What do I need to do to get my G+ Business Page recognized by the people in my target market?
Since most everyone knows I have been on G+ since literally the beginning of time, I frequently get people..mostly from the golf industry..asking me this question. It is a good question and I am seeing more and more businesses and business people coming on G+ with Facebook or Twitter methods of marketing stuck in their minds.
It is natural for people to misunderstand the benefits of G+ since most of them have spent a lot of money…lots, lots and lots of money in some cases..on their Facebook and Twitter existence. SO, attempting to get their ROI out of their previous investments is a natural thing for them to try.
Unfortunately, when they use those failed methods on G+ they quickly find it works against them. Thus, these people who set up house on G+ like they were on Facebook are starting to reach out to people like me to ask questions about how G+ works.
But enough of what is causing the question to be asked, let’s look at the answer.
The best approach to effectively using a G+ Business Page to attract business starts with the G+ Personal Profile. Yes, it is the personal profile that plays a big part in consumer trust building.
Got To Have a Photo
When I take a look a person’s G+ footprint, usually the first thing I notice is their attempt to be seen as anonymous. That form of identity really doesn’t work anywhere else in the social spaces so I have a hard time understanding why they think it would work on G+.
Attempting to hide an identity is really futile. The only way to stay anonymous is to not be on the internet which defeats the purpose and needs of a business. People want to know who is running a business and any attempt to keep them from finding out everything about the person running the business will result in voiding any marketing campaign.
Over 90% of the 100 or so G+ profiles I have reviewed for people this past year have either a photo of a cat or other obscure graphic in their personal profile photo. In the professional golf association it seems over half of them would rather post the PGA Logo in their personal profile space instead of their face…which they usually are not aware posting the PGA Logo in their personal photo space is not approved by the PGA and could get them in trouble with the PGA. People looking for a golf instructor are not looking for the PGA Logo..they are looking for the person behind the logo.
In the non-golf arena, what is usually placed in the personal profile space generally has to do with the person’s attempt to be artful or creative. Many think that not posting their photo will keep the trolls and stalkers from finding them outside of the online social space. Even more state the reason for not posting their photo as not liking how they look and let vanity override reality. Not showing the consumer your real face turns more people away than it attracts.
There is also a perception by many who choose not to show their face that since they are only on G+ to be social a photo of themselves is not necessary. For whatever reason anyone has for not posting a photo of themselves, it is a fact that not showing a headshot photo in the personal profile is working against them in either the personal and professional arenas.
It is human instinct to shy away from something uncomfortable and since most scammers hide behind a cloak of deception the wiser of humans will not even click on untrustworthy looking profile picture. A person’s face is the first impression the world gets of them..if it is not showed the impression goes sour from there.
The bottomline for the Personal Profile: A Headshot Photo is a must if you are going to effectively use G+ (or any special space for that matter) for business purposes.
Be Social First
As is usually the case when I get to discussing the person’s goals for being in the social spaces I have to deal with the attitude they have ..and usually feel strongly about…of not feeling they need to be social in the social space to do business in the social space.
Many business people perception of the internet and social networks they are ONLY market for their product or service. This usually is a turning point in my discussions with them since many feel their MBA. or other badges of honor they feel overrides logic, proves their thinking as correct and my experience in the social space inept.
However, for the 80% or so who remain to stand to listen to reason on why the social spaces..G+ in particular... does not react to traditional marketing I usually get them to understand online marketing has changed. Simply put..social media is now All About Social!!
What I see most people who come to G+ for commerce do is totally neglect their personal profile and spend all their energy on their Business Page.
This is where the change in ‘internet marketing’ is being made since Google launched G+. To be effective in drawing attention to an individual’s or business’s product or service a person…a real live human being...has to first initiate establishing a trustworthy social presences. In other words, you have to first be social.
The Art of Being Social
Here is where the artistry of social networking is developed and why it is important for people opening up G+ Business Pages ‘To Be Social’.
Consumers over the years have evolved into be the most educated shoppers EVER. They also are now the most weary shoppers Ever!
This came about from years of falling for or being drawn into scams that usually cost them a lot of money and/or time. The reluctance to trust anything online has changed the way they shop online, thus changing the way they accept marketing.
This is not just happening in G+. It is happening in all the social spaces. People..which by the way are consumers..demand trustworthiness from businesses. How they go about finding businesses they can trust is from asking others in their online social communities who to trust.
Why is G+ more influential in finding trustworthiness than other social spaces???..glad you asked.
Turning Point
Facebook and Twitter social platforms have let their users down. Questions answered to the users on these platforms usually go unanswered or if answered there usually are followed by a flood of spam or unwanted material usually related to the sponsors of those social platforms. This is not what consumers are looking for.
On G+, the overall focus of the community is to get away from the deceptions. Most people who reside on G+ are there to get away from the scams and shams allowed to propagate in the other social platforms. Plussers..as they are commonly referred to on G+…are more guarded on who they communicate with or place in their Circles on G+. These close knit communities of trustworthy people get stronger everyday. This is where the people..or consumer..go to find businesses they can trust.
How does a business build trustworthiness in the social space?
To start with, a business needs to establish, along with their G+ Business Page, a personal profile for each person in the business. Each person associated with the business page needs to be both personable as well as sociable while also supportive of their business’ goals.
The G+ Business Page are similar to a web-site or blog. The employees should post information about the business product along with sharing supportive materials or blogs that provide viewers with more insight on the products or service than what they are going to find on the business’ official web-site.
Yes, this process is similar to what businesses are attempting to do on Facebook, but the difference here is..and this is why G+ is much more powerful for businesses..everything that is posted in the G+ arena is immediately searchable on the Google Search Engine. This is not the case on Facebook or Twitter.
Showing Restrain
But..like anything powerful, the urge to flood the G+ stream with content in an attempt to gain SEO advantage (for those who are into SEO), will immediately backfire on the user. Remember who is seeing the content posted in the G+ stream…yes, consumers. The major thing that consumers do not like is Over Promotion.
The power of the G+ Business Page is generated from how well the G+ personal profile is used. They work together. Whatever content is posted on the business page should be expanded upon and shared from the personal page. Whatever is posted in the personal profile relevant to the the focus of the business page should be shared by the business page.
This produces more exposure to the business’ presence in the social space which will draw in people outside of G+, who view the content in the Google Search Results..to checking out the business either on G+ or at their web-site.
Controlling the Power of G+
The business page is where the consumer goes to get reliable answers to their questions. If they do not get a social response or a caring attitude towards their banter with an employee..BAM…they are gone like a fleeing deer from a predator. They then carry with them a negative image of the business.
So, it is very important everyone involved with the business is on the same page with what is to be shared with the consumers and understands the risk and rewards associated with being in the social space. The risk of failure is a little higher on G+ because G+ is rapidly drawing in more weary consumers who will feel any business they find to not be social to have an untrustworthy image.
So if a business starts off on the wrong foot with Google Plus..like many of the businesses in the golf industry have…it is really hard to do damage control after losing the trust of the consumers.
Bottomline: Be social first, business second. If that is of no interest to you it might be best to get ready to fail..and fail quickly. I really mean it with I say..It’s All About Social!
Let me know how I can help..and I can Help.
