By now, everyone has at least heard of Google Plus, but ask around and you are likely to find only a few businesses are using it currently. Facebook still dominates social media marketing, and businesses continue to figure out leveraging that anyway. Google Plus is another form of social media, which has its own learning curve. And we all only have a certain number of hours in the day. So, why would we tell you to get on Google Plus for business?
Well, because it is not going anywhere. In fact, it is more likely to slowly take over as one of the most influential forms of social media for businesses. Still on the fence? Let’s look at what Google Plus has going in its favor.
3 things that make Google Plus unique
- Content – Google Plus has less “noise” than other social media sites, which means that your customers aren’t inundated with posts. Though some of the minutia exists (and may even entertain us), there is more emphasis on interesting articles, discussions, and information shared among Google Plus users. Additionally, by posting your content on Google Plus with some form of a call to action, users are even more likely to engage with your business.
- Circles – Instead of following or friending, Google Plus allows you to place people in circles. The circles then allow you to decide with whom you are going to share information. For example, you can create a circle for business and another one for friends. When you post something, you can decide which circle should be able to view the information. You now have full control over what information you are sharing with people. For a tutorial on creating circles go here.
- Hangouts – Google Plus allows users to initiate a video chat via the hangouts feature, where up to 10 people can join in on the conversation. With hangouts, you can also upload a document, share your computer screen or watch a YouTube video at the same time. This particular feature is already a game changer for Google Plus, giving it a huge edge in social media
3 reasons why Google Plus for business is good
- SEO – Okay, so all that relevant content I mentioned up above gets put to use for SEO. Google is indisputably THE SOURCE for SEO results, so who do you think is watching when people +1, Like or Tweet from a Google Plus page. That’s right, Google. So, the more your content gets shared on Google Plus, the more likely you are to increase you SEO and be found by others searching through Google. And by having a Google Plus business page, you will also show up on Google Maps and Google Local, where people can learn about your business and see the hours of operation.
- Marketing – With circles, you can designate who you want to target and share only what is relevant to that circle. Maybe you want to create a different circle for Potential Clients, one for Loyal Customers, and one for Local Businesses. With each circle you can share only the information they are most likely to respond to; thus making their interaction with you that much more satisfying on their end as well.
- Numbers – Google Plus already has approximately 359 million users, edging out Twitter as the 2nd largest social network. True, Google Plus is not likely to undo Facebook anytime soon. However, with Google Plus you can expand your reach to new people far more easily. It’s also a great opportunity to connect on a deeper level with those already using G Plus and to find key influencers that will cross over into other forms of social media.
Bottom line, Google Plus for business is still new for most people. It looks and feels different than the other forms of social media we are accustomed to, but it has too many advantages not to be a key player in the future. What do you think – are you ready to get on board?
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