Everybody knows real estate is a know you like you trust you relationship style business? The question is, how do you get people who don't know you to know you and then to like you and then to trust you to ultimately bring people into being willing to work with you and say hey my name is Jason and I want to sell my house or I'm ready to buy a house or I know somebody who wants to work with an agent just like you. And so today's episode of this week in marketing is super special because I am interviewing Ian Williams AKA Ian of Austin who is one of the best I've ever encountered in terms of positioning his agent brand on Social on Google everywhere to attract people and specifically what I'm really hoping to get into today is to really geek out on Google Local guides and now he's made Google local guides a staple of how he attracts business. Ian Thank you so much for joining me! how are you today? Oh I'm incredible! Thank you so much for having me! uh this is this is a lot of fun I'm really excited for today I am to you I've been looking forward to this conversation for some time. uh just to give context to everybody.

So I already told them your you know your your superhero name is Ian of Austin yeah tell us tell us about your business Ian just at a high level uh high level Uh 2021 I hit uh 41 transactions as a solo agent which I thought was decent in my market I all I had was a transaction coordinator I've been in the business since 2016 and it was a little slower going at first and then I signed up for coaching and well now it's a Skyrocket Yeah man, you're crushing it and you've Diversified your marketing. You have all the systems checked and ready to go and I can't wait to dive in. Uh okay so we want to talk today about Google Local Guides. Uh, I have two kind of opening questions that are just kind of quick answers.

The first one is about how much of your business you said 41 sides last year about how much of your business would you attribute to Google Local Guides. You know it's it's difficult to attribute, but I would go with about 20 percent. Okay, that's got a lot of people thinking like oh wow, that's a lot of extra deals potentially in my pocket. And the next question is, what are Google Local guides or what is Google Local guides? Well it's it's easy to get confused with Google Local guides versus something like Google my business and I know you tell Google my business a ton Google Local Guides is the part where if you go onto Google Maps and you're looking for something, the pictures and the videos that show up when you're seeking that something that is a Google local guide.

The business is what shows up when you're when you're searching for a specific entity, right? So if I'm looking for Ian of Austin then I will have a business page. But Google local guides means I can be everywhere for every business. So I can contribute to your business I can contribute to a restaurant I can contribute to almost anything out there, All right. So just to put this in context, if I'm a regular user of Google and I open up Google Maps or Google search and I do a search for hotels near me or something like that.

Yes, all the red pens on the map represent the different hotels and each red pin represents a Google business profile. Within that Google business profile, there are reviews, photos, videos, and media and a local guide is somebody who can contribute in any of those respective media. Outlets So for example, I've seen a lot of hotels where it's like I'll be clicking through the images and it will tell me these images were uploaded by the owner. meaning it's their Pro profile but others will say from customers and then sometimes it will say from a local guide.

So it seems like there's some kind of a designation for a local guide and the same is true where I can read through reviews and sometimes it will tell me it's from a user or sometimes it might say it's from a local guide so we can then infer. Your strategy is basically you are posting I'm assuming reviews, photos and or videos on various businesses in the Austin Marketplace Is that a fair sort of high level approximation? It absolutely is. I would say that I'm trying to compete with uh Yelp essentially as an individual I'm trying to be When someone searches, they can find videos on some platforms like YouTube but also they're looking for local information I want to be present when they're finding this local information. So yes, yeah, so it's sort of the it's sort of the underside of or the upside down of a Google business profile where on a Google business profile I'm trying to get reviews for my business I'm trying to upload photo, photos and videos for my business, but you are on the giving side as a local guide now.

a local guide. Is that a designation that I can go into apply to basically be verified as a local guide. Somebody who Google knows and trusts to be a contributor to local businesses in an area. What does that even mean to be a local guide? Uh, absolutely you can.

And you get, um, what do you call it stages or tiers of local guide And so an example is like I'm on the eighth tier right of local guide I'm top one percent in the Austin Texas area. and if I upload a video or photo, they don't even vet it anymore. They're just like yeah, you're good which is huge right? So I can do that at any business essentially. and so that is a lot like Yelp.

So I know many people have been frustrated because they'll say things like I Got a review on Yelp and it got unpublished because the person who left the review your customer was not a vetted and approved Yelper or whatever the terminology they may use is. So there's a credibility. I Trust this individual's input in our system to try to maintain Integrity in terms of reviews and whatnot. You know? Can I tell you something? Uh, Yelp wouldn't let me be an elite? Um, you know Yelp has an elite program where you can go in and put put reviews and pictures and all that.

