Welcome to The Hall of Invisible Buyers. Within these shadowed corridors, some of your most valuable clients slip by unseen, leaving no trace until it’s too late. These are the Shadow Clients.
Prospects who stalk your content, research in silence and then vanish without ever reaching out.
Most survey buyers won’t pick up the phone immediately. They linger in the background, quietly:
By the time a Shadow Client makes contact, they’ve already made their decision. Or, more likely, chosen a competitor whose content guided them in the darkness. If your insights aren’t shining a torch in those hidden corners, you’ll never even know they passed you by.
The modern buying journey has changed. Research shows that B2B buyers self-educate, consuming up to a dozen pieces of content before ever calling a provider.
What does that mean for survey businesses?
👉 In Phase 3 of The Academy 2.0, we shine a torch on these hidden buyers and show you how to win them before they ever knock.
Win business before competitors even know a deal was in play. Illuminate the path, and make every Shadow Client choose you.
GMA 2.0 is coming soon! Sign up to get the latest news on the release.
Every survey business owner knows the feeling. One month you’re flat out – quotes, site work and reports piling high. The next, silence. The phone doesn’t ring. The inbox feels like a graveyard.
That silence is the dreaded Pipeline Phantom at work.
This ghostly figure feeds on missed opportunities, half-finished proposals and over-reliance on word of mouth. He lurks whenever your business depends on luck, instead of a system. If you’ve ever wondered why projects don’t flow-in consistently, you’ve already heard his rattling chains.
It’s not that you’re bad at what you do. Far from it. Most survey businesses we meet are brilliant on site, delivering quality work that keeps clients coming back. But marketing? That often gets pushed to the back burner, until the pipeline runs dry, and the Phantom thrives.
A weak or inconsistent pipeline doesn’t just hurt cash flow. It adds pressure to every decision. Staff hours become a gamble. Equipment upgrades feel risky. Growth plans stall.
The truth is, the Pipeline Phantom isn’t some fairytale. He’s the very real cost of not controlling your visibility.
There is a way to put him back in the ground. A way to build a pipeline that doesn’t vanish at the worst possible moment. But it’s not found in random ads, guesswork on LinkedIn, or yet another dusty brochure.
That answer lives inside The Geospatial Marketing Academy 2.0, where we’ll show you how to banish the Phantom and replace him with a system that brings in clients even while you’re out on site.
👉 Step through the Academy Gate at GeoWeek 2026, or join GMA 2.0 to learn how to silence the Phantom for good.
GMA 2.0 is coming soon! Sign up to get the latest news on the release.
In the dark corridors of Geospatial marketing, survey firms cry out for clients, yet their message vanishes into the mist. This is where the Brand Banshee takes control, screaming your services so loudly that your real value gets lost in the noise.
Survey businesses often try to reach everyone: developers, architects, government, utilities, you name it! Casting a wide net and hoping someone bites. But when your positioning is blurred, the only thing prospects hear is chaos.
This noise means:
The Banshee thrives when your brand signals are muddled. Until you clarify who you serve and why your business is unique, she keeps howling and your expertise goes unnoticed.
Ask yourself: What do you really want to do? Set your business vision so everyone in the firm knows the destination – no more haunted hallways.
Integrate your “why” into everything you do. Purpose is your brand’s ghost-light, guiding clients straight to you.
Stop shouting to everyone. Identify your best-fit clients and craft a message just for them. Suddenly, the Banshee falls silent and only the right buyers enter your chamber.
With your message sharpened, clients finally hear you (and the Brand Banshee is banished from the building).
Inside GMA 2.0, Phase 1 will reveal the tools survey businesses need to silence confusion for good, so clients trust your voice and your pipeline fills with the right work.
Here’s how you’ll transform your business:
GMA 2.0 is coming soon! Sign up to get the latest news on the release.
🎥Prefer to watch? Find the full video here.
Picture this: You’re running a surveying company, frantically plugging holes, running out of fingers and toes, but the cracks just keep on coming.
