Afehyia pa and welcome into 2018 dear readers! I wish you all the best the year has to offer as we embark on this journey of leveraging the Internet and Social Media for the growth of ourselves, our brands and businesses.
Have you touched the ground running or you are still hung over the holidays?
This week’s article is about navigation. Navigating must be seamless for us to be productive – read to the end to find out how these two go together.
Let us dig into one of the digital tools that can make navigation easier – that is the almighty Google Maps.
1. Traffic check
I was recently heading towards Pokuase when Google Maps alerted me that there was traffic just ahead of me. It was too late to turn around though since there were no exits after the Ofankor roundabout. I met some traffic around the John Teye area. That made me pay some attention to Google Traffic via Google Maps.
Google Traffic is a feature on Google Maps that displays traffic conditions in real time on major roads and highways.
“Here’s how it works: All iPhones that have Google Maps open and Android phones that have location services turned on send anonymous bits of data back to Google. This allows the company to analyze the total number of cars, and how fast they’re going, on a road at any given time..” – Business Insider
With Google Traffic you can see if there are any major delays or traffic jam on your route, so you can make a decision which will save your from sitting and stewing in traffic.
To enable this feature, set your map to et traffic updates and more while driving.
You can even set your normal commute times so that Google Maps adapt to your routines.
“Traffic colors
The color code shows you the speed of traffic on the road.
- Green: No traffic delays.
- Orange: Medium amount of traffic.
- Red: Traffic delays. The darker the red, the slower the speed of traffic on the road.
Note: Gray or blue lines on the map show your routes.
Traffic incident symbols
Traffic incidents include these types of delays:
- Crashes
- Construction
- Road closures
- Other incidents
To see details about what happened, click or tap the icon.
Note: For road closures, you’ll see a dotted red line where the road is closed.” – source: support.google.com
2. Use map Offline
It is a good idea to have your map offline you want to save your data, or you are traveling to a place where you are unsure of network coverage.
To save a map/destination offline:
- Search for the location (by name),
- tap the name or address on the bottom bar.
- Tap the Download button to save that map.
To see what you have saved:
- tap the three-line menu button in the search bar,
- continue by tapping Offline Areas.
Most times, you can navigate and search for destinations in this mode.
Another way to reduce cost is to use the minimize data usage while navigating, is to limit your Google Maps use only when you are connected to Wi-Fi networks.
Enabling this feature means that Maps and navigation will only work in your downloaded areas or when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Android users can also choose between storing maps directly on their phones or saving it on an external SD card.
To enable it,
- tap the hamburger button in the upper left corner of the mobile app on Android,
- scroll to the bottom and select Settingsand
- tap the toggle switch beside Wi-Fi only.
If you have an iPhone (which doesn’t yet have this option), you can make the same thing happen by disabling Google Maps’ access to cellular data.
Head to Settings > Cellular and switch the toggle for Google Maps.
- Finding resources
Google maps are generally used for getting directions from one place to the other. All you need to do is to key in your starting and ending (destination)points. There are other great resources you can find with Google Maps.
If you are running low on fuel (because you forgot to fill your tank) in an unfamiliar vicinity, go use Google Maps to search for fuel stations nearby. You can also search nearby for useful locations like ATMs, places to eat, hotels etc. You can browse through reviews and if you are new to a place and you are deciding between two places.
Google saves all your searches with your google email account
4 quick tips for brands and businesses
- Get on Google My Business to get your business on Google Maps
- Encourage people to take pictures at your location (if it is physical) and save it on Google Maps
- Encourage your customer to review your business on Google Maps
- Embed Google Maps on your site
Wrapping up
Google Maps is one of the useful tools Google gives us. Let’s make the most of this tool to help us increase our efficiency and effectiveness. Do you know any other cool ways to use Google Maps? Visit www.digitalnuggets.blog and add your comments to the blog post! Keep exploring this app and have a great week!
Your feedback is always appreciated!
Social Media for Small Business – #SM4SB
In today’s market, social media is a highly effective way to grow your business. It has leveled the playing field and given every size of business a platform.
Unfortunately a lot of small businesses are missing out on how to harness the potential of Social Media.
This is why we’ve put together this course to help you avoid Social Media pitfalls and instead get results from using different social media tools.
During this hands-on workshop, you will be exposed to all the strategies you really need to get great results on Social Media.
We will explore the following…
- WhatsApp –
The nation’s darling app. Our go-to means of connecting. We will explore ways to prospect for customers and build relationships with existing customers.
- Facebook –
King of Social Media and great for small businesses, this session will give you the knowledge of how to use this platform to connect with potential customers and help grow your business.
- LinkedIn –
The world’s largest professional network. We will learn how to create winning profiles, access key networks and grow your connections!
- Twitter–
Learn how to not only setup your profile but how and when to tweet and how to grow your following.
- Instagram –
We will explore Instagram stories and highlights and learn how your business can get the most out of this visual social media platform!
We will find out which one best suits your brand/business
We will also cover:
- Mapping out social media activities for the year and be one step ahead of your competition
- Automation to leverage your time
- Connecting and prospecting
- How to create a community of raving fans around your business
… and more!
What do you need to bring?
- A laptop and power cable, a mobile device will give an added advantage (e.g. tablet, Smartphone etc)
- Basic computer literacy
- Samples of your products
Time: 9:00 am – 2:00
Date: Saturday, 20th January 2018
Cost: Ghc 150 – kindly pay 15th January to register your interest and secure your seat
Venue: Nobles’ Montessori, Atomic Down. (Off the Dome-Kwabenya road)
Facilitator: Esther Nyaadie – Social Media Consultant, Trainer, Writer and Speaker (#DigitalNuggets)
What You Get
- Training
- Lunch
- Snack
- Booklet
- Participation Certificate
Kindly call/WhatsApp 0244180435 to register
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
This is not your ordinary workshop – come and see for yourself!
Does the course location/date/time not work for your organisation? We’re flexible, contact us to bring the training directly to your facility with an in-house or bespoke course. We can set up a training session at a time, date, and location that is most convenient to you!
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