Google+, the search engine giant’s answer to Facebook, has amassed more than 40 million users since it launched in June of this year. While it is still nowhere near close to the 800 million users that Facebook has, the social network is continuing to grow and returning users have increased since the launch of Google+ Brand Pages last week.
What is Google+?
Like Facebook, Google+ is a social network that allows users to create profiles. The distinguishing feature of the site is that users can place their friends in different social groups called “Circles.”
Circles is just one of the social products that make up Google+. Other features include Sparks (the recommendation engine), Stream (the newsfeed), Hangouts, Games and Photos.
Google+ is designed to be an extension of Google and is integrated into the entire Google universe, including the toolbar, which has been updated to include links to users profile and updates.
How do Circles work?
To understand Google+ you must understand Circles. On Facebook users "friend" people and users follow people on Twitter, but Google+ allows users to categorize their friends in groups.
A user might want to put your mom in your “Family” circle, or your manager in your “Work” circle and your friends from school in your “Friends” circle, for example.
Users can then control what kind of content each group can see. This gives the user greater control over their security and allows them to have multiple facets to their identity, something that Facebook does not really allow.
What is a Google+ Brand Page?
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| The Muppets Google+ Page |
Last week Google launched its much-anticipated Google+ Pages, which allow businesses and brands to join the social network.
“So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people,” Google SVP of Social Vic Gundotra said in a blog post. “But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about—from local businesses to global brands.”
Brand Pages look just like the profile pages, except for an icon that designates it is a Page rather than a Profile, and users can add brands to their circles like they would a person. Each time a user adds a brand to their circles it increases that brand’s follower count. Users can also support a brand by +1-ing a Page.
What is most powerful about Google+ Pages, however, is that they are integrated directly into Google Search through Direct Connect. For example, when a user starts a search with a “+” it will start bringing up Google+ Pages as the user is typing and take the user directly to the Page once the full Page name is entered.
Here is Google's introduction to Pages:
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| Courtesy of Google |
What is this +1 thing?
The Google +1 button is not only for Google+ users. The +1 button allows users to endorse brands on natural search results, paid search and display ads. It is equivalent, in some ways, to a Facebook "Like" button. However, these endorsements also feed into Pages and contribute to ad targeting algorithms.
Google+ Pages increases the impact of +1s on advertising in two ways, according to Mashable:
1. The brand Page aggregates all +1 activity across a brand's website, advertising and natural search results. The Page acts as central place for user activity, which will allow brands to better cross-market between search and display, brand and direct response, as well as paid, earned and owned search.
2. This also allows brands to have control and insight into +1 behavior. As a brand's connections increase, the information going into Google's targeting engines will become larger and will fuel advertising efforts. The more information the target engine has, the more relevant the ads get and the more the users respond more.
What are Hangouts and how do I use them?
Since the launch of Google+ brand pages, businesses have been testing “hangouts,” the networks video chat function. Anyone with a web cam can participate in a Hangout, which allows up to 10 people to chat at once.
Macy’s tested the waters by hosting a Hangout with Fashionistablogger Leah Chernikoff and nine other users.
“The best usage [for brands] is where you have an influencer or taste-maker or perhaps a celebrity who comes in and drives whatever’s going on inside the Hangout, “ said Jeff Semones, president of the social media agency M80, to AdAge. The end goal being that participants create social buzz after the fact.
One of the main issues with Hangout, however, is that it only allows such a small group of people to participate. Google is attempting to remedy this issue with “Hangouts on Air” that are available to anyone who has the brand in a circle, but require set up by Google on the backend, which makes them less useful to brands.
Dell has been using the Hangout feature on their employees since the network launched to field customer service issues and deliver product news. This is something that they plan to continue with now that brand pages have launched.
How do Google+ Pages compare with Facebook Pages?
There is one thing that marketers should keep in mind: Google+ is not Facebook. And while their Pages may serve a similar purpose, there is another set of rules when it comes to Google+.
We have already discussed why it is so different. Google+ operates as one of Google’s suite of digital products whereas Facebook is Facebook’s flagship product.
There are several ways that the two networks are very different, according to AdAge:
· People use Google+ differently than they do Facebook. Whereas Facebook relies heavily on the newsfeed, games, and status updates, Google+ users are taking advantage of Hangouts and threaded conversations.
· Each link shared through Google+ can be optimized for search engines through +1. The Facebook “like” does not do this.
· Each link also has media implications as those +1s showing up in natural search results could also wind up appearing in paid search and display ads. Facebook has ads, but they only appear on Facebook and Twitter’s ads only appear on their site and select third party sites.
The verdict on Google+ Pages...
Google+ clearly has an advantage over other social networks when it comes to search opportunities and analytics. The search power that they can provide and the amount of data they can provide to brands is invaluable and will allow brands to fine-tune their social media strategy to the point that we have not seen with Facebook or Twitter.
Some may also argue that Google+ gives brands a better shot at engaging users than other networks. Google+ has already shown that it can engage users and start discussion around topics of interest. Take a look at the activity in the artistic community on Google+, for example.
Also, because Google owns other media properties, like YouTube, Google+ integrates seamlessly with other forms of media. This also improves engagement and discussion with users.
And yet, in some places brands are finding Google+ Pages lacking. They are making many of the mistakes that Facebook made in the early stages of Facebook Pages, instead of learning from their mistakes. Google+ pages, for instance do not have Custom URLs, do not allow contest/promotions, do not have a good system for checking that a brand account is legitimate, and do not allow multiple user admins on Pages.
That last point has made integrating Google+ into social media strategies difficult and frustrating for some brand managers. Most brands, after all, entrust the social media pages to several employees, so limiting Pages to one admin makes the whole social process much more time consuming and cumbersome.
It almost seems as if Google isn’t trying to create a great social network because they know they have the upper hand and eventually people will adopt Google+ because they are already on Google, or so thinks Search Engine Watch.
If that’s true, maybe they are forgetting the fates of Google Wave and Google Buzz.
At this point, it seems that Google+ Pages has a lot of potential as an engagement tool for brands, but it has a ways to go before it catches up with Facebook Pages. Facebook Pages still hold the advantage of having a much more customizable and interactive interface.
And, of course, Facebook has the edge in terms of sheer number of users, which may be the most relevant factor in reaching a verdict on Google+ Pages: until consumers start flocking to Google+, Google+ Pages will not be as relevant as Facebook.
Still, Google has always been a force to be reckoned with and I would not underestimate the search engine company, despite their poor record with social networking sites.
Best bet, set up a Google+ Page and try to get comfortable with it before it takes off and you fall behind.
How do I get started?
It’s really quite simple. Here is a tutorial from Today Made:
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