This is the final installment on the social media strategy series of looking at how to invest wisely in social networking. Here, we will dive into the new guy on the social networking block, Google+.
New Means Different?
If you read many articles on social media networks since Google+ has come out, you have probably heard that Google+ is not designed to be the next Facebook. People who have accounts with both and hope for a new experience may have seen the similarities and abandoned Google+. Product differentiation is Business 101 and honestly, it’s not Google’s fault that it seems like Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg has done his best so far to make Google+ irrelevant. Yet, just as Facebook started out small and then took off, I predict that Google+ will do the same thing soon and if you are not active on there now, you will get left behind.
With a mountain of web apps, products, and the giant beast that is Google Search, when Google+ finally achieves rock star status, it could potentially eliminate most of its competition. With an ever growing audience and a bright future, you would be dumb to not at least a minimal investment in the network.
The Under Used Feature: +1
Maybe the best tool that Google has in the Google+ investment is the +1 feature. Similar to Twitter‘s “tweet it” button or Facebook’s “share” button, Google’s +1 button goes on your blog articles, website pages, and anywhere else you want people to be able to add that webpage to someone’s Google+ page conversation. But as Google usually does, they take it a step further and integrate it into their Search app. Thus, the more +1’s you get, the higher potential your Google rank goes up and that alone is a benefit you cannot turn down. The down side is that this feature is not enabled for viewers who are not logged into Google.
Google Hangout Will Change Social Media Forever
Facebook started the social media buzz, Twitter revolutionized it with the 140 characters, and now Google will forever change it with the video section. As bandwidth increases everyday for the general public, businesses begin doing video conferences, and smart phones and tablets can handle video conversations, Google+’s Hangout feature will come more and more into focus. Bloggers and business people can connect with clients in a way that before either cost money for a special WordPress plugin or the requirement of installing third-party apps like Skype. Make the face-to-face connections with viewers and customers and you will begin to cause huge waves through Google+ for your brand.
Our Google+ Strategy
Here are some of my Google+ strategy goals for seventy8Productions that we have this year.
- Give Google+ more of a chance. Devote an hour a week solely to G+.
- Connect with at least 20 people a month who have similar interest
- Host one Google+ Hangout a month.
- Look out for how Google will differentiate Google+ beyond Hangout and +1 and buy into the new aspects right away.
Do you invest in Google+? If so, how are you trying to do it well?
kolby milton says
Great post Jeremy. I have been thinking about using google+ for my site for a long time. I will check it out to see if I should invest some time into it.
Anonymous says
At the very least, there is huge potential for Google+ Hangout with customers/blog visitors! The other part of it is that Google+ is not going anywhere and I predict will overcome Facebook in two or three years time.
kolby milton says
You have convinced me. I will get a page going. What do you use to stream content to your page?
Anonymous says
Haven’t found anything yet, so I do it manually. Share the link when you do and look us up on 78P.