5 Tips for using Google+ for Business

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This is a guest post by guest author Vern Marker. While GrowMap encourages our readers to support small businesses whenever possible, we still recommend you use services such as Google+ to attract customers to your business. Read on for a Google+ Video Overview and Tips for Using G+.

Google Plus SuperHero — Image Credit: MyMarketer.net - Click Image for More Social Media SuperHeros by Cartoonist Caldwell Tanner of College Humor fame. Go to Loldwell.com to get original drawings, cartoons and videos.

In this age of mobile technology, business capabilities are evolving rapidly due to a metamorphosis spurred forward by Internet on the go and Online Reputation Management (ORM). Developing a presence online is a marketing necessity. Companies from Amazon to Netflix have fostered and capitalized on a web-based consumer following. Brand loyalty is the survival mechanism of the current professional terrain.

No other Internet business entity is as brand-synonymous as Google. What started as a search engine quickly became a household name. The company built on that reputation through collaborations and expanding into new markets with YouTube, Google Earth, Android, and others. Now, this promotional marketing giant is offering the same opportunity to other businesses through a social network called Google+.

In this video, you’ll learn the basics of Google Plus and how you can use this social networking platform. Google Plus was launched on June 28th 2011. SocialRank will be posting more information and videos about Google Plus.

via Google+ Video Overview for Getting Started | Online Tutorial Series.

In response to the rising tide of social media use, Google added an integrated networking layer to their online platform called Google+. Many analysts heralded it as a late bloomer in the social media craze, but this prediction may prove premature. Cosmetically it is similar to Facebook, but Google+ is a different animal altogether.

It wasn’t developed strictly for social purposes. With the introduction of Brand Pages last November, it is changing the landscape of e-commerce. The goal is to create a real-time focused, multi-faceted digital marketing environment. It offers businesses opportunities to reach new prospects and test the market with various forms of customer engagement.

Google Plus helps companies create a brand, then market it.

This unique twist on marketing takes advantage of the accessibility of Internet on the go providers and Google’s well established reputation as a leader in driving organic traffic. Over 50 million users have created a Brand Page since the option launched.

Google’s reputation is only part of the attraction. Businesses create pages through a separate tool within Google+. The pages are categorized under five headings: local business, product / brand, company /organization, arts / entertainment and sports or other. There are several functions and theme-related choices. Most importantly, Brand Pages can be hyperlinked to outside websites and promoted by Google.

Chris Brogan / BlueGlass Infographic: Google + for Business excerpt:

The power of the “open web search” feature comes with a challenge. Although it helps companies access a larger promotional field, how can the tool be put to its most effective use? Here are the top five tips for using Google+ in business.

Google+ Tips

A primary function of this tool is to increase SEO and ORM simultaneously. To get the most bang for the least buck, keep the profile updated. Review the Brand Page content at least every 90 days and refresh Meta Tags to improve ranking results. Google+ auto-corrects page revisions Internet-wide.
Take advantage of the +One Button option to integrate Brand Pages into the Social and Open Graph Formats. This will add the content to open web searches and increase visitor traffic. Using the +One Button and the Share Bubble Feature together will build up recommendations and establish reputation.
In today’s business culture, Internet on the go makes accessible marketing a must. Visitors want to know what they are getting without being bombarded by it. Give the company website a clean, professional, and consistent look. Avoid loud graphics and vague text. Engage customers with a well constructed user-friendly site.
Install the Direct Connect Code on the website to expand SEO Options through Google. Direct Connect helps publicize Brand Pages and offers users customized direct routes through Google+ features to improve ranking and web traffic. Only businesses that install the code on their websites are eligible for this option.
A little self promotion never hurts. Google+ has made business marketing easier, but don’t rely on the fruits of their labor alone. Post on blogs and other social networks, use the G+ Follow Button on outside content, start topic circles and leverage hangouts.

Use Google+ and self-promotion in tandem to get the most out of the experience. Marketing in an Internet on the go culture is always trend driven. A savvy business owner looks at what the industry leaders are doing and emulates it. Google+ gives companies a chance to become marketing understudies. It makes the tools that build a successful name brand company available to everyone. With that kind of opportunity knocking it’s no wonder business owners are eager to answer the door.