So How Do You Use Google+ for Business?

Here is another question I get asked nearly every day, or at least it comes up every time I have a conversation with someone asking me what I do professionally.

How Do I use Google+ for my Business?

This is actually a very good question and obviously I see many, many people and businesses using Google+ ineffectively..or better said, incorrectly.  Let’s take a look at why more effective ways to use Google+ for a business are needed to be found.

Think Like a Consumer

The first thing a business needs to do when entering the world of Google+ is to lock their SEO people in an office full of pizza to keep them happy while they get after the new way of doing business online.  Google+ takes care of all your SEO so all you need to do is simply start thinking like a consumer.

The question a business has to ask itself is if someone was needing your product, where would they find it?  Would they jump in the car and go trolling the aisles of Walmart or fire up the Chrome browser and view a few pages of Google?…or both.   The answer naturally is going to be for the  consumer to look where they can quickly find the information which would be the internet.

If the product or service is something a consumer seldom thinks about or feels they need, then the method of marketing changes somewhat.  However, when the consumer’s interest is peaked for a product or service it had better be found on Google.

Quality Content = Sales

So, the main thing a business person needs to think about when using Google+ is to forget about slamming everyone with an endless stream of promotional post or making the HUGE mistake of creating Circles of people to spam them with your promotions.  The way a business now has to think about marketing online has to do with developing quality content on their business page.

How to Kill Your Image Online

Too many times whenever I look at a client’s Google+ Page the first thing I see is a banner filled with promotional images, phone numbers, marketing slogans and an image that would blur the vision of a Rhino.

Then I see their G+ Profile description.  It reads like an encyclopedia of information on their product but nothing about the company.

Of course their Avatar is usually also a picture of a Model or some other character they were told (by unamed industry sources) they needed to post to grab attention of consumers.

Google+ just does not work like this..and I am grateful it doesn’t.

What Works!

Let’s cut to the chase and get to the point on how Google+ is used for business.   What works on Google+ is:

1. Quality content posted consistently by a real human who is ready to respond immediately to anyone who comments.

2. Videos..well produced HD quality videos…posted to Google+ from YouTube, that explain the product and services in a conversational voice..not a sales pitch.

3. Real Live Events, held using the Google+ Event feature, with one or two dedicated individuals attending the event to post photos from the event to the business’ Google+ page.

4. Regularly scheduled high quality HangOuts to visit with consumers or customers

5. Post a Blog at least weekly that highlight the product’s or service’s benefits.

Consumers Control the Economy

Businesses today need to think more like their consumers.  Instead of launching massive marketing campaigns to entrap a few people out of millions weary souls to buy something, the more productive way of marketing today is to work towards making sure the business or product can be found on Google.

Google has done a brilliant job thinking out how to reel in the search engine optimization back to within their control.  They have actually made it so much easier to market online by making every word posted on G+ a keyword. There is no need in needing to know how to code a site so meta files are promoted or the other games played in the SEO.

Google+ is being developed into the ultimate SEO machine and for those who ignore G+ ..well, they will be left behind.

Become proactive with your business marketing.  Take control of your presence online by creating a quality business page G+ that makes sense.  Then all it takes is to be social.  Do this and the business and sales will come to you instead of you going to them.

Google+ is the place to be if you are in business.  Let me know how I can help.