Google+ For Business; Why We Like It
John Borkowski, December 12, 2011
Prior to Google+ entering the social media market, businesses (both large and small) had 4 major platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube to market their business. The release of Google+ for business gives marketers and advertisers some additional features that are not available on other social media platforms. Noteworthy features include Circles, +1 integration, and Analytics. Here’s a look inside the new features and why they are beneficial:
Circles: Groups of contacts can now be segmented to specific groups or “circles”. This added feature allows users to classify contacts so that specific resources (posts, articles, links, etc.) can be sent directly to the right circle. This deeper segmentation allows marketers to target groups directly and create a unique experience, one that other social media platforms do not offer.
Why we like it: It’s every marketers dream come true to segment their cliental into specific groups. This added feature allows just that.
+1: When Google released their +1 tab, the company came right out and said it... “This is similar to Facebook’s ‘like’ and Twitter’s ‘tweet’ button.” When fellow contacts +1 a site, link, ad, and photo, they are giving their seal of approval. The deep integration with +1 provides a recommended list that contacts find useful. For business pages, this helps establish credibility by giving a seal of approval to pages they believe their contacts may view as useful.
Why we like it: Businesses can establish a deeper connection and further interaction with contacts. For example, a search engine optimization firm might +1 a news article that applies to a specific clients industry. Deeper connection and credibility is the focus here.
Analytics: Evaluating and reviewing content and its effectiveness is key. Site administrators are given an in-depth analytical platform that evaluates the strength of the Business page and includes key metrics such as amount of visitors, unique visitors, time on site, geographic data and more. Currently, Facebook offers “insights” however Google’s background in analytics gives them the sure edge.
Why we like it: Evaluating performance is the only way to see if the page is useful and is worth the time. Visitors and time on site are key metrics that will illustrate just how well your company is leveraging the business page, and clearly illuminates areas for improvement.