Is Google+ a viable social media for small businesses?
What is Google+?
Google+ is the online search giant’s answer to Facebook. Google originally considered buying out Facebook when it was still a fledgling startup, but was beat out by longtime rival Microsoft, who invested in the now-enormous social media site and helped boost it to international superstar status. So Google decided to do what it does best, invent its own solution.
The social network allows you to group your contacts into circles – for example, employees, customers and brand influencers – which allows you to post and share distinct content with various audiences. Once you have connected, your contacts’ status updates, photos and videos will show up on your Google+ home page. The site also features Google Hangouts, a video chat tool that allows you to connect real-time with more than two people at once. Like Facebook, you can create an individual presence as well as a company page, and you can post content and interact with the network as either entity.
Who is the audience?
The Google+ audience is predominantly young (57 percent Millennials and Generation Z) and male (68 percent); however, the fastest-growing user group for the platform is adults ages 45-54. Most users are based in the United States, and they tend to be tech-savvy. Google+ boasts more than one billion registered users, and 359 million of those users are actively engaged.
Why do I need it?
Google+ is tied directly to Google’s search engine. The content you post on Google+ feeds into search results on related topics, particularly when others “+1” (the Google+ answer to a Facebook “like”) or share that content. Although Google+ users are not yet as engaged as, say, Facebook, activity on the network has a more dramatic impact on Google search results. As a business, you want to take advantage of that close tie to the Google search engine, which is the dominant player in the online search market.
Google+ is also one of the fastest-growing social media sites. Its user base has nearly doubled in the past couple years. Its connection to other Google products, like Google Local and Google Places, helps you establish a robust overall presence within the Google ecosystem. And if you want to be found in online searches, having a robust presence within the Google ecosystem is a really good idea.
What to post?
This audience loves images: Photo sharing is the No. 1 activity on the site. Think visual, as in photos and videos, when posting to this site – and focus on original content vs. sharing content from others.
A Google+ posting strategy can be somewhat similar to Facebook, customized for the demographics of the social media and your particular followers on Google+. You have more space to post text than micro-blogging sites like Twitter, but you still want to keep it brief and on point. Try to engage your target market with questions, insightful commentary and links to content within their sphere of interest. Engagement is the key. The more people share and +1 your content, the more you’ll appear in online searches on those topics.
Contributed by SMO Pros Contributing Editor Amy J.V. Atwell. Amy is a Denver-based freelance writer and editor. She works with businesses to grow their brands through high-quality copy and content. www.heirloomcommunications.com.
