www.bootcampdigital.com CMO Briefing Google+: How Google s New Social Network Can Impact Your Business Facts Google+ had over 30 million users in the first month and was the fastest growing social network ever. But time on the site and engagement are low. What is it? It is Google s social network that includes the sharing of Facebook with the open following of Twitter. The interface is clean, but it isn t catching on just yet. Bottom Line Google+ is a site to watch, but for the moment business opportunities are limited. Watch for how Google+ will send signals to search engines The business leaders guide to Google s social network. Google+ launched as the fastest growing social network ever. What does this mean to you? Google+ (also known as Google Plus or G+) launched as a social networking and identity service on June 28, 2011. Google+ integrates many of the social networking features of Facebook, while connecting users to their other Google properties (Picasa, Profiles, etc). Google+ dominated discussions in marketing and technology circles since it launched, with many arguing that it is the next big thing in internet marketing while others view it as another failed attempt by Google to enter the social networking space. This report shares the key insights you need to know about Google+. This CMO Briefing will get you up to speed on Google+ without having to waste hours on the site, or reading hundreds of articles. We ll cover: What is Google+ Key Features of Google Plus and Differences vs. Facebook The Opportunity for Marketers and Businesses What to look for in Google+ Next steps for business leaders and marketers Why You Should Pay Attention Google is a huge player online, and Google search makes up 65% of the search engine market. When you combine the wealth of data that social networks have with Google s business model of providing the most relevant ads to the right person in the right place, their interest in social networks becomes more obvious. But Don t rush to create a Google+ strategy just yet. Google+ for brands is still extremely limited. Brands can create pages and post updates, but that is it. User engagement on the site is low. While Facebook generates 7.5 hours on site per active user per month, Google+ is just 3.5 minutes. The top brands on Google+ have about 300k followers vs. 8 million on Twitter and 30 million on Facebook. Basically, people just aren t using it yet.
info@bootcampdigital.com This isn t just Google s version of Facebook. Google Plus isn t just a Google version of Facebook. It is also a way for users of Google products to connect all of their properties. Consider that Google owns YouTube (video sharing), Picasa (photo sharing), Search and Blogger. Google+ is your new entry point to all of your Google properties. How Google+ Works Like other social networks, it is free to create a Google+ account, but you need a Google account to create one. A Google account is also free to create, and Google uses this as your single sign on for all of their web properties. Google+ is Google s Social Network On Google+, users can: Connect with friends Share updates, photos and videos View status updates, photos and videos posted by the people in their circles (friends + people they are following) Follow brand pages Follow the public updates of other people Participate in huddles or online group video chat Connect with other Google assets (Picasa, YouTube) Discover popular news through sparks Rate and review restaurants on the go with the new Google+ Integration with Google Local (think Google+ combined with Yelp) The Growth of Google Plus On January 19 th 2012 it was reported that Google+ had over 90 million users, making it the fastest growing social network ever. Actual usage statistics on Google+ remain low with limited active users and low time spent on the site. While Google continues to boast high membership numbers, independent reports suggest limited actual use. On January 10, Google released "Search plus Your World", which inserts content shared on Google+ profiles and brand pages under Web Search results. This feature was controversial, but suggests that Google+ activity could impact search results, making it interesting for marketers. On May 30, 2012, Google Places was replaced by Google+ Local, which now integrates directly with the Google+ service to allow users to post photos and reviews of locations directly to its page on the service. Additionally, Google+ Local and Maps also now feature detailed reviews and ratings from Zagat, who was acquired by Google in September 2011. 2
Since Google+ is a relatively late entrant into social networking, they have been able to integrate the best features and functions of both Facebook and Twitter. Interface The interface on Google+ is clean, and many people prefer it to Facebook. It isn t (at least not yet) inundated with ads. Profile A Google+ Profile is similar to a profile on other social networks. Upload your photo and basic information and get started. Once you have a profile created you will want to start adding people to your circles (friends) and begin to post updates and share content (similar to Facebook). Hangouts A hangout allows you to have a live video chat with random people or people in your circles. It is a big improvement over Facebook chat and can be a quick way to connect. Sparks/Explore Sparks are newsfeeds based on interests. For example I could follow a spark on social media, cars or photography. It helps me to see what people are sharing related to a specific topic of interest. The explore tab on Google+ allows you to see popular content regardless of whether or not the poster is in your circle. 3
