While many businesses are currently using Facebook as their social media platform of choice, I wonder if that’s where their customers are? And if their customers are using Facebook as a business research tool? A clear understanding of who your customers are and where they spend their time can be critical to your selection of a social media platform for your business. Enter Google Plus. This platform should be used by those looking to reach businesses and industry influencers. But content shared here should be more professional than Facebook since it is a more professional audience. Most people in your “circles” are probably business friends and acquaintances.
Think about it. You probably use Google search, so why would you not be using their social media platform to share your content? Link to the content on your website to increase your exposure and engagement.
Other benefits of using Google Plus?
Content Sharing on Google Plus
Sometimes your content shared on Google + may rank, while the same post on your website may not. As Google continues to move into the social media arena, hashtags and shared content are attracting their attention. You may find that your Google Plus profile can attract more attention than your website, probably because hashtags and content topics on social media platforms aggregate relevant articles and information.
Google Tools Impacting Google Plus
As we continue to investigate Google Tools, you will begin to see how many different Google tools can be integrated with your Google Plus profile like Google Carousel, Google Reviews, Google Authorship, Google Publisher and more. So why would you NOT be using these tools? Do you know how to create a Google Plus profile? Get started now!
Visit https://www.google.com/+/learnmore/profile/ to set up your Google Plus profile. And then there are your circles. This is probably one of the most confusing aspects of Google Plus – until you figure it out, and then it’s great! Basically you have the ability to put people in circles that depict how they are connected to you, and then share information with a variety of audiences including those circles only, or all your circles, or everyone.
You can create and name your circles as they relate to you and your business, ie., real estate agents, real estate influences, etc. And people can be placed in multiple circles.
Once you have a Google Plus profile, you have the ability to schedule Google Hangouts (we’ll discuss this later this month), use Google Authorship and more.
We think Google tools are important to your business, so throughout the month of April, we will be focusing on a different Google tool that we feel is important for you to use in your business. Stay tuned. In the meantime, don’t forget to add your Google Plus profile to your website and other social media profiles.