That’s exactly how Christopher Juliano, a licensed land surveyor and professional engineer from Connecticut, described what life was like before joining the Geospatial Marketing Academy (GMA). Running from one emergency to the next, wearing multiple hats in his six-person firm with no receptionist or administrative assistant – it was organised chaos at its finest.
Like many surveyors, Christopher had tried marketing before. He’d worked with a marketing consultant about 20 years ago, and subsequently carried out client surveys and gained some pretty good insights. But there was no roadmap, no follow-up and no strategic direction.
That all changed when he discovered GMA through his involvement with NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors). What started as support for the “Get Kids Into Survey” campaign snowballed into something much bigger.
Six months into GMA, Christopher is already seeing tangible results:
“Whether it’s due to the economy or GMA, we’re ahead of where we were last year both in number of jobs we do in a year and we have seen an increase in revenue.”
“Without GMA, I’d probably still be fumbling and stumbling my way through each and every day,” Christopher admits. “You’ve given me focus.”
One of the first (and biggest) game-changers? The 90-day planning system that GMA teaches.
“You introduced us to 90-day plans, which is great because we have small chunks to look at and focus on,” Christopher shares. “It gives us a strategy so that we can see progress.”
And here’s some of that progress they’ve seen so far:
But perhaps the most meaningful transformation was involving his entire team in the decision-making process. Before GMA, Christopher tried to do everything on his own. Now? His team is actively engaged in shaping the company’s future.
Now here’s where it gets really interesting. Christopher went from being completely anti-AI to using it almost daily.
“I never thought I would be an AI fanboy,” he laughs. “When people started talking about AI, I’m like, okay, it can’t replace actual survey work, so it’s never going to happen. But you got me into ChatGPT and Perplexity, and I use them both almost on a daily basis.”
“Those two tools are amazing. I don’t think I would have ever really found them or used them on my own without a little nudge.”
Get usage tips and AI Advice specifically for Geospatialers from Elaine Ball on our blog.
Another surprising change? Christopher’s relationship with social media, particularly LinkedIn.
“I really didn’t go on LinkedIn much. I always felt it was the professional Facebook and I just really didn’t care about it. Now I’m checking it a couple times a week and not just to lurk. I’m posting or commenting a lot more.”
The confidence to share opinions and engage professionally has opened new doors and connections in the geospatial community.
The buyer persona work in GMA completely shifted how Christopher approaches client relationships. He’s gained confidence to follow up with customers and find out what he needs to know, even when it feels tough or awkward. “I’m not shying away from asking those hard questions anymore.”
Christopher has no problems asking:
This approach has led to valuable feedback and stronger relationships. In one case, a client honestly explained they went with a competitor due to a 20-year relationship and local connections, information Christopher respected and used to maintain a positive ongoing relationship.
When asked what he’d miss most if GMA disappeared tomorrow, Christopher doesn’t hesitate: “The one-on-ones. That’s the easiest question.”
These weekly accountability sessions provide:
“You’re holding us accountable. It’s easy to use you as a sounding board for where we are. Yes, you give us homework, and I think that’s why some other people don’t show up as regularly – they don’t want to do these extra things. But it’s all for a purpose.”
For Christopher, the ROI is clear. Compared to hiring a traditional marketing company at two to three times the cost, GMA offers:
What started as a small investment in marketing education has opened doors Christopher never expected.
When describing GMA to skeptical friends, Christopher positions it as “business consulting, marketing and a sounding board all rolled into one fun, high-energy person that has our best interest at heart.”
“I don’t see myself abandoning GMA. I really don’t. I’ve definitely drank the Kool-Aid,” he admits with a laugh.
Christopher’s story isn’t unique. Across the geospatial industry, surveyors are discovering that marketing isn’t just about pretty brochures and newspaper Ads. It’s about strategic business growth: increasing sales and prospective customers by understanding your buyers and building systems that create sustainable success.
I.e. NOT just ‘colouring in’!
If you’re tired of plugging holes in the dyke and ready to build something bigger, GMA might just be the transformation you and your business need.
The sixth in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Paid ads put your proposition in front of exactly the right people, at just the right moment.
