Though it’s social media, Google Plus for business is actually Google’s 4th attempt at a social media platform, and boy did they get it right this time, for so many reasons. Many of which have to do with The Google’s other services like being the number one search engine for example. They’ve also created other programs both before Google Plus and after Google Plus that have been rolled into and connected to this platform. All of which basically would have made it indispensible anyway. But people are really learning how to use Google Plus for business marketing and they are enjoying it as a social media site in it’s own right.
Google also did something smart this time, they rolled it out slowly. They let people jump on organically and play with it. They introduced more additions to what you can do on The Plus and it’s worked. The people who use Google Plus for business are growing and learning right along side Google as the options grow. Which is really the best way for a community to evolve.
In January of 2013 a data research service called Global Web Index shared their report that stated Facebook was still the number one social media platform used globally by Internet users with 51% market share.
The stunning thing about this report was that Google Plus, which launched in June of 2011, had taken over the number 2 spot jumping past both my darling Twitter and YouTube.
Google Plus is said to have 25% of Internet users active in it’s walls with around 350 million active users in this report though Google later reported having only 135 million active users.
Twitter by comparison fell to number 4 on the list in a tie with YouTube both claiming 21% market share. Though Twitter reports having 200 million active users; which, of course, is more than the 135 million Google claims on The Plus.
Google Plus for Business Branding
Author Guy Kawasaki wrote a little book called What the Plus! Google Plus for the Rest of Us.
And in Chapter One, which he titled, “Why I love Google Plus” he states, “Like many people, I need another social-media service like I need more e-mail or my dog to throw up on my carpet. And yet I jumped on Google+ . I spend two hours a day on Google+ because it’s enjoyable and good for my brand.”
Kawasaki goes on to enumerate the differences between Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest and ultimately describes the 4 this way, “Twitter is for perceptions. Facebook is for people. Pinterest is for pictures and Google Plus is for Passions.” He concludes that if you want to use social media to enhance and expand the number of people who share your passions and interact with them, then G+ is the place for you.
I don’t quite agree with Kawasaki on that point. Yes Google + is for passions but so are many social media sites. It really depends on the people using the service. The real power of Google Plus for business lies in it’s inherent SEO properties. Google is originally a search engine and acts like one even within the walls of G+.
No matter how you slice it, the growth of the G+ platform is immense and it will take over Twitter and eventually every social media platform in existence including Facebook in my opinion. I believe it’s inevitable because Google is so large, so powerful and so pervasive in our Internet experience already that it WILL happen over time. How much time? Your guess is as good as mine, but my prediction is all the more reason you should consider this strategy.
If you haven’t already, make sure to find your Google Plus profile.
Even if you’ve never created a G+ profile, if you have a gmail account, Google already made you a profile page as part of your Google account. That means you have a G+ profile you can claim. You should determine whether you want to keep it as THE primary representation of you on Google Plus.
If you do not want that existing account associated with you personally, or you’ve never had a gmail account, you need to create one. I suggest that if you create an account to keep the gmail name professional with first and middle initial and last name, or first and last name with or without middle initial. Then you’ll have nothing to be embarrassed about professionally or personally. It’s better than being babydoll123@gmail or UFOsRreal@gmail. You hear me, right?
Then, you’ll want to fill that profile out 100%. And pay attention to your privacy settings. You can adjust settings so that information is visible publicly or only visible to you. Google Plus gives you the ability to view your profile as others would see it to make sure you’re not giving away any information you don’t want to make public. Especially if your are using Google Plus for business.
Then you’ll be ready to create a strategy that uses Google Plus for business and drives traffic to your business website.