Martin Shervington of both “Plus Your Life” and “Plus Your Business”, wrapped up the day at the Rocks Digital Marketing Conference with his closing Keynote and I have to say that, after his presentation, I finally understand Google Plus better and have some idea of why and how to use the platform.
Reasons Every Business Should Take Notice of Google Plus Now
- Do your customers use Google?
- Do you have a Local Business?
- Do you want to increase efficiency and collaboration?
- Do you want people to see, engage with and share your content?
- Do you want to get more visitors to your website?
Understanding Google Plus
Part 1 – Eco-System
Google is a social destination
- Google+ Communities
- Collections – New Release (similar to Pinterest boards)
- Understanding Google as the social layer – you can use circles to build engagement with targeted groups
- You can add people to circles from within Gmail
- Personalized results – Google+ posts can surface in search
- The role of the +1 on people’s website – always share public for maximum reach
Google Products
- Google Pages
- Google My Business – this is Google+ for Business
- Local Business Listing – Local Business and Reviews
- Google Adwords
- Google Now
- Google Hangouts
- YouTube and Hangouts on Air
- Google+ Sharing from YouTube
- Google Drive
- Google Calendar and Events
- Google Chrome – Google Chromebook
Part 2 – Brand
- It’s human and it’s a way of connecting people
- You’ve got to have conversations, build relationships and build trust
- The Google+ community will give you Search Results
- The Google+ Brand Machine – Authority>Trust>Reputation
- You need to start building your community on Google+
- Social>Search>Site
When you share a link from your blog and people engage with that content, it can pop up in a search. Make sure that you have sharing buttons on your website.
Part 3 – Action Steps
- Set up a Google+ Profile and a Page – link to your website
- Claim your Local listing and start getting reviews
- Make sure you have the follower button visible on your site
- Have a blog and create unique content
- Make sure you have the +1 button on your blog posts
- Set up your YouTube channel
And help the world find and connect with you in new ways…
A little psychology and some tips to community building
- Build relationships with influencers – plus one, comment and share their content
- Create a circle and have it on ‘notify’
- Put 50 people into that circle
- They’ll get a notification when you share
- Sharing content says “I want my content to look like you”
- Engage, engage and engage some more if you want engagement
- Then post your content. And share publicly unless you have a reason not to…
Think in terms of finding your ‘100 Brand Evangelists’
- Look to build opt-in lists
- Reach out to people privately – ask them a question
- Look to use Hangouts to connect face-to face – Interview people and let them tell their story….
Spend some time getting to know Google+ and make some new connections!
Have you been using Google+ for your business? What options have helped your business?
To learn more about Martin Shervington you can read his full bio on Rocks Digital.
