While all social networks have the same purpose, to connect the world, every social network also has its own unique niche in the online world. One can use Facebook to connect visually with family and friends, use Twitter to spark conversations, and use LinkedIn for networking with business partners but where does Google+ fit in? I think it has found its place with Business Pages.
Google+ was launched in June of 2011 in beta version and reached 10 million users in a mere 2 weeks. Google+ went public a few months later. Google describes its social network as “real-life sharing, rethought for the web” as it allows its users to connect online as they would in the real world using tools like Hangouts (video chat), Games, integrated search, and its most prized feature, Circles. Circles are unique to Google+ and they allow you to sort your contacts into separate circles and to share content with one, or more, of those Circles. Google+ is also integrated with Android powered mobile devices to allow for added features. For more information about the features, check out: http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/
At first, Google launched its network solely for personal use but business pages were not far behind. Now, similar to Facebook Pages, one can have their personal account and manage a business page at the same time. However, there are a few aspects that set the two apart. Posts, which are searchable in Google search, can be tailored to Circles. This way, businesses can share with employees, customers, suppliers, business partners, etc all from the same account. Google+ also allows for Hangouts with customers – creating a whole new way to connect with the online audience. Also, as it is Google, the analytics are far superior to Facebook Pages. Both offer easy sharing tools and buttons to place on other websites to bring people to your business page. To find out more on how to use a Google+ Business Page, check out: http://www.google.com/+/business/
Sprout Social (http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2011/12/google-vs-facebook-business/) wrote an interesting piece on the pros and cons of using a Facebook Page and a Google+ Page for your small business. Google+ has over 96,000 Pages, so although Google+ is still young in comparison to the larger social networks, it has potential and should not be over looked when creating an online marketing and publicity plan.
This post was submitted by Richelle Little - you can read her blog here. You can follow her on Twitter, view her LinkedIn, or share with her on Google+.