info@bootcampdigital.com Circles Circles on Google+ are how you connect with people. On Facebook you add friends, on Twitter you have followers, on LinkedIn you have connections and on Google+ you have circles. Circles allow you to organize your friends and contacts into circles. You can then choose to share content with just one or two circles, or all of your connections. With circles your contacts are all organized making it easy to view updates from contacts in a specific circle or to share information with only a specific circle. For example, you may have circles for Friends, Family, Coworkers and Acquaintances. To add people to circles you simply drag and drop their icon into the circle. It is much easier and more visual than Facebook lists. Circles are Private One of the advantages of circles is that it is only for your management. Your friends and family can t see which circles you have placed them in; they can only see that they are in a circle. Reciprocity NOT Required Unlike other social networks, Google+ does not require that you approve or reciprocate friendships, it just limits what people can see. Here is how it works: I can add anyone to my circles Anyone can add me to their circles BUT we ll only see the status updates that have been shared with the circles that we are in For example: If you add me to a circle but I haven t added you, you will only see my PUBLIC updates If I ALSO add you to my circle, you will begin to see all of the updates that I share WITH THE CIRCLE THAT YOU ARE IN Circles are private, so people don t know WHICH circles you have them in, just that you have them in a circle Friendship or connections works like Twitter. You can add anyone to your circles, but you will only see their public updates if they have also added you to a circle. In this way it combines Twitter and Facebook with public following but also sharing with friends. 4
Opportunity for Marketers: Limited but Interesting Brand Pages The main opportunity for brands to participate on Google+ is through brand pages. Similar to Facebook, a brand page is the representation of a business on Google+ Currently, brand pages are very limited. You can create a page with your logo, a background image and complete basic information. Brands can post status updates and share photos and videos. That is about it. No custom pages. No contests. No tabs. Nothing else. Google+ is still less than a year old, so it makes sense that they will roll out more robust features for businesses over time. When Facebook launched they didn t have brand pages and they have spent years creating and changing the brand page presence on their site. Stay tuned for better brand pages and more robust features. What You Need to Get Started A Google Account You can set up a free Google Account to get started. Create the Page Click on Google Plus Page for Business or go to www.google.com/+/business/ Logo 200 x 200 pixels is the standard size allowance and cover image Description Which will be prominently displayed under your Page name (consider including your keywords in this for search). 5 Photos that represent your brand Similar to Facebook Pages, Google Plus pages tile along the top of your page. Choose photos that include your branding and showcase your product or service well. List of Relevant Websites You may link to other relevant websites to augment your page. A Plan Like any other social network, you should have a plan that includes what your objectives are, who you want to connect with and what you are trying to achieve. 5
info@bootcampdigital.com Building an Audience On Google+ Much like other social networks, if you build it they probably won t come. Social media is about community, and contributing and participating actively in the community is required for success. To build an audience in Google+, first look for opportunities to promote your Google+ page as you would with other social network accounts. Next participate and contribute. One factor that makes Google+ unique for brands is that you can t add people to the circles of a brand page unless they have added you. So it is vital to encourage your fans/friends and followers to connect with you so that you aren t talking to an echo chamber. Next, participate and build community. Engage and participate in a relevant way to build a loyal and interested following. What to Post on Google Plus Pages Similar to Facebook, brands can post status updates with links to other sites, photos and videos. As of now, brands cannot create custom tabs or run contests. Build a plan that focuses on who you want to reach and what content they are likely to be interested in that also links back to your marketing strategies. Test and experiment to optimize your content. Don t Have Time? Not Interested Yet? The reality is that Google+ doesn t have the engagement rates that Facebook and Twitter do. So if you don t have time, don t worry about it. Create a page and simply leave one status update We aren t active on Google+ yet, but please add us to your circles to be the first to receive our updates. In the meantime we would love to connect with you on Facebook (www.facebook.com/bootcampdigital) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/bootcampdigital). Things to Remember Brands have Pages, People Have Profiles Just like