(video chats with/ up to ten people) and follow sparks that interest you.
I adopted Twitter many years ago and the same with Facebook. They serve their purpose, but I'm beginning to wonder about the value and validity they bring to businesses, especially with the recent changes. I noticed a few months ago that my own page impressions had decreased, which meant those that had "fanned" or "liked" my page were not seeing the updates unless they visited my page directly. I can't find any statistics, but thinking of my own Facebook usage I know that the chances of me going to pages directly are pretty slim.
Now, I'm not bashing Facebook - it has its place. It works well for some companies and brands, but does it really work for businesses? I know talking to many business owners they are frustrated. They felt that they were "getting the hang" of Facebook and things change and now they've lost the traction they worked months to build. I understand and I sympathize, so let's take a look at what Google Plus can offer you that you may not be getting from Facebook.
In November of 2011 Google introduced Google Plus Pages for businesses. So why should you consider a Google Plus Page, after all, you have a lot on your plate and you really weren't counting on having to dive into another social media platform.
Well, let's look at what we know:
Google is one of the most powerful companies online. They don't own just one of the popular search destinations, they own two - Google and YouTube. Can you really afford not to pay attention?
Google is committed to being social. They have the analytics to show that traffic from social sites converts better. If anyone has mega-data on online consumer behavior, it's Google. They've tried a few things that didn't work - just take a look at Google Buzz. The problem with Google Buzz was that it put privacy at the risk of their users and consumers were furious. The issue with Buzz was the clash it caused in private worlds. Google quickly apologized, pulled back, and announced a settlement. They donated $8.5 million to Internet-privacy groups as a way of showing good faith.
Google sends traffic. It's still being proven but there is value in Google Plus pages. By just creating a Google+ profile you create an inbound link to the website that the page represents. Inbound links are becoming more and more important when it comes to search engine marketing.
Can you really afford not to participate, knowing those three things?
A Google+ Page is easy to setup, but what I'd like you to do is understand that your personal profile can actually help to engage others with your brand. Your page will show those that are connected to your company and your brand, others can see their activity and this can often drive the social and interaction power. I think this is what companies miss out on most. They think if you create a page or an account people will come, but people are actually looking for the interaction.
I'll use an example that I got from Chris Brogan, Scott Monty handles the social media activity for Ford. Now, while Ford has nearly 2000 people in their "circles", Scott Monty has over 20,000. Do you see how an individual can help build you influence? Don't be afraid of it, embrace it. We buy from people we like and it is people that strengthen and create our brands.
There are so many questions surrounding Google + and I understand each and every one of them, which is why I'm putting together a 7 day course. In the meantime, grab your Google Profile and setup your Google Page and we will travel this journey together. Sign up for the RSS feed and you'll be one of the first to know when the course is ready for you to sign up - oh and did I mention it's going to be free like all of the marketing courses here at About?
