers can view a message button that appears on the GMB listing of your business. Whenever your profile pops up in Google Maps or Google Search results, your customers can see this button. With Google My Business Messaging, your customers can send you messages any time and engage with your business easily. 

There are two ways to manage GMBs as a business: 

Google My Business Messaging (Desktop): 

While GMB was launched in 2017, it was available only on mobile, however by February 2021, this has changed. Now, this is available on the desktop as well, and for the business owners who wish to manage the business-customer communications via desktop, this update is highly beneficial. Here are the tips on how to begin GMB messaging on desktop: 

• Login to your GMB Profile 
• Move to Messages and click on the icon 
• Choose gear icon for settings 

• Turn messages ‘ON’ 

Now, your customers can send business messages right from your GMB listings available. 

• Add customizations to change the settings and to make the automated messaging experience pleasant for customers 

• Include a welcome message and turn notifications on, so that you can be aware when a customer awaits your response 

Google My Business Messaging (Mobile): 

When GMB feature on mobile is concerned you can do this on both Android and Apple devices as below: 

• Download the application from Play Store or App store 
• From messages, Turn Messages ‘ON’ to activate the feature and let the message button appear in the Google business listing 
• Customize to add the auto-messaging feature for the welcome message and turn on notifications to never miss an update from the customer 

How Google My Business Messages APIs help you drive customer engagement 

With automated message features, APIs can drive customer engagement and attain global reach through the acceleration of business reliability. Through this direct carrier communication function, businesses can use APIs to experience conversational ease with the Google business Message.  

This way, businesses get direct customer communication channels from various entry point sources like Google Ads, Search, Maps, Phone dialer, and the brand websites. When customers enter keywords similar to your business through Google, you can reach them via messaging. You can sell products, services, acquire customers, and provide support through this feature.  

Vox Services help businesses build customer engagement using GMB messaging API and let you get featured in the organic searches, local searches, and answer cards, and facilitate the integration with other support systems. This can also be helpful in offering high-end assistance to customers for using features like auto-replies, suggested replies, videos, carousel, and images to view the products attractively and engagingly. 

How to use the Google My Business Messaging Feature 

• Work on the welcome message 

When your customer clicks on the message button in your GMB profile, then a welcome message is the primary option that the customer sees. Set a message to thank the customers for reaching you and welcome them. 

• Respond within 24 hours after receiving the message 

Ensure that you respond to the messages promptly and if not done, Google might remove the message button visible in your listing. Google makes sure that unpleasant customer experiences are not encouraged, however, even if you lose the button, you can also reactivate the button if you turn it on again. 

Note: When customers find your GMB business listing, they become aware of how responsive your business is, which is displayed on the profile. 

For instance,   

Usually responds in a few hours 

Usually responds in a day, etc. 

• Turn the notifications on 

Keep a note of the new messages you receive. When you realize that a customer awaits your answer then it is necessary to keep the GMB button active to initiate messaging round the clock. 

• Check for spam 

Spam messages may sometimes be posted by the bots and might be ruining the inbox. To avoid this, Go to messages, click the message you wish to report, and choose block/report spam and enter your choice of reason.  

• Keep communications to the point 

Once a customer shoots queries, make sure you are addressing the particular comment or concern, avoid the introduction of new products, or marketing new products when the concern is something different. 

• Keep the message short  

Nobody loves to read long messages from a business when they just wanted to get a small answer to a query. Once customers put forward queries with GMB messaging feature, keep the answers clear and succinct. With unlimited messaging, follow-up messages are also permitted in the GMB messaging feature. 

• Share images  

Using GMB messaging, you can also exchange text messages. You can share visuals with the customers, which is an efficient method to support and assist customers and stay trusted by answering the query in a highly appealing method. 

• Get the communication off GMB if needed 

If the answer demands a further explanation, sharing of sensitive information, or requires personal information, then this can be done outside the GMB messaging system. Instead of violating the GMB messaging guidelines, you can get customers to share personal information via other secure platforms, which maintains customer trust. 

Google My Business Auto-Reply Feature to empower B2C communications 

Customers’ feedback is everything, and you wish to let them know that you care for them. When a review pops up the auto-reply feature integration, helps you to quickly respond to a Google My Business review that can mean satisfied customers are built. 

Similar to this auto-reply feature, an API partner can help your business set automated messaging features in GMB. Businesses nowadays choose to use Google My Business to respond to customers using message APIs. Google in partnership with Vox services, facilitate Business message APIs to induce effective audience engagement.  

With the API messaging services from Vox, you can get many advantages like: 

• Gain insight into the message content sent and received by those involved in business and monitor agent performance 
• In-store usage of mobile-based applications in mobile devices to be conveniently used even by new hires just like Facebook or Whatsapp messenger 

• Aggregation of various other channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Whatsapp into the same inbox to make all communications in one go from the same application. 

How to enable Google My Business Messaging Integration 

Google My Business messaging offers the simplest and straightforward business representation with automated responses, smart replies, custom welcome messages, product carousels, and so on. Using the Vox Google Business Messaging API, you can transform the messaging to connect with the customers and resolve queries faster. With effective communication tools, you can facilitate innovative ways to utilize them on Google search engines. With Google Business Messages API, you get a medium to manage the customers and drive their engagement towards the business. With the integration of business messages directly to the service platforms, you can incorporate the business messaging on Google Search and Google Maps. 

How to respond on Google My Business Messages 

It is important to respond to the customer then and there, to enhance brand loyalty and instill a brand image along with customers’ trust. Here is the step by step guide to starting integrating the help offer Google My Business Messaging feature: 

• Log in to the Google My Business Dashboard 

• Go to the Messaging Panel 
• Verify your contact number and turn messages ‘ON’ 
• Messages from customers will be visible on the GMB app, where you can receive the incoming message notifications 

This messaging feature is required by businesses to reply to the customers’ queries in less time. To get the conversations going and avoid manual handling of messages, you can enable automated conversations using an AI-driven chatbot. Chatbots can understand the user text inputs and generate replies effectively to carry the conversations forward. This is also an ideal solution to convert the queries into sales and great customer support. 

Conclusion 

Earlier, Customers had no option other than going into websites and finding business contact information to communicate directly with a business, and it used to be time-consuming. Rather, the communication took so much waiting time, which made customers eventually lose trust in a brand or business. However, instant messaging features with GMB have come to fix these issues and improve B2C communications. Being your reliable API partner, Vox GMB auto messaging and auto-response functions can benefit businesses to manage sales and support services. To experience the benefits of automated messages using GMB, start your free trial now.