Facebook, a profile is reserved for a person and a page is for a business. Don t run the risk of getting blocked from Google+ by using accounts inappropriately. People have to add you to circles first If brands could add anyone to their circles, we would probably see lots of spam. To mitigate this a person must add a brand to their circles before a brand can add the person to theirs. Have a plan Your plan should include your Google+ strategy as well as how you will promote your page and build an engaged audience. Always remember to link back to marketing objectives. You can keep your circles private If you don t want people to see which circles you have them in you can create private circles. You may also hide the number of people who have added your brand to their circles. Analytics Google+ has analytics for pages so you can analyze your page and posts. 6
Google+ Really Matters Because of Search. Google continues to launch features that integrate Google+ into search engine results. Search is a key traffic driver for most businesses, so watching Google+ and getting an early start could potentially provide an advantage with Google search. Question: Implications for Search The BIG question is how will Google+ impact search engine results. Google already owns search and social is the next big frontier in online marketing. It makes sense that Google will include social signals (they already do) in their search engine results rankings. Facebook social activity is behind a closed door and Google can t access it. Google+ will give them access to what people are sharing and talking about online. Google already has the +1 button on the web, which allows users to vote for a page or give it a +1. This is similar to liking content on Facebook. It makes sense that +1s will be a factor in search engine results since they are essentially votes. Google Plus Your World Google launched the Plus Your World search feature that directly integrates content from Google+ into search engine results. Google Plus Your World allows you to see content that people in your Google Plus Circles are sharing. This means that if people use the Google Plus Your World feature, the content that is most shared or +1ed in Google+ will have search engine prominence. With the low engagement and use of Google+, this probably isn t very helpful to searchers just yet. Google Local Integration Google is now integrating local listings with Google+ pages, which includes ratings and reviews, plus mobile optimization. This shows that Google is serious about Google+ and it will continue to grow in importance over time. Local businesses should pay attention to this change and follow updates as the integration continues. Bottom Line As a business leader, Google+ is worth watching as search + social is the holy grail of online marketing and driving traffic to websites. Here is the bottom line: Google+ has the power of Google behind it and can impact search. Look for updates and changes to search algorithms. Create a page on Google+ to claim your place and allow people to add you to circles. If it does take off you ll have a head start. 7
About the Author: Krista Neher Krista Neher is the CEO of Boot Camp Digital, a bestselling author and an international speaker. As the CEO of Boot Camp Digital Krista has trained thousands of marketers and businesses on how to harness the power of social media to grow their business. Krista has over 10 years of marketing experience and has worked with companies like P&G, Macy s, GE and the United States Senate. Krista is the author of the bestselling Social Media Field Guide and a co- author of a leading textbook titled: Social Media Marketing A Strategic Approach. Krista also created one of the first accredited social media certification programs. Want to Learn More? Boot Camp Digital offers a variety of online and live training programs to help you stay up to date - www.bootcampdigital.com/training We specialize in training companies of all sizes in social media. Boot Camp Digital s presentation and materials are so helpful and comprehensive. After attending I feel like I have what I need to be successful. She is the guru! - Carrie Phillippi, Saybrook Marketing Communications Still Have Questions? Contact us: 1600 Main Street, Cincinnati OH, 45202 info@bootcampdigital.com www.bootcampdigital.com Get Your Social Media in Shape. Do you want to stay up to date on the latest in social media? We Have a Program for You! Boot Camp Digital is a training organization with a mission to help businesses stay educated and get results from social media and digital marketing. We have programs for all knowledge levels and business needs: «Live two day Boot Camp in Cincinnati Ohio (quarterly) «Online Boot Camp with over 24 recorded modules to learn at your own pace (available on demand) «Online Membership program (with the latest topics) «Custom corporate training programs www.bootcampdigital.com/training The class was phenomenal! Krista was able to provide step- by- step instruction in how to use social media which tools to use to keep my website content current, how to start a Facebook fan page and how to create a blog. If you are new to social media or if you ve been using social media, you ll learn how to take your social media skills to the next level. I recommend the class to everyone, from small organizations to large; for businesses to non- profits. Everyone at any level will benefit. Amy Foly, Executive Director, NAMI- Clermont County