They won't let me be an elite because I had a business or I have a business with Yelp and so they feel like that's an unfair Advantage Yeah, it's quite frustrating. So I said well, you know who wants my information? Google Google does and you know who people rely upon the most Google right? Okay, so I think we have a fair understanding of what local guides are. They're not a Google business profile just for all the users. I Repeat This is not a Google business profile.

This is you becoming a user who contributes to other businesses. Google Business profiles by way of reviews and or photos and or videos. You become the participant and again I liken it too. Have you ever seen photos by customers or something like that? When you're looking at a hotel in Google Maps Or you see somebody uploaded the Truffle french fries photo on some restaurant you're reading its reviews on Google right? That's a local guide.

Um, walk us through your strategy because I got to tell you Ian I've been hearing about local guides for a lot of years and I'll have people come to me and they'll say I got a million views on a photo I posted on some restaurant and then I go and look at it and it has absolutely no corollary whatsoever to their business. It's just you know. Again, some truffle fries. They took a photo of it and it got a bunch of views because people want to eat food there.

But how does it relate and compute to business? Walk us through how you've created a funnel in which you're generating business from local guides. Uh, at a At. So one thing that I think is important is how you brand your icon which you'll see in the top uh, left hand corner of your screen when you create a Google account. Okay, my icon is my head.

the same icon that I use on my business card and everywhere else. It's very recognizable. that was on purpose. So it's like a little Avatar And what you said when you create your Google account or when you create your local guides account I Want to clarify there? Uh, they're they're synonymous.

You when you create your Google account you can use that account to create your local guide account and it will keep that same photo if you want. I'm just going to show an example of that photo. Oh yeah, yeah, okay. I see it right.

Everyone sees that and immedi. That's how they recognize me. It is super recognizable I Want to interject for a second? So let's get a Moment of clarity for those watching because they're like wait a minute. Google accounts.

Okay, so you get your login for your master Google account or whatever accounts.google.com and that account can have attached to it. Logins for your Google business profile for local guides for your YouTube channel for your Google ads account. Google has all these kind of secondary platforms that you can access with your Google login. So you're suggesting that whatever profile image is associated with your main Google login is also the image that is pulled for your local guides profile.

Correct. That is correct. So if it's a picture of your cat, that's not going to go very far. yeah or Worse maybe not worse, maybe not worse.

But if it's just your initials because like it might be JP like Jason pantana. if I don't upload a photo and so then there's no logo or any thing at all. and I love the fact that you have the Avatar of you because a couple of things about that one, we know that your agent brand it is your voice, your mind, your heart, your face. People remember a face in a way that's different than they remember just an everyday object.

um I don't want to geek out too too deeply on this, but I think you're smart for doing it because when I look at your face Ian it's a different part of my brain processing what I'm seeing versus if I look at I don't know my phone. it's a different part of my brain from a neuroscience standpoint. The other thing I like is we know Meta just for instance is dumping money like crazy and avatars and so that's a trend I expect to see really evolving next year. so I think you're ahead of the curve anyways.

I digress. let's get back to your strategy for local guides, so walk us through it. Okay, so that's the first thing. The second thing is where I'm taking the pictures and the videos are very um, strategic as well.

So I try to go to high traffic areas. In fact, I have an option on Google Maps to go and choose places that I've never been before so that it helps me further canvas areas that I know people are frequent frequenting and you can look at heat maps for what places have a lot of traffic. So both of those are areas that I Target Google provides all that data. Yes, it does Free! Okay, so that means assure you're logged into your Google account when you're in Google Maps But then it keeps track of where you went and where you left reviews.

That's super smart. Okay, and what's the point of doing that? I'm playing. You know I'm just playing along here. Sure, the point of doing that is because when someone moves, people move For Love or Money when someone is moving, they generally want to know what's happening in an area and what their lifestyle is going to be when they relocate to an area because and that that's what happened to me.

I came and I visited Austin for a week within six months I was here because I explored. People want that to live vicariously through you and you're giving them that. You're almost a travel blogger by mistake or on purpose. Rather, a fixed travel blogger.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I Get it. Okay, so then I assume you're looking at what kinds of businesses in particular are you focusing on is is there a particular genre? Well, coffee shops are really popular because um, this is Austin and that's again a strategic thing. But I also like going to Parks I like going to and what we've talked about this a little bit.

