Call, text or email, and a strategist reads it

What to include in your first message

You do not need to prepare a brief. But a few details let the first reply be useful rather than generic:

1. Your business name and what you do. A sentence is enough.
2. Where you work. Which parts of the corridor, and whether you also serve places like Port Moody or New Westminster.
3. Your website and Google listing. Links, or just the names so we can find them.
4. What you want to change. More calls? A listing that looks alive? A blog that finally earns its keep?
5. Your average job or sale value, if you are comfortable sharing it. It helps us judge which content is worth making.

A template you can copy

If you are not sure what to say, edit this and send it as a text or email:

Hi, I run [Business name], a [type of business] serving [areas, e.g. Burquitlam and Lougheed]. Our website is [website] and our Google listing is under [listing name]. Most customers find us through [how they find you]. I'd like help with [articles / video / Google profile / reviewing what we already have]. Our average job is about [$ amount]. Easiest time to reach me: [time].

Replace every bracket with your own details. Short is fine.

What happens next

Here is how a typical first week goes:

• Day one or two. We reply, usually within one business day, and suggest a time to talk if a call makes sense.
• The first conversation. About 30 minutes. We ask about your customers, your busiest seasons and what you have already tried. You ask whatever you like.
• A short written follow-up. What we would publish first, why, how long it would take and what it would cost, based on the plans on our pricing page.
• Your decision. No pressure and no countdown offers. If you want to think about it for a month, that is fine.

If you go ahead, the first month starts with access set-up, a review of what you already have and the first pieces of content. The services page describes each format in detail.

Before you call: a two-minute self-check

You will get more from the first conversation if you have looked at your own presence with fresh eyes. Try this:

• Search your business name on your phone. Does the Google listing show current hours, recent photos and a post from the last month?
• Open your website on your phone. Can someone see what you do, where you work and how to reach you within five seconds?
• Look at your last three social posts. Would a new neighbour learn anything useful from them?

Note anything that made you wince. That list is often the start of a good plan.

If you are on the Burnaby side

Businesses near Lougheed Town Centre are as welcome as those in Burquitlam itself. Just mention which side of North Road you are on, since it affects which city's rules and references belong in your content.

Who you will be dealing with

Burquitlam.Media is part of the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, and led by Ali Sedighi, MBA. We are a content and marketing business, not a contractor: we do not do trade work, and we do not pass your details to other companies. Read more on the about page, or check the FAQ for answers about contracts and ownership.