World’s largest search engine seeks corporate friend who enjoys taking business risks, social networking and long walks on the beach. Sounds like a nice pick-up line, right?
Sorry, gentlemen, Google already used it.
Following the much-anticipated release of Google Plus, numerous individuals and businesses flocked to the new social media site. However, Google wasn’t fully prepared for corporate brands to join. The Silicon Valley giant was still building the beta version of Google Plus for businesses .
It’s too bad Larry Page and Sergey Brin never learned the age-old Boy Scout lesson, “always be prepared,” because the company had to notify all brands and organizations already on Google Plus that their business accounts would be terminated. They later explained to Mashable’s Pete Cashmore, all brands will be invited to join the social network once the official Google Plus business profiles launch.
Google Plus entered the world with a bang, exciting social media lovers and techies everywhere. However, journalists and tech bloggers began asking if corporate America was ready for another social network.
It took some convincing to get businesses and corporations to join the world of social networking. Both Facebook and Twitter worked hard to earn the trust of hundreds of international and domestic brands. Once they did, it wasn’t long until the corporate world witnessed the perks: increased levels of interaction between the brand and the customer; customers voicing opinions about products; increased revenue; and brand awareness. Let’s not forget, companies also gained new fans and new customers! Suddenly, business became part of the online social media experience. Now, with the birth of Google Plus, corporate brands are hoping to see similar results.
And I’ll bet you Google won’t disappoint.
The search engine giant has always been interested in supporting businesses with free online tools like Google Documents and G-mail, and they intend to do the same with Google Plus for businesses. In fact, they’ve designed it so they can expand their brand, compete with Facebook and, most importantly, keep Google Plus users on Google’s platform. In fact, maintaining users on Google’s cloud is one of the most important aspects of the Google Plus project because in the long run it means more revenue for Google (and global domination).
Businesses will also benefit from circles, if Google incorporates them into Google Plus business profiles. For one, brands will be able to curtail their posts to specific demographics without the other circles noticing. This feature places Facebook at an extreme disadvantage. For example, a toy store might want to post directly to their “Mom” circle when promoting a new back-to-school product; whereas, they might post directly to their “Journalist” circle when announcing their second quarter earnings. While we haven’t seen the specific details of what Google will or will not use on a Google Plus business profile, there is no doubt that circles will change the way journalists, consumers and stockholders interact with brands online.
We’d be mistaken if we didn’t give Google the benefit of the doubt; we are certain that Google Plus will increase a brand’s search presence. Brands’ posts and update from the Google Plus plateform will most likely appear at the top of a user’s search query. For example, if you were to Google, “Target,” their latest Google Plus post would show up in the search results. From here, Internet users can click on the corporation’s profile. This will help click-through rates and drive consumers to interact with the brand on their corporate website and Google Plus profile. This is one area where Facebook can’t compete with Google because it isn’t a search engine.
From here, businesses can use Google Analytics to gain valuable insights into who their fans are, what content their fans are consuming and what similar interests they have. This information will guide brands and help to prioritize which elements of the profile are more beneficial than others. In the long run, businesses will have a better understanding of what suits the wants and needs of its fans. More importantly, Google Analytics and DoubleClick will allow advertisers to associate paid media placements with specific page interactions. This works to maximize the value of media spend.
Between the analytics, increased interaction with fans and new outlets for communicating with the media, Google Plus business is sure to shake up the corporate side of social media.