Are Google+ Pages for Business Right for Your Brand?

Google+ Pages present a new opportunity for brands to be represented and interact with their audience in social media. For brands with a social presence — or who would like one — Sitewire strongly recommends Google+ Pages as a next step in improving visibility online.

Do I need a Google+ Page if I already have a Facebook Page?

With very few exceptions, yes! The adage says to “fish where the fish are,” and Google+ and Facebook represent different ponds of active users. The Google+ user base is already 50 million strong, and growing, comprising a young, affluent, early-adopter audience. In addition, the Google+ feature set offers some new options that Facebook does not, including delivering targeted messaging via “Circles” and live video chats.

Google+ had been promising to roll out pages for organizations since the social network launched in June 2011. As of Monday, businesses are able to create Google+ Pages for themselves in one of five categories:

• Local Business or Place
• Product or Brand
• Company, Institution or Organization
• Arts, Entertainment or Sports

These pages will function similarly to Facebook in that Google+ users can “circle” (or subscribe to) to the G+ Page to receive all of the content published on your brand’s page. Unlike Facebook, Google+ Pages are allowed to do many of the same things that a personal account can do, including:

• Share photos
• Share videos
• Share links
• Conduct Hangouts (a live video chat feature)
• Highly target specific messages to specific groups

How do I get started with a Google+ Page for my brand?

All you need to create a page is a valid Gmail email address. Once this address creates a Google+ page for your business, it will be the only page administrator. Multiple administrator support is promised in the near future. Unlike Facebook, there aren’t “vanity” URLs available (yet) that use a business name rather than a long string of numbers.

Google+ pages can be a great way to connect to and engage with fans of your brand, and we recommend taking one of the following actions:

1. Let us do it for you! While Google+ Pages certainly aren’t a tactic on their own, the growth we’re seeing this new channel — along with the immediate integration to the powerhouse that is Google — can’t be ignored.
2. Or if you just want to test the waters,  create your own Google+ Page.
3. Circle the Sitewire Google+ Page!

Regardless of which approach you take, a strategy to produce content and engage with those in your circles should be created based on your social media goals. Well… that third option doesn’t take much strategy, now does it?

We’re excited to watch this new property develop. Early indications point to a highly interactive but business-focused audience engaging on Google+. And for businesses, that’s a welcome addition!

Tagged as: Business, Google, Google Page, social media