Um, Builders New home construction? maybe even neighborhoods, right? So any any place that has a region that I can select now what I won't do and this is really important if I see Joe's Plumbing that's in my neighborhood I'm not gonna go Target his business. That's not cool unless we want to do a um I want to do a review for him I say you know I use ghost plumbing and he's incredible I can dump that and then anybody who goes to his account sees my review. Okay, that's a great distinction. So there are some businesses where it might be business to business networking relationships, you know I hired a chimney cleaner for instance and then I'm going to review them because I want to support their business and I'm going to give them a review.

but it's a different modality than when I'm looking at like Parks or coffee shops or hot spots. those are more like beacons in the night that are designed to attract sort of the people who are surfing the area and like you said, living vicariously through your explorations to determine if they want to be in that area or if you're relevant in those areas. as somebody who knows the town so to speak. Um, so that's a super smart distinction.

I Assume that you don't focus on reviews or do you do photos and videos more than reviews? Absolutely. However, I do try to write reviews if I'm going to write a review. It's going to be authentic and that takes time. Okay, all right so you upload a photo or a video and it's got your branding on it and is there anything else about it that sets you apart? Because again, like I've seen these folks who are like I took a picture of French fries and it's viral.

but how is that supposed to compute to business? Walk us through that funnel a little bit more so there. Yeah, that's uh. it can get pretty technical. So one example is you've seen the business cards right? I can set that on a table right next to the picture of the coffee and the laptop so that it's almost a beautiful profile shot of what the restaurant can be for someone who wants to work.

remote. Got it? Got it, Got it right? So that's a that's a great example. Um, another one is the shirts that I wear. Oftentimes I'll try to wear a branded shirt and I'll take it one step further.

I've been big on 360 degree photos for years before a lot of people even knew what those were which. Google prioritizes those now. Yes and okay. I love that.

I mean I've always I've loved those. I mean look at this look for those of you I'm just gonna show it I'm not gonna talk about it. The Metaquest Pro anybody? Yeah, nice. Um, Okay, so let's go back to the types of businesses you're reviewing and the distinguishing between like a plumber for instance versus a coffee shop or a park or you mentioned builders for instance.

Yeah, so really, you can as a local guide, participate with any Google business profile. So that means if there's a development. So for example: I live in Nashville There are certain like mid-rises and high rises that have their own Google Business profiles. There are certain neighborhoods that have their own Google Business profiles and they're typically led by an HOA or something like that, but you have the ability to actually go in there and make content for so like a popular one.

Here in Nashville is icon in The Gulch It's a popular mid-rise high-rise in downtown Nashville to the degree that a consumer who's interested in a building like that might actually search icon in The Gulch which will then trigger their Google business profile to show. and then you've possibly done 360 photos or videos or media that's branded about that area and even positioned yourself as a Realtor or known as your your Alter Ego Ian of Austin and so I can I'm starting to see how all this sort of attracts business. Am I missing any important details so far? No, you're you're spot on. I'll give you a great example: I was at the Tesla gigafactory that they were building in Austin yeah and I was taking drone photos and I remember driving down a road that I should not have been down and I got kicked out? Well, I was obviously recording this scenario and so I put a little short video clip on the gigafactory site explaining Hey Listen, I just got kicked Out of the Tesla video Tesla Gigafactory as they're building it I was trying to get some video for you listen I'm Ian of Austin I'm a Realtor you can find me on my YouTube channel to hear more about this Story Boom done.

and that's it. And then that gives them leads into my YouTube Ah, super smart man. Super smart. Okay, now does Google Local Guides all by itself work? Or would you advise that there's other like I don't know social media or other marketing components to make sure your brand is recognizable and discoverable? Uh, that's I love that question I Don't think I think it's tough to find one thing that works by itself and I know we talk superpower I Think that Google Local Guides cements your brand in people's minds or might be a first point of entry for people into your story.

But generally, um, while I have received calls directly like directly from Google Local guides, usually it ends up being from some of these other videos and they say yeah, I've seen your picture I saw you here and I just wanted to talk to you or set a meeting. So I think it's a great ancillary or great support system for all the other things that we're putting out there. Yeah, I could see I Guess what I would see is like imagine somebody found you on Tick Tock or whatever or YouTube and then they happen to be checking out a coffee shop and they went to go look it up on Google to make sure they wanted to go in. they see.

oh that's Ian of Austin he's been here which then also to use your words, cements your hyper local relevance in that exact air area of town. Do you see that you tend to sell houses proximate to where you do reviews and where you do photos and videos and participate as a local guide? That's a question that my coach is going to ask me in the future. Darn it! That's a good question to give you an out. Are you so widespread with where you participate as a local guy that it would be hard to part like hard to correlate that.

uh, you know I'm I don't know if there's a correlation I love that stat and that's something that I should focus on for 2023. I Think Well, So here's my theory. My theory is that I had a suspicion that all things Google will eventually merge years ago, right? And so they had Google my business. Then they had Google Maps and then they had all these the YouTube YouTube app and now it's all kind of coming together.

