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You have a Google+ account, but are you using it? The new kid on the block in social media made a rather large debut over the past year. With Twitter, Facebook, blogging, and other platforms already chewing up your online marketing time, the idea of introducing another platform can be a bit overwhelming. That said, there is no need to abandon the online communities you have built on other platforms, but here are a few tips on what you should be doing now to make your presence known on the newest one.
- Make sure your profile is up to date:
– Add a tagline: This feature reminds people who you are and what you do. From the tagline others can decide what circle
to include you in. A vague headline that doesn’t state what your page is about may lead to confused visitors – so use your creativity to catch some new eyes.
– Add photos: This gives you a chance to give your audience an inside look at your company. Most post product images and there’s nothing wrong with this, but along with product images, be personal and show your company behind the scenes – as research suggests that people like pictures of, well, people.
– Recommended links: In the ‘About’ tab you’ll see Recommended Links near the bottom. Add links to your blog and your company homepage for users to visit and to drive traffic to your e-commerce points of sale or prospective clients to your contact info.
- Take time to understand the +1 feature: +1 has an indirect effect on your site’s search rank. This does not mean the more +1’s a link has, the higher rank it achieves in traditional search results. A Google +1 can indirectly lead to a better page rank. The bottom line is, the SEO effects of a +1 are very indirect, which means traditional SEO practices should not be ignored, but that a +1 may positively affect your results for people connected to those in your circles.
- Join hangouts and add to Circles: The Circles feature allows you to segment your followers and the people you follow. This means that businesses can send out select messages to select people – such as partners, customers or community members. Hangouts can be useful for brands because they gives users a chance to engage with the people in your company through video chat.
These tips will keep you on the social media bandwagon and help to improve your business’ web presence. Utilizing platforms such as Google+ can improve the way we communicate our brand to others because of its unique feature set. As with any social media channel, it is important to have an integrated plan, be patient and focus on using the platform to reach new customers, create engagement and ultimately drive your sales or client base.