For geospatial pros, every impression needs to count – whether it’s Google Ads targeting city planners, or LinkedIn posts catching the eye of drone deployment managers.
Welcome to Trading Card #6 (of 20): Paid Ad Ace!
Learn the steps to kickstart your pipeline, get found by serious buyers and own your corner of the geospatial universe.
So you’re a geospatialer, maybe a surveyor, mapping maven or GIS tech hero. Perhaps organic reach alone isn’t cutting it. But you keep seeing the big players showing up at the top of Google and LinkedIn feeds, time and time again.
The only difference is that they know where their audience is hanging out, and how to target them. It’s not because they’re better at marketing. It’s because they’re paying to be there.
Ready to go from hidden gem to high-visibility ace?
Here’s what to do.
If you’ve dipped a toe into paid ads before, this is your blueprint to even better paid marketing campaigns for the geospatial industry. If not, perfect! Here’s your cheat sheet:
Pick Your Platform
Google Ads for broad reach, LinkedIn Ads for B2B laser-targeting
Target Like a Pro
Use job titles, interests and niche keywords (think “geospatial analyst,” “land survey tender”)
Write to WOW
Headlines that demand attention (“Cut Survey Time by 80%!”), clear call-to-actions and crisp visuals
Track & Refine
The magic’s in the metrics. Monitor clicks, conversions and cost-per-lead to guide your tweaks
Ever had a dream lead visit your site, poke around, then disappear forever? Retargeting brings them back. Set up display campaigns to pop up in front of those almost-buyers, whether they’re reading industry news or scrolling LinkedIn.
Real, on-the-ground ideas to get you started with running your first campaign right now.
If you remember one thing from this blog, let it be Elaine’s rally cry…
“Being visible is about SHOWING UP wherever your prospects search, scroll or ask… especially as AI and algorithms decide who gets seen (and who stays invisible).
Paid ads don’t just buy you clicks; they buy you attention. That’s gold in the age of AI-driven search, where being on page 7 equals being on no page at all.“
For more hot takes on AI and geospatial sales, take a look at Elaine’s killer blog on how AI is changing the sales-generating game for surveying companies.
Who can I follow for more expert ad advice?
Richard van der Blom is a top pick for actionable LinkedIn ad tips tailored for B2B and geospatial audiences. Follow and learn something new each week, he’s a legend in the field.
Paid ad campaigns are for action-takers ready to speed up lead gen, drive brand awareness and get those juicy, sales-ready clicks without burning cash in the bonfire of bad advertising.
Paid ad success in geospatial isn’t about huge spends. It’s about smart targeting, relentless testing and (yes!) believing every click is a step closer to a new mapping contract or software license.
Here are the main takeaways and steps to remember:
Go forth and campaign with confidence. The next geo-legend could be you.
Stay tuned for Trading Card #7… and remember, there are 20 to collect!
Inspired by the Geospatial Marketing Academy’s Trading Card Series.
For more marketing magic, check out our guides on social media, content calendars, and testimonials!
Q: Why should geospatial businesses use paid ads?
A: Paid ads get your brand in front of exactly the right buyers – surveyors, city planners, land managers, at the precise moment they’re searching for solutions. It’s faster than waiting for organic reach and ideal for those ready to accelerate lead generation.
Q: Should I choose Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads for my campaign?
A: Google Ads is best for broad visibility and capturing active searchers (think “GIS consultant near me”). LinkedIn Ads is laser-targeted for B2B connections, letting you reach very specific decision makers by job title, industry or company size.
Q: How do I avoid wasting money on paid ads?
A: Start with a small, controlled budget. Monitor everything – clicks, conversions and cost-per-lead. Trim what doesn’t work, double down on what does and refine your targeting as you learn.
Q: What’s the single most important thing to remember about paid ads?
A: Never “set and forget.” Smart geospatial marketers continually track, test, tweak, and improve their campaigns, because every click counts on your way to becoming a Paid Ad Ace!
Q: How do I know my paid ads are working?
A: Check campaign dashboards for metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and actual leads or sales. A successful campaign brings qualified inquiries, not just clicks.
