The Lily Pad - A Blog for Small Business Owners
Getting to Know Google Plus – A Beginners Guide
November 8th, 2011 | Posted in Blogging & Social Media by Donna Queza
Google Plus (Google+ or G+) is the latest social network that people are buzzing about. With the very recent launch of brand pages, businesses are getting even more interested in how to capitalize on the site’s growing popularity. If you’re thinking about joining the world of plusses and circles, here are a few things to get you started.
It’s not Facebook, or Twitter
It’s human nature to compare something new to something familiar. But, oftentimes the comparison is not quite right. This is what I’ve found with Google+ We all want it to be like what we’re already familiar with (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) but in reality, it’s not. But, since you can’t describe a color you’ve never seen before, I’m going to draw a few comparisons to help you better understand.
- Follower segregation (Facebook lists, G+ circles)
- Support of multiple media (images, videos, copy…)
- Not limited in what/how much you can post
- Support of brand pages
- Relationships do not have to be reciprocated (i.e. if a person circles you, you do not have to circle them in return)
- Open to more “random” followers
- At this point, smaller number of users in more niche markets
- Ability to connect in groups (in the case of Google+ circles)
Circles
A big part of what makes G+ unique is its use of “circles.”
These circles allow you to control what information people see, and segregate the people you follow into categories that make them easier to monitor.
Hangouts
If you like Skype, you’ll like Hangouts. You can video chat with friends (or any other people in your circles). If your business does webinars or videos conferences, this tool could change the way you communicate with your customers.
It’s Google
If you’re in business, you’re probably not online because you love spending a ton of time learning about new technology. You’re online because that’s how people find you. You’ve probably spent time building a blog or website and optimizing it for search engines. Or, should I say, “search engine?” Let’s face it. Most SEO (search engine optimization) is done so that our sites can index in the top pages of Google.
Having a presence on Google+ will ensure you have a presence in searches on Google. On the blog Google even mentions that there will be a special search feature specifically for finding information on the network. So, if your main goal online is to build your SEO, Google+ is definitely worth investing time in.
Tagged google, Google Plus, Google Plus for business, Marketing, Social Media
