April 11, 2013
A Google+ site for a business is much like a personal Google+ site. It can be used to blog, to embed content from other websites, or to link to other websites. Your business Google+ site is linked to your business Google+ account. If you do not already have a Google+ account for your business, your first step is to create a Google+ account.
Claim your existing Google+ listing
Many business pages for local businesses were created automatically by Google, based on available information. To find out if your business already has a page, log on to your Google+ account (http://plus.google.com) and search for your business name. If you have a page that you have not claimed, there will be a button under the heading “Is this your business?” that reads “Manage this page”. Click the button to claim the business page.
Create a new Google+ page
To create a new page, on the left hand side of the screen, select the Pages icon if available, or if not select the More icon followed by the Pages icon. Then click the “Create new page” button and follow the prompts. You will need to select the type of page, whether a local business, a business with multiple locations, or a product or brand. Since you can create multiple pages, you can create one for every business location or every product, as well as one for your entire business. Verify the ownership of the page, and assign multiple managers to oversee the page.
Personalise your Google+ page
Add a description and links to your website. Add a profile picture of 250 x 250 pixels, and then change the cover image to either a single image spanning the page or a row of five smaller images. Pages for local businesses should also include an introduction, your business hours, the website name and address, the contact information, recommended links, photos, and videos. See How To Use Google+ Local for more details specific to local business use. The Google+ page allows you to post updates, pictures, and videos. Use these interactive features to list your latest special offers, link to your most recent blog posts, or display your latest videos.
Hang out
Google+ pages are different from other social media pages in that they integrate with Google Hangouts. This allows you to put a video chat room feature on the page. You can use the Hangouts to create specific events such as product briefings or video training seminars which can be recorded and posted on YouTube. You can also use the Hangouts as a customer service platform, or as a bonus feature provided to VIP clients.
Thanks!
Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
The Internet Marketing Academy
http://www.internetmarketingacademy.com
(Image: MorgueFile)
July 14, 2011
Google+ is making waves across the internet as its limited release continues with much acclaim by its users. Critics continue praising the new Google product as the David that could beat Goliath Facebook in the social networking game, and the world is waiting with bated breath to see what happens when Google+ is finally released to the rest of the world.
Most of those people are excited to use the popular tools Google+ offers them. They want to create circles of connections rather than swimming through a sea of Facebook friends. They want to get instant updates on feeds through Google’s new Sparks. In general, they want to experience something different from the traditional Facebook approach to social networking.
Those in the marketing world, however, may be a bit reluctant to see the start of a new social network. After all, keeping track of Twitter and Facebook and trying to work out the intricacies of those two services is difficult enough. Learning to target individuals you should market to through Google+ may be an unwanted new challenge for many.
While it is difficult to understand exactly how significant Google+ will be on social networking and marketing, there are a few things that can be drawn from this limited release that look pretty promising to internet marketers – if they are willing to learn to utilise the service.
Closing the Information Loop
Until now Facebook has been a forbidden land to Google’s AdWords. The company can follow you as you search all across the web, but the moment you step into the magical world of Facebook you disappear.
Marketers who use Google+ will be able to circumvent this problem that AdWords suffers through as the information loop must surely be extended to their new service. This provides a huge opportunity for social media marketing – if you can see what users are doing inside of the social network you can fine tune your marketing strategies within that network to rope more customers in.
Targeting Circles
One of the features of Google+ that is being praised in every recess of the internet is the new circles feature which allows users to create different networks for different kinds of connections. Close friends can be delegated to one circle, distant friends to another, family to their own and co-workers to yet another. This way content that is posted by users can be limited to target a specific group.
These circles will likely come to be a huge opportunity for marketers. If one person has an interest in a specific product, there is a pretty good chance that certain friends do too. As such, if a Google allows marketers access to a particular person’s likes and dislikes (which is probable based on Facebook’s success with such an approach), they will be able to identify other users who may be interested through those circlets.
Most people are not able to try these ideas out yet. But being ready as an online marketer to dive into the fray as soon as the service opens itself will prove very important in finding success quickly and before other marketers elbow out the competition. Be prepared!
Thanks again,
Sean
Internet Marketing Academy
Internet Marketing Training – Internet Marketing Course – Internet Marketing Blog
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A Google+ site for a business is much like a personal Google+ site. It can be used to blog, to embed content from other websites, or to link to other websites. Your business Google+ site is linked to your business Google+ account. If you do not already have a Google+ account for your business, your first step is to create a Google+ account.