The fifth in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Alright, fellow Geospatialers, ready to turn your website visits into real geospatial business leads? Stop crossing your fingers and hoping for clicks. Because let’s get real… wishful thinking does not deliver quality leads.
If your website’s “Contact Us” page is gathering cobwebs, it’s time to put on your hard hat.
But don’t worry. In this short blog, I’ll tell you exactly how to create a landing page so irresistible, your prospects will be itching to hand over their details!
Your homepage is your digital billboard, great. But a landing page? That’s where the action happens. Think of it as your one-on-one handshake with your dream client, made laser-focused and distraction-free.
Whether you’re a surveyor, GIS consultant or mapping tech wizard, your landing page is the digital shopfront where deals begin. But with so many sites blending into the backdrop, how do you make yours stand out and generate real action?
Step 1. Go Minimal or Go Home
Less is always more in my book. Ditch the clutter: I’m talking menus, sub-menus, random calls to action. You want your visitor doing one thing, not pondering the meaning of life.
Pick a single outcome. One. For geospatial, this could be:
“Download our ‘5 Survey Pitfalls’ PDF”
“Book a live GIS demo”
“Snag our UAV Checklist”
Landing Page Essentials:
Step 2. Make Your CTA Sizzle
A beige “Learn More” button won’t cut it. It’s fine… but we’re aiming for magnetic.
You need a CTA that’s warmer than a cup of Yorkshire tea and practically jumps off the page:
“Send Me the Free Guide”
“Show Me the ROI Calculator”
“Get My UAV Depot Checklist”
Add value! Bonus marks for something genuinely useful. Think lead magnet: a white paper, quick-start video or checklist that fixes a real pain point.
Step 3. A/B Test Like a Boss
Not sure if “Download Now” or “Get the Guide” grabs more geospatial clicks? Neither are we, yet! Test both. Colour counts too. Orange, green or blue button? Only your audience knows for sure. Don’t rely on your gut. Let’s use facts, not guesswork!
Test different CTA button colours or text to see what actually makes people click:
Step 4. Add Social Proof Front and Centre
Even minimalist landing pages need trust signals. Drop in a customer testimonial (“GMA’s Lead Gen Blueprint landed us 12 new surveying RFPs in a month!”), a quick stat or a client logo strip. Social proof nips scepticism in the bud. Would you hand over your email to just anyone? Nope. Neither will your customers.
Plaster on that social proof:
Step 5. Mobile-First or Bust
Most geospatial decision-makers are actioning emails on the move. If your landing page pinches, squeezes or loads at glacial speed on mobile, you’re losing business. Test it everywhere.
Don’t forget to track everything with Google Analytics or your tool of choice. Know exactly where you’re winning and where you can do better.
Headline that grabs your audience by the collar
One action, clear as day (ditch the distractions)
Cosy, value-packed CTA
Trust builders: testimonial or client logos
Minimalist, snappy design
Picture-perfect on every device
A/B testing switched on
Analytics plugged in and ready
Next time you catch yourself entering your card details on a website, go back and take a long, hard look at the landing page you just came from. What made you decide it was worth your money? What can you take away and implement into your own landing pages?
I’ve seen geospatialers spend thousands on ads, only to send traffic to a page that’s dull as dishwater. Don’t be that person! Every click is a precious opportunity. Architect your landing page like a pro, and those leads will roll in.
Want the easy button? Use GMA’s plug-and-play templates, or join our masterminds for hands-on guidance. Remember, sometimes all it takes is a single, purposeful page to create your biggest win yet.
Let’s get converting!
Inspired by the Geospatial Marketing Academy’s Trading Card Series.
For more marketing magic, check out our guides on social media, content calendars, and testimonials!
By Elaine Ball – LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE (from Google LM)
Let’s face it, how people find you is changing. Your next big customer probably won’t start with a Google search… they’ll just ask ChatGPT. And if your brand isn’t popping up in those AI answers? You might as well be surveying on the Moon 🌝
No pressure, right?
Well don’t panic, I’ve got the goods. This isn’t just my musings, it’s based on research from Forrester, HBR, my LinkedIn audience and legends like Stewart Ward from Dioptra.
