10 Tips for Using Google+ in Your Marketing

In recent years, Google has become nothing less than a powerhouse in the realm of online marketing. The company started out as “just another search engine”, but despite coming later into the game than several other popular search engines, Google has basically taken over. They branched out into the integration of YouTube a few years ago and now the term “Google glass” is threatening to become part of the lexicon. They are literally everywhere.

Given their invasion of all things internet, I guess it stands to reason that creating a powerful social media tool makes perfect sense. Although it has been shunned in the past due to some of the decisions made surrounding it, Google+ is now a tool that you shouldn’t do without. It’s not as popular as some of the others, but you definitely want to have it in your corner.

Want to get the most out of your Google+ account? Here are ten quick tips to help:

Tip #1: Use Your About Page Wisely

First and foremost, you want to explain to your viewers how awesome your business is by providing a positive overview. Also include keywords and relevant links in the About Us section that will draw in potential customers and direct them to the most important pages on your site.

Tip #2: Post … a Lot

We don’t mean that you should inundate your potential audience with thirty posts a day. You simply want to be consistent. Whether you post three times a week or once a day, make sure you don’t deviate too much.

Tip #3: Optimize for the Best Search Results

Posting on a continuous basis, as noted above, will serve you a lot better if you optimize your posts for the best search results. Since Google’s search algorithm pulls results from your Google+ activity, the use of relevant keywords will do wonders.

Tip #4: Utilize Google+ Events

Tip #5: Engage Your Audience

Like other social media sites, one of the best ways to keep interest piqued is to engage with your audience. If you’re so inclined, you can even close a comment section and use that as an opportunity to explain why you’re closing the discussion and invite the users to follow you for additional interaction.

Tip #6: Build a Relevant Community

Connecting with others won’t do you a lot of good if you’re not finding the right people. Google+ allows you to find comments where your business is mentioned whether or not you were tagged in the post. Simply use the search bar and hunt those suckers down!

Tip #7: Steal from Your Competition

There’s nothing wrong with trying to sway users over to your business. That’s the nature of the beast. You can do this by using the search technique mentioned above and connecting with fans of competing products or services.

Tip #8: Put Hashtags to Good Use

Love ’em or hate ’em, hashtags are here to stay … at least until something else comes along. You can put them to good use by searching Google+ for hashtags that are relevant to your business. This will give you broad results, but by connecting with people who receive the highest level of interaction, you’ll expand your exposure.

Tip #9: Use Google Circles

Google Circles allows you to divide the people you follow into different lists. This can help you focus on certain buyer personas during a marketing campaign, and the same person can be placed into multiple lists.

Tip #10: Don’t Forget Google Hangouts

This free video chat feature can help you connect with potential customers with the use of Q&A sessions, webinars, customer support, instructional support, etc. Just make sure your hair looks good.