Google Plus Success Strategies for Business
How much activity is happening on your Google Plus Page?
While the big social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram all play a major role in business marketing, it is just as important to include Google’s growing social platform for more exposure and leads.
As someone who works in the online world and SEO (search engine optimization) for both my own sites and for my clients, I understand the importance of Google. However, I’ll admit that I was late to the game when adopting a strong presence on Google Plus. In my opinion it’s not as intuitive as other social media networks. Having said that, a social media plan is not complete without including a good Google Plus strategy.
According to an article on DMR, Google had 300 million active users each month in 2013, and 20 million active users on mobile that same year. This is despite the fact that Google has phased out its poor performing Authorship program. The numbers show that people still use this social network to get information and interact.
Not only can your business benefit from building a stronger social media presence with Google Plus, but there is the added benefit of appearing in search results, which currently is very hard to do with other social networks. In fact, I recently wrote an article on social selling, which appears prominently on page one search results under Inc. Magazine and Salesforce for anyone in my network: 
In an era where content marketing is vital to a business’s reputation and visibility online Google Plus plays an important role in helping spread the word on the your business. And the number of B2B companies are increasing their strategy according to an article by Lee Odden on TopRank® Blog, which reports that, “70% of B2B companies are creating more content over the last 12 months.”
Google Plus tends to be a more exclusive type of social network in which users need to be logged in to interact on posts, however; Google Plus has modified its practices and no longer requires new users to create a Google Plus account when signing up for Gmail in order to make it more appealing as a social platform.
Your business can benefit from posting content, images, and conducting Hangouts with a few key strategies to keep in mind:
● Build your Circles – Like any other social following it is important to connect with the right influencers in what Google calls, ‘Circles.’ The great benefit of these unlike other networks is that your connections can be placed into categories according to who they are. Sometimes this can be more personal, while other professional circles might include business, marketing, customers, ect. The possibilities are endless, but these really help keep your network stay focused and moving in the right direction.
● Be consistent each day – While posting here at least a couple times of day is all that may be needed for exposure it is good practice to interact with your audience each day. This can include selecting a ‘plus one’ on another post, or leaving a comment which contributes to the conversation and encourages more eyes on your Google Plus Page as well.
● Share other articles – Build your business network by including the names or companies of articles you find interesting either on the Internet or on Google Plus. Many times you will generate a response, and this can help build more relationships that can be added to your other social networks.
● Include relevant hashtags – Whether your business is sharing an image, video, or article you will want to include at least two to three hashtags that pertain to the topic. This not only helps with search engine results, but also directs other users to your content.
● Post to Public and Circles or Groups – A great way to spread your business posts further is to share them with your Circles or professional Groups. This increases the chances of your content being shared and viewed by more people who will spread the word.
● Participate in Groups and Hangouts – Google Plus has especially become advantageous for businesses to interact and network through specific niche groups and by conducting Hangouts on a regular basis. More people are flocking to Hangouts especially since Google has recently made improvements. Both of these places are especially good for announcements, special events, sharing ideas and tips, and more.
For the best results on Google Plus your business should be sharing high-quality images and videos, and content from your blog or another source that is original and engaging. Ask questions, and invite your readers to engage or join a special Hangout and watch your business influence building grow.
Susan Gilbert
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