Here’s how to get your surveying and geospatial business AI ready so you don’t get left behind while the robots do the talking.
Yesterday, your buyer found you through multiple touch points like blogs, socials, exhibitions, news articles, maybe a webinar or two.
Today? It’s almost ‘just’ one. (i say ‘just’ as AI is changing daily)
One question. One tool. One answer.
And that answer is coming from ChatGPT (or another AI assistant).
So if your brand doesn’t show up there, it might not show up anywhere.
📊 Check out my LinkedIn poll results here; 53% of you still say “website” is your first stop. But increasingly, it’s AI pointing them to it, not Google.
🗣️ That’s why your content needs to be quotable, scannable and dead useful or it’ll be skipped by the bots.
So start crafting:
🎯 Elaine’s tip: Ask ChatGPT what it says about your services. If it’s not mentioning you… time to fix that!
Forrester’s research shows AI users ask longer, more specific questions like:
“What’s the best method for mapping underground utilities in a built-up area?”
If your content doesn’t sound like that, the bots won’t bite.
So let’s fix it:
Example (inspired by Stewart Ward):
Q: “What exactly is a boundary survey, and do I need one before I build?”
A: “If you’re planning to build anything near the edge of your property, yes, you do. A boundary survey defines your legal property lines and identifies physical monuments that mark them. It’s how you avoid disputes, delays and costly ‘oops-that’s-not-your-land’ moments.”
Now let me give a high five to Stewart Ward from Dioptra, who gets this SO RIGHT in his white paper on Boundary Surveying in Idaho
👉 Read Stewart’s white paper on Boundary Surveying in Idaho
What makes Stewart’s paper so good?
💡 Want to be visible in AI answers? Do what Stewart did
Frame your knowledge around real world queries, write like you’re explaining it to a smart mate over coffee and give the bots something useful to latch on to
AI doesn’t like fluff. It wants:
So give it what it wants:
📣 The more precise you are, the more likely ChatGPT quotes you
Getting “AI ready” is a team effort
Think of it like building a geospatial digital twin, everyone needs to contribute structure and substance
Right, let’s be honest. Most of you haven’t got a “marketing budget” tucked away in a velvet-lined drawer. And if you do, it’s probably being spent on new boots, not blog posts.
But here’s the deal…
If local councils, builders or Mrs. Smith down the lane are asking ChatGPT for “a decent surveyor near me who won’t disappear mid-job,” and you’re not showing up… guess what?
They’ll find someone else.
So let’s stop thinking of this as marketing (cue eye roll) and start thinking of it as helping the right people find you faster, before the other lot do.
You don’t need a fancy budget. You just need a few smart tweaks that make AI say, “Ooh, now there’s a surveyor I trust.”
Here’s how:
🎯 Treat it like pegging your best drawings to the site cabin wall.
If no one sees your work, it might as well be in the skip.
And no, you don’t need a marketing agency. You just need to stop hiding behind “we’ve always done it this way” and make a few tweaks that actually help you get found.
That’s it. No fluff. Just smart moves.
| Do This | Why |
| Answer buyer-style questions | Matches AI prompt structure |
| Use structured data & schema | Helps machines understand your services |
| Be hyper-specific (what, where, how much) | Increases AI citation odds |
| Include quotes, results, locations | Makes you quotable for AI |
| Run prompt tests like “Survey companies in Idaho” | Spot visibility gaps |
| Review peer content like Stewart Ward’s | Model great industry examples |
| Allocate budget to GEO tactics | Futureproof your AI visibility |
Q: What does “AI ready” mean for surveying companies?
A: It means your business shows up in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT. You need content that’s scannable, factual and written in plain language so AI understands and quotes it.
Q: What kind of content helps my surveying firm show up in AI answers?
A: FAQs, service explainers, project case studies and blogs that answer buyer-style questions like “Do I need a topo survey?” or “What is PAS 128?”
Q: What’s the difference between zero-click and traditional SEO?
A: Traditional SEO aims to get someone to click on your site from search results. Zero-click (or AI-first) content gives clear, quotable answers that appear directly in the AI’s response, no click needed.
