Google+ is the newest social media tool to consider for businesses and individuals.

Links To Google+ Resources (choose one)

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The article below was published in the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce Newsletter.

“Oh no, another social media tool!? I can’t be bothered“

I understand the frustration; I have 4 other social media accounts, a blog, and a web site to maintain for my businesses. That doesn’t include LinkedIn, YouTube, Picassa, and the tools to maintain everything.  Believe me, I wouldn’t bother either except….

In a nutshell, the new 'Google Plus Pages' service aims to help businesses create a presence and process for connecting with their users locally and worldwide; it’s for businesses more interested in sharing things with people or groups with similar interests rather than simply amassing the biggest number of online "friends."

Be Visible On The “King of Search”

• 60+% of searches are done at Google and Google’s YouTube is #1 video source on the web.
• With the release of Search Plus Your World they’re including Google+ pages and people profiles in Google search results, even your relevant Google+ posts will start showing. 
• Twitter and Facebook are scared and crying foul.
  When anyone is searching the web when signed on with their Google Account, sites that you have +1’d will show a little picture of you from your profile showing you recommend this site. 
• +1 like buttons and Google+ buttons are starting to show on business websites across the web, like one of my businesses, www.weddingsbythesea.com.
  

Keep Everyone Separate On One Tool

• It’s more difficult or not possible with Facebook and Twitter, to segment all my relationships for business, personal, volunteer connections. So I can follow and interact with one social media tool all personal, business, news, and areas of interest.
•  Fully segmenting connections lets you interact with specific content and discussions.  A restaurant can share their specials weekly with potential diner connections and not bother their other restaurant business competitors or people not relevant.  I can ask wedding or search marketing vendors questions and get good feedback while not bothering my other connections.
• No one can see our Circles so you can segment how you want to interact; I have 10, from Family to Coastside Businesses, to Search Marketing.
  

Integrate With Google Products & Meet With Businesses & Colleagues With Group Video

• The seamless integration with other Google services you may use, from search to online documents, makes it easier to share things online; like sharing photos with integrating Picassa.
•  Instead of getting everyone you know on Skype, you can quickly set up a group video “Hangout” with up to 10 people at a time and have a face time interaction with them. This is more people than Skype or with Facetime on your iPhone or iPad; and they don’t need these devices.
• PBS News Hour had a hangout with professors, political folks, and media people during Obama’s State of the Union address to discuss as it unfolded.

Google has prepared well for this product, moved staff over from other products, and is fully integrating Google+ with all their products. They seem very serious this time that they are going to be a viable part of the social media personal and business landscape. They already are.

Become an early adopter and don’t be behind when Google+ gets greater than their current 90 Million adopters. 

Terry Plank
(650) 726-0890,
 terry@weddingsbythesea.com
@terryplank
Profile: https://plus.google.com/115710280768092232296
Business Page: https://plus.google.com/105825674941407312218