Google wasn’t put off and had another go and came up with Google+.  When it was officially launched in September 2011 the reviews were mixed and it seemed like a rehash of Facebook and Twitter. However, over time with regular improvements and changes Google+ is standing out from the crowd.  Also, recent research has shown Google+ is growing at an incredible rate.

The Business Insider said “The growth for Google+ has suddenly spiked.  In fact, the boom is so noticeable that Google+ is on track to overtake Twitter as the world’s 2nd largest social media site, assuming the momentum doesn’t slow.  If there is anything that marketing has taught us, it’s that you always want to be ahead of the curve – and right now the curve is favouring Google+ for business”.  Statistics also show people are spending longer on the site and this is increasing month by month.  The more time people spend on Google+ the more powerful it will become in driving traffic.

Why should I have a Google+ Business Page?

After looking at facts and figures you might think what is the point? According to recent figures approximately 63-70% of people who use it are men and they live primarily in the USA.  Also they are into technology.  Just looking at the top brands on Google+ (which include Chrome, Android and Mashable) compared to Facebook (which includes Coca Cola, Disney and Starbuck) shows the difference in the type of user.

On the face of it, for most businesses, this is not their target market.  However, there are a few things to consider

  • Get in early – Compared to Facebook, which was founded in 2004, Google+ is the new kid on the block.  By setting up your business page now you will gain an advantage over your competition as you will be able to spend time building up your profile, growing your network and working out the best strategy, so when it all kicks off and more and more people are signing up you will be there ready and waiting with the content they want to see.  So although your target market isn’t on here yet, they could be in the future.
  • Using Google+ can influence your search rankings more than any other social media site.  This is purely because Google owns Google+ and can see EVERYTHING that is posted on it without any restrictions.  Also, any posts you make on your personal and business page will be indexed straight away and will show up in search results.
  • There are other things which can contribute to your rankings such as Google Authorship. Have you ever looked something up on Google and noticed there were pictures of people next to posts? Well that’s Google Authorship.  It gives you the opportunity to link content you have written (a blog for example) on your website to your Google+ profile.  Once set up Google will view the content you have written to be more trustworthy and it will provide you with a higher visual profile in search results.

Overall, we think Google+ should be part of your social media marketing strategy.  There is so much this platform can do for your business which we go into in future blogs.  For now, if you haven’t set up a Google+ page we suggest you go and do it now before your competition get there first.