When considering how to build business exposure through social media you may have come to the conclusion that Facebook is the undisputed king. Google, on the other hand, has got something to say about that. Knowing what we know about this very forthright company we can assume that they’re willing to do everything they can to try and assume the mantle of King, but in the meantime are they the de facto prince? Is it important for you to ensure that you have a branded Google+ page for your business?
If you thought that Facebook was a relatively new promotional tool for business, then it’s certainly true to say that Google+ is a bit wet behind the ears. Nevertheless, many of the world’s biggest companies have jumped feet first into the programme; companies such as Ford Motor Company for example. It’s a good idea to delegate your virtual assistant to look into what your competitors and others within your field of operations are doing, to see how they may have addressed the potential. You do want to make as big an impact as possible and it’s always a good idea to see how others may have refined their initial messages to give you a good idea about best practice.
Without a doubt, one of the big selling points associated with Google+ is its integration with the search engine. As you know, more than 70% of people use this particular portal whenever they are searching for information and we can assume that Google will be trying to integrate their other online products and solutions as time goes forward. Now, those little +1s we are starting to see everywhere online are coming into play.
Essentially, you need to make sure that your branded page is so well put together and has such high quality content that people naturally want to ”+1” your page. There are some hidden benefits associated with this. More and more people have Google accounts and surf the Web when they are logged in. If they do so, any search that they make on a day by day basis in the future will be customised by the search engine according to what they have previously ”+1’d.” Remember that it is their intention to personalise the search experience as much as possible. When your page contains the relevant fields to enable commenting, integrate your general social media influence-building activity and a result of this will be that your Google+ page receives higher ranking points.
You may be aware that a Facebook business page can be configured to really reflect your brand imagery and positioning. You should ensure that your virtual assistant takes time to look beneath the surface at the opportunities presented by Google+ to do the same thing. It’s also worth remembering that by placing the ”+” ahead of their search term, users will in future be directed straight to the Google+ page most closely linked. This is a way of directly connecting searches to something that in Google’s estimation is the most logical solution. Finally, as Google owns YouTube it should be no surprise that the giant video site should be fully integrated into Google+ through the use of a YouTube widget.
Have you set up a Google+ business page? If so, please share your link and we will add you to our circles.