Google+: The What, Whys and Hows
You may have heard by now that as a business, you should be using Google+ as a marketing tool. Many people, however, are unsure as to what exactly Google+ is, how it works and why they should use it, not to mention how popular or useful it actually is. So I decided to do a break down for you as I’ve done with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Read on to learn about one of the most important and vitalizing social media platforms that doubles as a unique tool to grow your brand!
WHAT EXACTLY IS GOOGLE+?
Google has described Google+ as a “social layer” that enhances many of its online properties, unlike conventional social networks generally accessed through a single website. It is similar to Facebook in that it consists of a place to post statuses and connect with friends. Main components include the “Stream”, “Circles”, and the “+1” button. As of January 2013, Google+ is the second largest social site in the world, having surpassed Twitter and having 359 million active users.
HOW IT WORKS
Firstly, users have “Circles” which are a way to group your followers. You can create a “Friends” circle, a “Business” circle for associates and so on and so forth. Using these “Circles”, you can control what each one sees and what you see from them. This way you can insure that pictures of your pets aren’t being seen by your co-workers and that your friends aren’t constantly seeing notes on your latest work project. People will follow you on Google+ much like on Facebook – also similar to Facebook is the “Stream” – which occupies the middle of three columns on the page, users see updates from those in their Circles. There is an input box which allows users to enter a post. Along with the text entry field there are icons to upload and share photos and videos. The “Stream” can be filtered to show only posts from specific Circles. How can one use this for business? As on Facebook, post statuses to your “Stream” that relate to your company – information about your company, photos of employee fun days, promotions, etc. You can also divide followers up into “Circles” by locale, age, etc. This way you can target different posts to different people. The “+1” button is akin to the Facebook “Like” button – followers can use this to recommend your posts to others.
WHY YOU SHOULD USE GOOGLE+
Google+ is another excellent tool for branding. Not only can you reach yet another audience, you’ll also maintain your brand across the web – another added aspect of Google+ is that everything Google has created ties into it. You can use these extra tools to your benefit to spread your reach farther and wider. What’s not to like about that?