Google Plus could significantly impact your organization’s online visibility. Many people express skepticism about the actual value one might derive from a network that, on the surface, doesn’t appear to have many active users. But while not much may seem to be happening with Google Plus, I’d say it is worth considering how to make this channel part of your social media mix.
A major benefit of Google Plus the very fact of its Google connection and how much they have invested in it. A major shortcoming of any mechanical algorithm used by search engines like Google or Bing is that it is difficult to include a human factor, or signal, to determine the authority of content on websites. While different measures can be used to replicate the human factor, social media like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus provide a direct human connection between the content and contacts connected to the person searching for information. Bing has developed a relationship with Facebook to mine this type of data, and it appears Google hopes to use Google Plus for this purpose.
Google Plus also has absorbed Google’s localization program so that Google Plus “pages” are what used to be the “local listings” in Google search results. Claiming these spaces and owning the content on them is critical for local businesses or affiliates interested in managing their online reputation and interacting with local customers.
Here, though, is the one benefit of using Google Plus that you probably would never have expected: the size of the audience you can reach with your updates. Twitter, because it is a hyperactive social platform when it comes to participation, may seem like a better bet. But the active user community on Google Plus is actually larger than that of Twitter’s and has been growing at a faster rate. Different platforms will always provide exposure to different audience segments. Just keep in mind that there is a growing community on Google Plus that shows no signs of slowing down.
So if it’s worth your time here, how do you go about growing a Google Plus community? Digital marketing commentator Rick Eliason recently shared some tips he used to get his first 250 followers on Google Plus. Though I don’t agree with him that you should write off other social activity while focusing on Google Plus, his other tips are worth noting.
Are you having success connecting with others on Google Plus? Please share any tips you’ve discovered with our readers in the comments section below!