Croft talks digital and online marketing at chamber luncheon
Lovell native Patrick Croft gave a primer on digital marketing as the featured speaker at the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce membership meeting on February 17.
Croft is the owner of Croft Marketing Group of Powell, a full-service marketing company. He came onto the Chamber’s radar while working to update and upgrade the chamber’s website.
Croft said his main focus with customers is to get them noticed through digital and online marketing, and he passed out a list of online presence basics for those attending the luncheon to read, saying they are the “bare minimum” things a small business must do to be competitive.
It all starts with setting up and optimizing a Google business profile, Croft said, and he recommended posting updates on the profile at least two times per month and optimizing the profile.
He also urged chamber members to create a simple, mobile-friendly website, noting that a high percentage of people use their smartphones for information seeking. He said search engine optimization is a very important part of the process.
Croft recommended setting up social media accounts and choose a platform that would be most used by the target audience. More mature customers might like Facebook, for instance, but younger customers might prefer Instagram.
He urged those in the room to get listed on local online directories, noting the importance of working with the chamber of commerce to be a part of the chamber’s directory and website. He said working with the chamber lends credibility to a new business.
Croft said it is important for businesses to ask customers to submit reviews on Google and respond to all of the reviews, noting that reviews are important for business rankings.
Finally, Croft said it is important for a business to develop a credible brand and a professional logo.
Asked about his work with the chamber, he said the good thing about what the chamber is doing is having the ability to make changes and develop the website on their own, noting, “We put a lot of power in the chamber’s hands. He said he is working with the Town of Lovell, as well.