Google+ for Business?

Google+, in case you have not heard, launched a few months back as Google’s answer to Facebook’s long-term domination. Starting out with a measly 10m or so users (compared to Facebook’s more than 400m active users), it has now grown to over 260 million.

So it isn’t another Facebook?

Google+ really does seem like a Facebook clone, although under closer inspection you’ll notice a few new features.

Hangouts

First off, Google+ allows users to create and join in on “hangouts”, or multi-person webcam conferencing. Amazingly, users can even join the hangout on their mobile phone.

Circles

Google+ also introduces a new concept called “circles”. Imagine being able to group your Facebook friends based on what you share with them and be able to view updates from only certain groups at a time. For example, with your “business” friends you would hold off that status update about your cats new love of catnip, furthermore, you wouldn’t have to bore your “personal” friends with the business report template you just found. With Google+, you choose who receives what update.

Google puts it simply: “[Circles:] An easy way to share some things with college buddies, others with your parents, and almost nothing with your boss. Just like in real life.”

The New Google+ Button

Avid Google users have surely noticed a fancy new +1 button on their favorite search engine lately. The Google+ button allows you to +1, just like Facebook’s Like, directly from Google search results. Also just like the Facebook’s Like button, websites can also feature a +1 button.

You guessed it, clicking the button shares your view with your Google+ circles, thus another social networking tool you’re going to want.

Google+ Pages

According to Google, Pages “..brings you closer to your customers, fans and followers on Google+.”

Google+ Pages gets your business it’s own home on Google+, just like Facebook Pages does for Facebook. The difference? Customization of Google+ Pages is very limited (for the time being).

However, your business can enjoy the same benefits of Google+ for regular users:

• Use video Hangouts to engage customers.
• Group customers and business contacts into Circles to share the right message with the right audience.
• Let people recommend you to their friends using the +1 button (on your page and your website).

Need some help setting up your business with Google+, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc? Contact us to start a social media campaign for your business.