At the end of last year, we covered why it’s important for your online business to work around Google Penguin. It was also mentioned that social media presence was necessary, but those of you who don’t have enough resources to tap into all channels may be confused about which platform to concentrate on.
While Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter are important, making connections on these platforms require more work, effort, employees and monetary resources. Google+, on the other hand, is still young and untapped to its full potential. The user base is still on the rise, dominated mostly by those who are into technology and there are indirect benefits of making a strong presence on Google+ which are not available on other platforms.
Updating Google+ won’t be a difficult task for you as a business owner, particularly if you’re using Gmail as your priority inbox for receiving mails. Whenever you sign into Gmail, you get automatically sign in to Google+, where you can start your social activity.
It’s easy to access the platform, and you can sign in from virtually anywhere, as there are apps available for smartphones and tablets as well. Google+ comes integrated in the Android platform, so if your smartphone or tablet runs on Android OS, interacting and accessing would be a piece of cake whenever there’s a network connection that’s reliable. Many people struggle unnecessarily just to find cheap wireless internet plans.
Here are some benefits of focusing on Google+ for your business:
1. It has less competition
As mentioned earlier, the user base on Google+ is still on the rise. It’s not as huge as Facebook or Twitter, so there are a lot of opportunities looming for you to tap into. You’ll find making connections on Google+ is a lot easier than on other platforms, and people actually listen to what you have to say. You won’t have to pay to promote a post on Google+ to your followers, and your shared posts won’t get lost in a stream that’s occupied by big brands and celebrities.
2. It’s good for search engine optimization
You may not be aware, but the results of Google+ now appear in Google Search for queries, so it’s providing the juice of search engine optimization. The posts you share on Google+ will be visible to those who have added you to their circles, provided the post is relevant to what they’re searching for. Your business website, therefore, will get more ranking points if it’s able to establish a following on the platform and attract followers.
3. There are serious and knowledgeable people on Google+
Yes, serious and knowledgeable. They’ll catch you instantly if you’re running a business based on a scam. You’ll be thrown out of the communities if you’re sole intention was to sell your product or service without giving anything back. However, if you know your business, and try to make a social presence the right way, those present on Google+ will engage with you, invite you to join communities and give you advice and suggestions.
4. Hangouts are unique
With Google+ hangouts, you can easily have a video session with your customers. You can directly ask about what satisfies them, what they unhappy about, the changes they recommend etc. This is quite cost effective compared to other forms of market research.
Google+ is growing, and it’s only a matter of time before businesses around the globe realize its importance. You have the opportunity to jump the bandwagon while it’s still young and exploit the opportunities. This will increase the visibility and give you that competitive edge.