Q: How do I know if AI is mentioning my business?
A: Open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask it questions like “Survey companies in Yorkshire” or “What is boundary surveying?” see if your name pops up. If not, it’s time to optimise.
Q: Should I write for AI or people?
A: Both! AI rewards content that is clear, specific and helpful. Luckily, so do humans. Win-win.
Q: What tools or tactics can help with AI discoverability?
A: Start with schema markup, create an llms.txt file on your site, use headings that match user questions and speak in human-friendly terms.
Q: Can I still use emojis or does that confuse the bots?
A: You do you 🧠🤖💩 Just make sure your message is clear, your expertise shines through and your emojis don’t replace your actual message.
The way buyers find surveyors is shifting. If AI can’t see you, no one else will
The fix? It’s not rocket science, it’s just a smarter way of doing what you already do best: explaining your value clearly, showing proof and being the expert in your field
Ready to show up when ChatGPT gets chatty?
Let’s make your brand AI famous 🧠✨🤖 (💩 emoji optional)
📢 PS
If this all feels a bit much, the Geospatial Marketing Academy is where I help surveyors and geospatial businesses learn simple, practical ways to get found (even by AI), without the jargon or fluff. Ask Stewart!
The fourth in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
You’ve got mail! But is anyone opening it?
If you’re a geospatial business owner, marketer, or surveyor, you already know the power of a well-timed email.
Yet too many geospatialers fire off newsletters and offers into the void, hoping for clicks that never come.
It’s time to level up!
Social media is noisy. Websites get lost in Google’s shuffle. But email? It lands directly in your audience’s inbox, where business happens. When done right, email campaigns nurture leads, build trust, and drive sales like no other channel. The catch? You need more than a “spray and pray” approach.
We’re banishing the one-and-done email blast. Instead, we’re building purposeful sequences of messages, sent over several days or weeks to guide your prospects from “maybe” to “let’s talk.”
Email 1: The Hook
Grab attention with a punchy subject line (think: “what would make me open an email?”). Share a quick win, a surprising stat, or a relatable pain point. Keep it short, helpful, and focused on your reader’s needs.
Email 2: The Value Builder
Now that you’ve got their interest, deliver real value. Share a case study, a testimonial, or a tip that solves a common geospatial headache. This is your chance to prove you understand their world and have the tools and expertise to help.
Email 3: The Call to Action
Don’t leave them hanging! Invite your reader to take the next step, whether it’s booking a demo, downloading a resource, or replying with a question. Make your call to action clear and compelling.
Segment for Success
Not all subscribers will resonate with the same things. Segment your audience by job title, industry, or past engagement to send messages that appeal to your differing buyer personas. For example, drone surveyors might want different insights than GIS analysts.
Segmentation boosts open rates by making your emails feel tailor-made and your audience feel like you really understand them.
Subject Lines: Think Like a Headline Writer
Your subject line is your first (and sometimes only) shot at getting noticed. Channel your inner newspaper editor: be bold, specific, and relevant. “5 Ways Geospatial Pros Are Winning in 2025” beats “June Newsletter” every time.
Bonus Move: Add a Survey for Deeper Insights
After your drip campaign, send a quick survey. Ask what topics they care about, what challenges they face, or how you can help. Not only does this show you care, but it also arms you with data to make your next campaign even better.
Email isn’t dead. It’s just waiting for you to wield it like a pro. With a strategic drip campaign, smart segmentation, and irresistible subject lines, you’ll turn your geospatial list into a pipeline of engaged, ready-to-buy clients.
Want more plug-and-play templates and expert guidance? The Geospatial Marketing Academy is packed with resources to help you master every channel – from social to email and beyond.
See you in the inbox!
P.S. Got an email campaign win (or flop) to share? Reply and let us know – we love celebrating your successes (and learning from the bumps along the way)!
Inspired by the Geospatial Marketing Academy’s Trading Card Series.
For more marketing magic, check out our guides on social media, content calendars, and testimonials!
