So I’ve been using Google Helpouts now for the last couple of weeks. Google Helpouts has been the best source for new leads I’ve had since they launched it a couple of weeks ago. My marketing funnel is getting full!

What is Google Helpouts?

This is a new service that Google is providing to enable a new type of service commerce. Basically the idea is that if you need help on pretty much any topic, like fixing a car, mowing your lawn, or in my case, building a better website, you can go to Google Helpouts and find people with that expertise to help you. Some people charge for their time and others are free.

People who schedule Helpouts can then sign up for 30 minute blocks for the help they want. When they join its all video based conferencing and it can be recorded.

How to Use Google Helpouts for Generating Leads

I’m confident this will change over time, but here is how I’ve been using Google Helpouts so far.

1. Create a Free Helpout. I enjoy helping people out, so I’ve kept my Helpout free. If you want people to signup, free is of course the best way. You’ll get all sorts of people from all walks of life signing up.
2. Create a Smart Schedule. Don’t make your entire day available or you’ll end up with a very busy day in front of the computer. This happened to me the first week. It was exciting having everyone join, but it was too much. Also, think about the timezone of people who can join. If you are on the east coast of the US and want people to sign up in California, don’t schedule it for first thing in the morning.
3. Create a Listing That Converts. When you create your listing, pay attention to how many characters show up in the short listing. You want to try and have the best text possible that is visible without cutting off your sentence. Make sure your title explains clearly what you do. Your graphic should be relevant to your Title and Description.
4. Send Messages. When someone signs up for your Helpout, they don’t give any way for the person signing up to give you more detail about what they want. So as soon as you can, send a message to them asking for more detail about their needs and what they hope to get out of it. This way, you’ll be better prepared to help them out. Complex problems sometimes take a little research ahead of time. I like to be prepared.
5. Ask for Follow-up When Done. Watch you time during the Helpout. Have enough time to ask them if they want any further help after the Helpout. I typically ask for an email address if I think they are open to it. This way, you have an additional way to continue the discussion in either another Helpout, over email, phone or even Google Hangouts for a longer conversation.

Hopefully that will provide some more insight into using Google Helpouts. I’ve found it to be a fantastic tool and have really enjoyed talking with so many different people about web design, seo, PPC and product strategy. When you love what you do, helping people is a great feeling.

If you want to signup for a Google Helpout with me, head over to my page.