On March 2, Google announced that Google Plus’ photo feature would be separated from the rest of the platform as its own app, creating Google Photos and Google Streams. Pause for reaction. Nothing? Yeah, that’s because no one is particularly surprised that Google Plus is being stripped and sold for parts. Google Plus has been lagging as a social platform for awhile behind the Fantastic Four (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram) for some time now, especially when it’s been reported that only 9 percent of users are posting to the site. But Google isn’t the largest search engine for nothing, so you know the folks over there can definitely turn the platform around to make a product that consumers want. The future of Google Plus still seems up in the air right now, but stay tuned for more info. In the meantime, Google’s social platform still has features that can be useful to your social campaign:
Google Hangouts
Any social media marketer worth his or her salt knows that video is now dominating the social stratosphere. Hangouts allow you to reach and communicate with your audience via text, audio, and video. Hangouts enable businesses to interact with their followers and fans on a more personal level. One suggestion is to start a Q&A Hangout session about your brand and invite key figures and influencers to talk about your products and services to help strengthen your brand recognition.
Circles
Google Plus Circles are one of the platform’s strongest features. Unfortunately, its also one of the most underutilized. Circles give the platform a leg up on Facebook and Twitter because you can completely customize your audience. This is particularly handy for B2B businesses since you can easily categorize your partners, prospects, etc. and post specifically to each group. Building and maintaining relationships with your followers is essential on social media. With Circles, small businesses on Google Plus can better strengthen those bonds in a direct way with curated, targeted communities.
Search Engine Optimization
Whether its Google Plus or Google+ Streams, you know that posting to this platform is going to have SEO benefits. Perhaps the main reason that businesses had created and managed a Google Plus page is for the SEO benefits. Small businesses looking to improve their search engine marketing (SEM) should consider creating a business page and consistently posting no more than three times per day. In addition, be mindful to include the keywords associated with your business on your profile page and in your stream posts.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Google Plus Remixed: Streams and Photos
More Digital & Social articles from Business 2 Community:
- SEO Isn’t What It Used To Be, But It Isn’t Dead.
- Social Media Or SEO? 20 Top Marketers Share Their Opinion!
- 4 Mobile SEO Problems That PR Pros Must Conquer
- The 12 Biggest Website Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid
- Why Using Websites, Blogs and Email Newsletters is Always More Effective than Social Media Sites
