As a business owner, keeping up with the latest marketing tools is not only important but essential to developing your business, customer base and brand. You’ve (hopefully) had a presence on Facebook for some time and maybe you’ve recently joined Twitter or Pinterest (if you have yet to create a Facebook page for your business, you can find out how to create one here). While these are great marketing tools to spread the word of your business and services, you may be overlooking something indispensable to your success.
Since its launch in late 2011, Google+ has amassed around 540 million active users and is the second most popular social networking site after Facebook, according to the Business Insider. Creating and maintaining a Google+ page for your business can be extremely beneficial because so many people choose Google as their primary search engine.
When users search for keywords that are relevant to your business or business offerings, Google’s search engine have a better chance at pulling up your Google+ page and information if you maintain a Google+ account with recent and relevant content.
Here are a few tips to help you if you’re new to the Google+ scene and want a quick and easy guide to getting your business page up and running on Google+.
Head over to the Google+ business setup page and begin the setup. Google will walk you through setting up the basics of your business page and listing important information, like its name, industry, and address.
Make sure to verify your business location – If your business has a physical address, make sure to verify the location. To do this, simply click on the “Verify” box you see when you log in to your page. Google will then mail a postcard with a PIN number to your business address. Once you receive it, just log back onto your Google+ page, enter the PIN number, and voila…you’ve just been verified. This helps to strengthen your credentials and places you on Google Maps – a tool that countless people use everyday.
Link to your website – Further boost your credentials on Google+ by inserting a link to your Google+ page into your company or brand website. This can increase your fan base on the Google+ network by easily directing website visitors to your Google+ page.
Make use of the large cover space – You’ve heard the phrase: A picture is worth a thousand words. Google+ recently increased the size of the cover photo section which displays (banner style) on top of your Google+ page. This can be an excellent place to display a stunning portfolio picture, an image of your business location or to promote an upcoming event. The opportunities are endless. Check out more tips on making your cover photo cover stand out here.
Add people and pages to your circles – Adding people and pages to your circles is the best way to generate buzz and activity on Google+. Add companies you look up to, local businesses you support and fans of your business to get the most networking power out of the Google+. You can even customize “circles” which allows you to have a separate circle for fans, customers and local businesses. This way, you can manage which “circles” are exposed to your posts and cater content accordingly.
Engage – If you see a post by another user or page on Google+ and can add something to the conversation, join in! Commenting on posts is one of the best ways to engage others (just make sure you’re staying on topic). It’s also a really good way to get some exposure and, if others find your input valuable, get new people to add your page to their circles on Google+.
Join Communities – Communities are pages created for specific industries or topics where users can come together and share ideas. It’s an excellent way for Google+ beginners to find other users who are in the same industry as themselves or share the same interests. Providing valuable information in community pages can increase your fan base on Google+ and allow other users who are interested in the same topic to easily find your profile.
Stay Active – Google+ is a lot like Facebook. The more relevant and unique content you offer, the more exposure and +1’s (comparable to “Likes” on Facebook) you receive. This allows Google+ users who have discovered you through someone else’s page or posts to find their way to your page and (hopefully) add you to one of their circles. Keep these users interested and engaged by posting content relevant to your business, the industry, or your customers. Be creative! You want to stand out from other page’s posts. Because Google+ is such a visual social networking site, try to integrate relevant images into your posts. This increases the likelihood of captivating a user’s attention and adding you to their circles.
If you are still unsure where to start or how your page should look, check out some of these brands that do a great job on Google+.
Android: The widely used mobile operating system brand, Android, constantly updates their Google+ page with new Android features, apps, and upcoming products. Its cover photo is a large and crisp image of its brand mascot which helps users recognize the brand instantly.
Kayak: The travel search engine Kayak takes a more conservative approach when it comes to its cover photo. Most of their posts generally revolve around travel and include beautiful photos from the world’s most popular vacation destinations. Fans of their page see posts about great travel deals and promotions.
Amazon: The international e-commerce website Amazon does an excellent job at keeping its customers aware and up-to-date on its latest promotions. Newly added merchandise is also regularly posted. Amazon chose the familiar image of the packaging it uses for its cover photo which helps customers associate this with the Amazon brand.
Adding Google+ to the mix of social media networks you use doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It’s actually quite intuitive and easy once you’re all set up. Experiment with content in your posts and see what type of content gets the most feedback so you know what you should concentrate your efforts on. Google+ can be an extraordinary tool for any business and shouldn’t be overlooked. We hope these tips have you motivated and ready to start engaging a larger audience!
