How Google+ Can Surpass Facebook for Businesses
Despite hosting over 100 million members, Google+ has failed in slowing down Facebook’s rapid global growth and has already been ridden off by many as a failed venture. However, it would be premature to stamp G+ as a social experiment gone awry. Just as Gmail was the key to Google’ enterprise play, Google+ is rapidly becoming the enterprise social networking tool for savvy business leaders. With circles, hangouts, google docs, and more, Google+ integrates communication and collaboration in a social manner. Even beyond this, Google has launched a platform on Google+ specifically for businesses, drawing businesses in their direction.
There are a few reasons businesses should trust Google+ for their social media advertising. First and foremost, Google.com reaches 100 billion people per month – holding the spot for the most visited website. Google+ is the social child of this immensely popular parent, therefore a platform is being set up for success because the relationship is strong. For example, if you type in +Pepsi into the Google search bar, you’ll see their logo, name and description in the dropdown - twice as large as the autocomplete results underneath and the logo adds the only color in the field. Browsers are given the direct option to add this business to their circles – slam dunk.
Secondly, targeting. Thanks to Google+’s ability to segment certain demographics of people into group (known as circles), businesses can message specific groups of consumers depending on what they want to market. And on the business end of the spectrum, these companies can have employee/client/department circles in order to communicate efficiently internally. Because circles can be shared, they help save time, alleviate the process of content sharing, and compartmentalize relationships. Additionally, with Google’s Direct Connect forging a link between its Plus + product and Google search, small businesses have more opportunity to be found.
Next, hangouts. With this feature, businesses are saving money by cutting pricey web conferencing services and utlizing G+ hangouts for everything from international meetings to customer demos. Every business and individual has free and easy access to Google hangouts with their Google+ accounts. Google Docs is another tool of Google+ that will push it past the seams. Docs one of the most utilized Google App, offering word processing and editing capabilities. The perk? It allows you to share your work with just the click of a button and allows all members of the document to work in real time, immediately and automatically updating itself. This integration of Google Docs is a influential tool of Google+ in the business realm.
These are just three simple aspects of the Google+ network that outshine Facebook in the corporate industry. It is a great way to organically build connections in the career aspect of your life. Connecting with others of Google+ can direct you to a lead, a sale, or a partnership. With Google’s Direct Connect forging a link between its Plus + product and Google search, small businesses have more opportunity to be found and more opportunity to create a cohesive relationship between the company and its consumers.