The third in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Let’s get real for a second. You can have the slickest geospatial tech, the smartest team and the most jaw-dropping GIS dashboards in the business.
But when it comes to winning new geospatial clients, nothing beats the words of someone who’s already walked in their shoes and come out grinning.
When was the last time you made a purchase without checking the reviews first?
That’s right: customer testimonials aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re your secret weapon for building trust, standing out from the competition
– and turning “maybe” into “where do I sign?”
Let’s break down why testimonials matter, how to collect them without feeling awkward and how to use them so they actually move the needle for your geospatial business.
Forget the corporate fluff. Here’s why testimonials are worth their weight in gold:
Trust, on Tap
Prospective clients trust real people more than polished sales copy. A happy customer’s story is real proof that you’ll deliver.
Show, Don’t Tell
Testimonials are living, breathing case studies. They show your impact in the wild, with no jargon required.
Stand Out, Effortlessly
In a world full of “me too” geospatial firms and cookie-cutter AI content filling the web, a killer testimonial is the ultimate differentiator.
Boost Conversions
Social proof isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the nudge that turns fence-sitters into buyers.
Marketing Ammo
Use them everywhere. On your website, LinkedIn, proposals, exhibition banners, business cards, even your email signature.
Step 1. Strike While the Iron’s Hot
Just wrapped a successful project? That’s your moment! Drop a quick email:
“Hey [Client], would you mind sharing a few words about how our GIS solution helped you?
It’d mean the world to us.”
Make it even easier for them by sharing examples of what other customers have said in the past.
Step 2: Make It Frictionless
Use Google Forms, Typeform or a simple survey. Ask questions like:
Step 3: Spot the Love on Social
Keep an eye on LinkedIn, Twitter, or even your inbox for unsolicited praise. If someone drops a kind word, ask if you can use it as a testimonial.
Step 4: Go Beyond Text – Think Video
Video testimonials pack a punch. Ask clients to record a quick video (Zoom or Loom works great) sharing their experience. Authenticity > polish.
Step 5: Deep Dives: Case Studies
For your biggest wins, go all in. Interview your client, dig into the before-and-after, get some great photos or video content, and turn it into a case study that tells a story.
Step 6: Leverage LinkedIn & Google Reviews
A LinkedIn recommendation or Google Review is public, credible, and super easy to share. Send clients a direct link and a thank you!
Written, video, case studies – each has its moment. Mix it up! Here’s how to get the most mileage from every bit of praise:
Short Quotes
Ideally structured as a before/after. Bonus points for including a statistic! Perfect for website banners, social posts, and proposals.
Detailed Written Testimonials
Add these to your testimonials page or case studies. These are great for cutting up or pulling out key phrases.
Video Testimonials
Feature these on your homepage, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn… or send to a prospective lead who’s on the fence. Nothing beats seeing a real person rave about you.
Case Studies
Tell the full story – challenge, solution, results. Great for blog posts, social media carousels, whitepapers or sales decks.
Social Media Shoutouts
When a client tags you in a win, reshare it! User-generated content is marketing gold.
1. Always get permission.
Some clients love the spotlight, others prefer to stay anonymous. Respect their wishes.
2. Don’t hide your testimonials on a dusty subpage.
Put them on your homepage, landing pages, and sales materials – front and centre.
3. Mix up your formats and content lengths.
Including the full testimonial is always tempting, but if the text is too long, it won’t get read.
4. Stay authentic & don’t over-edit.
A little roughness = more credibility
5. Keep things current
Regularly update your testimonials. Fresh wins show you’re still delivering.
At the Geospatial Marketing Academy (GMA), we know our numbers. We track impressions, landing page visits, downloads, leads and sales.
But we also track stories, the real-world impact our clients experience.
Want to know how many testimonials you need to tip the scales? Start with two strong ones per service or product. Then build from there.
Customer testimonials aren’t just a pat on the back, they’re your shortcut to trust, credibility and more sales. Make it easy for your clients to share their wins, and showcase those stories everywhere you can.
Start today:
And remember: in a world full of noise, nothing cuts through like a real success story.
