- if your goal is to broadcast your message to as many potential customers as possible. In fact, if numbers are your only metric of success, then don’t waste your time with Google+ right now.
OK, now that the 7 of you disbelievers have stopped reading, let’s continue for the rest of you.
Google+ stats
Paul Allen reports Google+ has 62 million users, adding 625k users each day. (Image courtesy of Paul Allen).
Quoting Paul: “If this rate of new signups (625k daily) continues then Google+ will reach 100 million users on Feb. 25th and 200 million users on August 3. They will finish 2012 with 293 million users.”
To explain that in ways you can understand and compare it to something else, Facebook reports it has about 750 million users, putting Google+ at 39% as many users as Facebook – in just 12 months for Google+.
I bet you’re a little more interested now.
Other reasons to use Google+ for Small Business
1) As a first/early mover of businesses using Google+, folks will see your small business as someone they can ask questions of.
2) Google is also heavily weighting profiles and participation, so if someone is lagging in organic (unpaid) Google listings for their product/service, it’s an opportunity to move up the rankings.
3) Hangouts are video opportunities to hold mini-webinars to demo products or services. They’re free of charge, and no doubt you’ll soon be able to record your hangout and be able to upload them to (and refer back to them on) YouTube.
Examples: See Daniel Gordon and Samuel Gordon Jewelers for a great example of someone who is using Google+ effectively.
How to use Google+ For Small Business
Start by having all your key employees sign up for a personal account, and complete their profiles with photos, links to your online properties, and smiling photos. People love doing business with people. You can do this at http://plus.google.com
Share some relevant industry information – each person who has a Google+ account should now begin sharing some relevant information about your business’ industry. This should not be spammy, but instead information that would be of interest to people who do business with your business.
Share some relevant company information – If you have any great articles, now is a good time to share them. Just a few, not EVERYTHING you’ve ever posted.
After a few days, and at least 3 or 4 Google+ posts, you’re ready to create your business page.
Pick 1 person, and have her set up a Google+ business page. It’s as simple as clicking on this graphic in the right hand side of their Google+ profile.
For a complete profile, and to get the best results, she will need the company URL and a nice version of your corporate logo.
Publish the new business page on her Google+ profile (it’s an option at the end of the setup) and have everyone else who has Google+ share it with their followers.
Share a little bit here and a little bit there, measuring your time and seeing what happens with your investment. 30-90 minutes a week is all the time I’d invest right now.
For more ideas and information about using Google+ for your business, circle me on Google+, read What Can Google+ Do For Your Business over at Business on Main or pick up a copy of Chris Brogan’s Google+ for Business.
YOUR TURN: Is YOUR business using Google+ yet? If yes, please leave your businesses Google+ page in your comment. If you’re not, why not?
UPDATE: Google just updated their social search to make Google+ content even MORE relevant. Read about the Search Plus Your World update on the Official Google Blog.
Disclaimer: My blog is a part of an online influencer network for Business on Main. I receive incentives to share my views on a monthly basis.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Great tips!
I’m an early adopter and still trying to figure out how to best strategize the use of Google+ for my business as I *am* the business. For a consultant, it’s interesting to play the role of duel-personality when on the social media networks.
My business page is: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109652761316857582740
My “personal” page is: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103343410323328731347
Enjoy and thanks again!
Great comment Shannon, and thanks for sharing your Google+ profiles too.
Just remember: every business started with 1 person with 1 idea. Little businesses often grow up to be big businesses.
Google Plus is a great platform, I love it, but ironically, I don’t post there much. However, one thing to change in 2012 for me is more engagement on G+.
I’ll circle you, if we are not connected already.
p.s. Clever choice of title for you post!
Thanks Sherry. I see you did circle me, and I’ll circle you too.
Engagement is important, so make time to connect at least 5 minutes a day. 1 comment, 1 share with your additional comment, or 1 new piece of information is all it takes to start.
Glad you liked the title too
I think G+ hangouts could work really well for my business. My issue is whether my target market hangs out there yet. I guess I will find out! We’ll be trying to entice people to come over from Facebook and Twitter too. G+ seems a little like bleeding-edge technology at the moment.
That’s a great point Catherine. Hard to tell if anyone’s target market is there yet or not, but it’s worth building something there now, so when the market IS there, you’ll be ready to use it to it’s fullest advantage.
G+ is defenitley my choice 2012, I think I have the best chances to make most damage and expand my brand to new uncharted waters on G+. You don’t join when your target market join, you join before and taking the opportunity to bring yourself up to speed before the competition.
Thanks!
/Mattias
There are some very interesting points in this article about how a small business would start up their Google plus page it is very simple and there’s a lot of people using A great read
Thanks Bob. I appreciate you stopping in.
Could a guy set up the Google + Business Page…?
You talking to me Keri?
I have a Google+ business page. I am slowly dipping my own toe in, much like I’m encouraging others to do.
My personal page is at: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105000163884730117319
My business page is at https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117684256265322700253/117684256265322700253
I think it’s important for small businesses to get on the Google+ bandwagon right now while the playing field is still pretty bare.
Not only will we be ahead of our competition on the Google+ learning curve, but hopefully the newest benefit from the “search plus your world” update will allow us to leapfrog over our competitors in search rankings.
Good luck to you all!
I hope this is a leapfrog opportunity too Lance. Time will tell.
Thanks for stopping in!
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