So I thought well if I really go in on Google local guides, eventually, it's going to be, uh, strengthen my search results overall because your Ian of Austin is a local guide right everywhere and you're Ian of Austin on Tech talk and you're eating of Austin and your Google business profile. So literally you're eating of Austin That's it which has a nice superhero sound equality to it for sure. Okay now I happen to follow you on Tech talk and YouTube Okay, and you absolutely dominate. Uh on Tick Tock I See you do a lot of like new construction tours and sort of like man with a camera just going around documenting life and real estate and all things lifestyle and local Austin And your local Marketplace And so I see the sort of ping pong where somebody might find you through local guides and then fall in love with you through Tick Tock or YouTube or the reverse could be true also right? So it all just connects and it also seems to all involve video for the most part.

Any comments on that: Yes, I think no matter what it is that you're focusing on, people need to be able to see you at some point because they're going to see you when they meet you, right? So I figure let's give them that opportunity to share my personality, share our personalities with them, and whether it's through written word, whether it's through photos and the Styles you take the photos or through videos and obviously I think video is the most important. All of it just helps build that that brand in their minds on a secondary level. Do you also get any kind of a reaped benefit just by way of local businesses being grateful for your contributions? Oh my Gosh! recommending you! Oh absolutely. I Actually was called in I needed to get a wrap done on my motorcycle, just got a motorcycle and I had a business call me that happened to be a car wrapping place and they called me in and they were.

It was a couple, they were in kind of the back and I was just talking through the walls and the guy comes out and he goes you sound so familiar is are you have I seen you before I was like yeah man I'm Ian of Austin he was like oh my gosh and this is somebody that found me Google Local guides. He called me out to help him do that with his business. Ended up being a great relationship. um, helping me get my car wrapped or my motorcycle wrapped and uh, discussing business as well.

So now I have a potential commercial commercial lead from that and he recognized me from my YouTube podcast. Um, the power of brand, right? Put a dome over your town and then you need a name that sounds like Batman like Ian I mean in Austin Yes I Love it. Uh, what about tools and software? I mean you're getting leads and there's all this. Impressions and reach and awareness.

How are you organizing your process so that it's not just random and arbitrary? Yeah, that is something that my coach and I have been working on this last these last few months. What I've done is: I've gone through every single social media platform and I've created a landing page in my CRM for that platform. Oh cool. So that way I know if someone does come directly from a Google my business post specifically or Google local guides post or something else, then it's targeted.

When they come into my yeah, it's tagged, how do you select? let's use as an example: Tick Tock Does that mean your Lincoln bio on tick tock goes to that respective page today? Yes, Okay, tomorrow. Well, tomorrow I'm I'm working on some kind of uh I need more anal? Um, retargeting is the word retargeting and then mini chat. So I finally set up mini I had mini chat years ago but we all talked about it in Nashville I was like man. I I got to get back on this.

Uh yeah. so I mean we're off on a tangent but like yeah. so Instagram Direct Once it opened up the ability for a chat bot to be integrated, the conversation of chat Bots is back just like that I put a story out today and I basically said DM me a word in mini chat or sorry DM me a word today I didn't even have mini chats set up and I got and I got somebody to do that. Super smart I Love it And and the reality is, you become an advocate for your entire city and folks living life and enjoying and embracing the city which which is evident in your videos you produce.

It's evident in the way you run your business. It's evident in the way you love on other local businesses. It's evident just in your strategies overall that you are attracting business. I Think we've really gone through this pretty effectively with local guides how it integrates with video and so Ian I Just want to say thank you for sharing your guidance and your expertise and your story with us.

I I Learned a lot today. It was great. Well thank you Jason Where can they connect with you Ian of Austin Well, that's exactly where uh Ian of Austin on any platform. Uh, right now I'm targeting Instagram because you know that's the only platform you can direct message people without having some kind of relationship already.

Isn't that crazy? Yeah, that's where that's why Instagram's like still the main play right now because there's a whole lot of benefit in the DMS right now. and especially when you see like the notes feature and stuff like that and they're trying to imitate be real. There's just a lot. oh my.

God I Predict in 2023, there's going to be a lot of awesome opportunities in the DMS of Instagram. That's just a prediction all right. Ian You've been a wealth of knowledge. We could talk all day about marketing subject to marketing subject to marketing subjects.

So we gotta. we gotta call it a day. Until next week, everyone. This is this week in Marketing.

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