P.S. Got a testimonial you’re proud of? Share it with us! We love celebrating your wins. 🤗
How does this sound to you: a steady stream of glowing testimonials, a pipeline full of qualified leads, and marketing that finally feels easy…
That’s what GMA members experience every month.
Unlock proven strategies, templates, self-paced learning modules, weekly group calls, and a supportive community that’s as passionate as you are.
Your future clients (and your bottom line) will thank you.
The second in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Are you a surveyor who scrambles to post on social media at the last minute, goes months (or even years) without sharing a new blog post, or has a neglected list of newsletter subscribers receiving nothing but tumbleweeds?
You’re not alone. Heaps of geospatial professionals are stuck in a cycle of mad panicking when it comes to creating content, with no real plan or strategy. They’re unsure who they’re talking to, wasting precious time on inefficient, ad-hoc processes.
The result? Inconsistent messaging, missed opportunities and a whole lot of unnecessary stress.
Thankfully, there’s a better way. Enter – The Content Calendar. 🙌
1. Planning and consistency are the secret weapons of successful geospatial marketing
A well-organised content calendar keeps you on track, helps manage your workflow, and ensures your audience hears from you regularly across multiple touchpoints with content that matters to them. With free tools like Trello or Airtable, you can build a month-long content plan without spending a penny on expensive software.
2. When you plan ahead, pressure and overwhelm melt away
No more last-minute panic posting just for the sake of it. Your content quality will soar because you’ve given yourself enough time to structure and polish it. Even better, you can map out a full month of content in just a few hours, giving you more time to focus on your business.
3. A solid plan helps you get more mileage from your content
For example, an email newsletter can be repurposed into a LinkedIn newsletter, a blog post, and several social media posts. A focused social media campaign can be transformed into a blog post or an email series. Save time, reach more people and boost your marketing impact. A no brainer right?
You’ll still want to post ad-hoc content – and you still should. Reacting to breaking news, sharing updates from events, reposting mentions from customers/businesses/industry experts, or jumping on the latest trends. The best strategy is a combination of both: a pre-planned calendar for consistency (and all the other reasons above 👆), mixed in with spontaneous, on-the-ground posts. Best of both worlds!
Step 1. Define Your Goals
Before you start planning, decide what you want to achieve. Typical goals for geospatial businesses include:
Step 2: Set Up Your Calendar with Free Tools
We recommend Trello or Airtable (no, we’re not paid to say that – we just love them!).
Ooorrr, if you’re an Academy member, you get access to our ready-made Airtable planner.
Step 3: Plan Content Themes
Plot key dates like exhibitions or holidays into your calendar. This helps you create timely, relevant content and avoid wasting your best ideas during quiet periods.
Step 4: Fill Your Calendar
Add your best ideas to the planner. Some people like to block out a few hours and plan the whole month in one go; others prefer to do a week or a theme at a time. Find what works for you.
Elaine, for example, likes to focus and get it all done in one creative burst. But if inspiration doesn’t strike, she knows it just takes one good idea to get back on track!
Want some inspo? Take a look at our blog with 19 social media post ideas for Geospatial businesses and tons of tips.
Step 5: Schedule Your Content
Most social platforms and WordPress have built-in schedulers. Free tools like Meta Business Suite (for Facebook & Instagram) or LinkedIn’s post scheduler can help you post across multiple platforms. Paid tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social offer extra analytics if you need them, but they’re not essential for everyone.
Scheduling in advance keeps your content consistent, even during busy times. Let automation do the heavy lifting.
Step 6: Track Your Results
Monitor which posts and content types perform best and use those insights to refine your strategy. This helps you grow your audience and improve your marketing over time.
You now have everything you need to move from Panic Poster to Content Calendar Commander. Here’s a quick recap:
Or, if you’d rather make things even easier…
The Geospatial Marketing Academy includes plug-and-play content calendars and blueprints for success. Join our online course and learning community, and let us help you grow your geospatial business – guaranteed.
See what’s included and start your journey to stress-free, effective marketing today.
Elaine Ball Ltd: Raising the standard of geospatial marketing, one surveyor at a time.