All About Google+

The buzz in digital marketing and social media is all about Google+. What is Google+? How is it different from other social networks? And most importantly, why will it become increasingly important for your business?...

What is Google+?

Google+ is the next effort in social media that has been put forward by Google. If you are familiar with social media networks or are a frequent user of Google products many of the Google+ features will appear very familiar to you. Similar to Facebook and Twitter, the Google+ platform enables you to make posts as well as view a stream of posts and activity from people that you follow. However, there are a few new features that Google+ has introduced that really differentiate this social media service from the competition.

Unique Google+ Features

One of the most talked about and unique features of Google+ is Circles, which enables a user to organize their friends, co-workers, family, and acquaintances by category so that they can share exactly what they want with each individual circle of people. This feature uniquely customizes the sharing experience and ensures that information is only available to the individual Circles that you want. Other interesting features of Google+ include:

• A personal newsfeed that identifies content (links, related articles, videos, photos, etc.) relevant to you based on your interests called Sparks
• Video conferencing for you and up to 10 people, referred to as Hangouts
• Huddles (currently exclusive only to Android phone users) that enable instant phone-to-phone group chats among members of your circles

As part of Google+, Google has integrated the +1 button that on the surface looks very similar to a Facebook Like button. This button enables a user to publically show what they like, agree with, or recommend on the web. However a +1 click will go a lot farther than a Facebook "like", which is the primary reason Google+ will become increasingly important for your business. With Facebook when you "like" a particular page or website, that action is only available for a short period of time on your profile, as well as on friends' newsfeeds and walls. Eventually that "like" will become hidden under other actions that you take on your Facebook page. The +1 button is an expansion on the "like" model established by Facebook. Not only do your +1 actions appear on your Google+ profile, but they are also visible to your Google+ friends when they use the Google search engine. In turn, as a Google+ member, you will soon be able to see what websites your friends recommend and like to help you decide what web content will be the most relevant to you. This means that utilizing social media and Google+ in your digital marketing plan will become essential.

Why Google+ is important

In just over 3 weeks Google+ was able to reach 20 million users despite the fact that the service is still new and available by invitation only. With Google's built in visitor base of 1 billion people, Google+ will become increasingly important to your digital marketing plan as these services are fully rolled out, and Google+ becomes integrated with Google's search results. Contact your account executive to see how Google+ and the +1 button can be integrated into your digital marketing plan.

5 Key Reasons for a Facebook Business Page

The 5 key reasons why having an active and engaging Facebook business page will help improve your company's digital profile.

In the past 4 years Facebook has become integrated into the daily lives of a majority of Americans achieving the coveted spot as 2nd most visited site on the internet behind Google. Now, Facebook enables businesses to create personalized brand pages and interact digitally with their customers in a whole new way. Below is a list of 5 reasons why every business should have a strong Facebook brand presence.

• Facebook is too big to ignore and enables businesses to interact with customers in an environment that they frequently use.
  Facebook is rapidly approaching 700 million users and this actively engaged audience is looking for ways to interact with businesses in new and exciting ways. With the average Facebook user spending 55 minutes on the site per day your business can begin to capitalize on this incredible and growing digital marketing opportunity.
• Kids and younger people are not the only people who use Facebook
  The Facebook audience is rapidly expanding with 45% of Facebook users now older than 35 (with the fastest growing age demographic being the 35-44 group). As Facebook users begin to encompass multiple generations the importance of Facebook as a marketing tool will to increase dramatically.
• Small business owners have found Facebook as an effective tool for communicating with their customers
  A recent survey of small business owners found that 89% of small business owners use Facebook to attract new customers, communicate company news, promote the company brand, and keep in touch with existing customers.
• US adults are connecting with companies through Facebook in growing numbers
  According to a survey released by eMarketer the number of adult US Facebook users who "Like" brands on Facebook has increased dramatically from 47% in September 2010 to 59% in April 2011. With 92% of brand fans saying that their experience as a fan has a positive impact on whether or not they would recommend the brand to friends and 36% stating a brand page has a high impact on their purchase intent Facebook is becoming increasingly important for word of mouth advertising.
• Businesses need to capture their Facebook brand presence or users will go elsewhere
  People are looking for businesses to establish brand pages and if one is not available to them they might consider choosing to join an unofficial fan page as an alternative. Therefore it is essential for businesses to develop their brand presence and control their digital presence.

Is your business utilizing Facebook in its digital marketing plan? Is your business utilizing Facebook in its digital marketing plan?