The Google+ Guide a Step-By-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+
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\\guideguide A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ The Google+ Guide A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ iPad 10:15PM Visit us at vocus.com SocialSocial SearchSearch EmailEmail PR A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ Another Social Network? As a marketer, you may have read articles dismissing Google+. You may have heard it is a “ghost town,” or “a niche site for techies.” The people saying these things are incorrect. According to eMarketer, as of May 2013, 26 per- cent of worldwide Internet users used Google+ in the past month, making it the second most popular social network after Facebook (51 percent).* We believe that number will grow. Google+ is the evolution of Google’s search and products, and a layer that joins them together. The actions people take while logged into Google are now connected via Google+. This affects what they and others see in search. It affects what their friends will see in Google products going forward. Think about all the millions of Gmail users, Android phone users and YouTube users. Google+ now connects them. This affects the way that marketers do business. Google+ is a set of social networking features, communications features and tie-ins to other services, including the all-powerful Google search algorithm. It is clearly Google’s strategy for moving forward. It’s a safe bet to say, ‘Invest now and it will pay off later.’ “ “ Marvin Chow, Google+ Global Marketing Director Google+ isn’t just limited to social network interaction. People are writing reviews about busi- nesses using Google+ as their “identity” or login. A review by “Jane Schultz from Iowa City via her Android Phone” is going to have more credibility than one from “Foodluvr24.” We also know that check-ins, ratings and other actions on Google+ influence Google’s search engine. As people adopt Google+ in greater numbers, their recommendations will affect what your prospects and customers see when they search. The company attempts to explain it this way: “Google+ is like a ‘social spine’ or ‘identity spine’ across Google,” says Marvin Chow, Google+ global marketing director. “Having a Google+ page will be the foundation of a lot of things on Google. It’s a safe bet to say, ‘Invest now and it will pay off later.’” This is the time to get in on the ground floor. * http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Social-Networks-Growing-Fastest-Worldwide/1009884 A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ Chat #1 Part 1: Get Started, Step-by-Step Google+ also includes instant messaging chat and video, called “Hangouts.” You can hang out with as many as nine other people in high quality video. Step One: A Google+ Walkthrough “Hangouts On Air” can be broadcast via YouTube to an audience internet-wide. From a user’s perspective, Google+ is a social networking Hangouts, as you’ll see, can be an effective tool for service. Features include posting, photo and video sharing, engaging customers. multi-person communications, communities and pages Communities for businesses. “Communities” offer an opportunity for Typically, a person with an Android Phone or a Gmail discussion groups, which can be public or private account has everything they need to create a Google+ and moderated. Communities offer another place profile. If you don’t have an existing Google Account, it where industry groups and even customer groups takes just a few minutes to create one. are forming. Similar to LinkedIn groups, these Communities can be places for engagement Google+ profiles are intended for “real people.” You create with customers. your own account first, before creating a Page for your business. Once you create your account and profile, you As a current point of differentiation for now, there are no can connect with others. ads in the Google+ stream. Here are the key features of Google+ you need to know: Step Two: Create Your Business Profile Circles and Page Having a Google+ profile means you can create “Circles” of contacts with whom you can share information. If you’ve created lists in Gmail, these same lists can be used as Circles in Google+. Recommendations Once you start connecting with friends on Google+, their recommendations (things they give “+1,” similar to Facebook’s Like) will show in your Google search results, on Google Maps or in Google’s Play store for apps, music and books. Images Your Google+ profile includes a tight integration Creating a Google+ business page is pretty simple. “If you’ve with Google’s photo service “Picasa.” Your profile already created a Google Places listing for your business, has substantial photo and video storage, and you should move it over. It will create your Google+ page for 1 media can be shared with specific Circles, with you,” said Lynette Young, CEO of Purple Stripe, and author 2 clear parameters for privacy. of “Google+ for Small Business”. “If you don’t already have a Google Places listing, companies that do not conduct business on-site or generally encourage 1 You can move your existing Google Places content into Google+ https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2623007?hl=en&topic=2624949&ctx=topic# 2 http://lynetteyoung.com/books A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ ‘check-ins’ will find no benefit in being listed For more information and details on setting up your in Google+ Local (which is where the page, Google’s “Getting Started for Business” page can Google Places profiles are being migrated help. It includes a downloadable guide.4 Dashboard was to by Google),” said Young. announced in June, and you can find out more about the features on this post.5 If you’re not a local business, create your page as one of the other types of Organize customers into different circles (Active, listings. To create the page, go to your Occasional) to quickly sort through the content they’re personal profile, pull down the “Home” creating. You can look at the active or engaged customers menu on the left side and click on the circle daily and build your connections with them. “Pages” item.3 You’ll be asked to create a page in a particular category. Step Four: Verification and Direct Connect Step Three: Manage Your Page via Dashboard There are two kinds of verification for your Google+ page. First, you’re verifying that you own a business. Once you’ve set up the profile, you are the “owner” of the page. “To verify a ‘brick and mortar’ location, Google will send you a postcard in the mail (so please notify the mailroom not to toss it out!),” said Lynette Young. (It truly looks like an ad, so be on the lookout for it.) “A non-local page is verified via Google’s Webmaster Tools or by putting code in your website.”6 Additionally, once you create your Google+ page and listing, Go to your page, click the left side menu and choose ensure that your Google+ page is linked on your website. Dashboard. Then click the “managers” tab. You can add a Adding a Google+ badge for your page to your website7 manager via the blue button on the right. You need to know acts as another signal confirming your business’ identity to that person’s email address used for Google+. Google. Additionally, the badge allows customers Set up your page via the Dashboard as well. Add your photo to endorse you by clicking the “+1”, or to or logo as your icon – an image that is 500px by 500px is the add you to one of their Circles on their standard size. In the “Overview” area, click “edit your page” Google+ profile. Once you have that to then add a cover. The cover photo is a huge 2120 × 1192 badge on the page, you also become pixels, a 16x9 aspect ratio. Smaller photos will be scaled but eligible for two additional perks: won’t look as good. 1 If you’re using your page In addition to a cover photo, companies (not local businesses) regularly, it may become eligible for will want a “Tagline” – a one-sentence description of your “Direct Connect.” If customers type business – and an “Introduction” of your company (a few “+YourBrandName” into Google (try it paragraphs). Add your contact information, including a with +Copyblogger for example), they phone number, email address, links to your website and will go directly to your page. any other links or information. Enter your address and They’ll also be able to add your company to other information exactly as it appears on your website. The their circles. Google+ users can choose to automatically add Google algorithm can look for such things. brands they search for with the “+” in front of the search into 3 You can also go to http://www.google.com/+/business/get-started.html 4 http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/business/get-started.html 5 https://plus.google.com/u/1/+PavniDiwanji/posts/47t6tSKha31?e=-RedirectToSandbox 6 https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/1708844?hl=en&ref_topic=1634166 7 https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/badge/ A Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Success on Google+ a circle. As users learn this trick, having a well-connected If your product lends itself to visuals, Lynette Young suggests Google+ page will put you right into their Circles (and by creating photo albums and following the ‘best practices’ of extension, their feeds). using keyword-rich album titles and file names. 2 If you already have a Google+ page with a “meaningful” “This will help your content get found fast not only in number of followers, you can request verification with a Google+ but across the web,” she says.