I started my career working with Comporium as a yellow pages account executive back in the “Good Old Days.” That’s what salespeople always say when referring to the past. Seems like we look back and never seem to remember the struggles and problems we faced, only the positive! I guess that’s because salespeople today (especially in advertising) have a lot more responsibilities after the sale to make sure our customers get the best from their advertising services. In the “Good Old Days” we met once a year to review a client’s print advertising and update their businesses “copy” for the upcoming directory. Pretty simple process at the time. Today we meet with our clients multiple times a year to review their traditional and digital advertising performance. We ask for new content, discuss ways to improve performance by claiming social and directory listings and introduce the latest technologies to help them manage their online reputations. The list could go on and on with the available services we have to offer today as an account executive in the multimedia world.
When reflecting back on the “Good Old Days” this week one thing stood out to me that really has changed. In fact it has become a major issue and problem today for businesses. I’m speaking about “Listing Management”. In the directory business, our business model was built around helping a business get their information listed correctly in the Local Telephone Directory. Once that was established they could then decide on the amount and size of advertising they wished to link to their listing. We called the listing the “Anchor Listing” since it referenced what page an advertisement was placed on. At the time an advertiser might have to deal with only two or three directory sales people to make sure they had correct information presented to consumers in the local market. For the business owner that really was the “Good Old Days!”
Today with the explosion of high-speed internet and mobile devices surpassing the number of people on the plant, the business owner could have hundreds of salespeople or websites they have to deal with to ensure their listings are correct. It’s even more important today to have correct business information in front of consumers when they reference you on mobile devices. They typically are using GPS navigation to locate you or they are looking for reviews about your service or products .The buying cycle has changed dramatically from the “Good Old Days”. The latest statistics show that 85% of buying decisions are made on-line before a consumer ever makes a purchase from a brick and mortar store. That’s why it is critical for a business to have a “Listing Management” strategy. You don’t even have an opportunity to place your buying message in front of a potential consumer if they can’t find you or your information is flawed. 70% of consumers lose trust in a business if they find bad information. So how do you get started? Is it possible to manage your listings across so many sites and keep them consistent? Let Comporium Media Services take you back to the “Good Old Days” and have you only deal with one account executive that can help you manage all of this and more!
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