social media

How to Market Your Business On Google+ (Plus)

Published

12 years ago

July 21, 2011

Have you started to explore Google+? Are you trying to figure out how you can market your business using this new platform?

Well Google+ promises to improve online user-experience by combining several innovative features such as video chats, conversation streams, customized search feeds and much more. However all these features may also be a little confusing when you first sign up.

I’ve been playing around on Google+ and have made some interesting discoveries which I’d like to share with you. If you’re just starting out, you may find them useful in marketing your business.

Create your Google+ Vanity URL

A vanity URL is much easier to remember when you want to send your friends an invitation to connect on Google+. Go to http://www.gplus.to/ and follow the 2-step instructions to grab your vanity URL.

All you have to do is enter the ‘nick name‘ or username that you want to go by. Then go back to Google+ and on the ‘Posts’ page grab the string of numbers associated with your profile. Copy and paste those numbers to the field that says, ‘Your Google+ ID’ as shown in the image below. (**double click to enlarge all images)

For example mine is www.gplus.to/predsicker (add me to your circles!). Just keep in mind that your username or ‘nickname’ is just a pointer – Once you’re on Google+ it will instantly redirect to the string of awkward numbers that were originally assigned to your profile.

Creative Profile Tag Line

Use the tag line to reveal something interesting about yourself. Of course you could say that you’re the CEO of XYZ Company – nothing wrong with that (boring!).

But for the purpose of engagement and relationship building, I think it’s more likely that people will add you to their circles if you have an interesting tag line such as this one by Chris Brogan:

Profile Links

To the right of your profile (on the ‘About’ page) there’s a column in which you can add as many links to your other social networks as you like.

What I discovered is that when you’re in edit mode, each link has a space above it where you can enter information to describe the link. Take a look:

I’m no SEO expert, but I suspect that you could use that space to optimize each link by adding relevant key words. So rather than just saying ‘my blog’ you could say “personal branding expert” or “wine expert” or something like that.

Use Google Sparks to Share Content

Google Sparks is a nifty resource that collects user-specific content and allows you to share it with others . It’s just like Google Reader – you select a subject that is interesting and relevant to you (e.g. wine) and then save it to your ‘Sparks’. Later on you can come back, review all the content within your chosen subject and share it with others in your circles.

Content curators (aren’t we all?) will enjoy this feature because it is a fun and easy way to organize and share relevant industry content from anywhere across the web.

Comment, Share and “+1” other people’s content

Building strong relationships within your circles is not just about publishing content that is interesting to you. It’s equally important to participate in other people’s conversations as well.

If someone in your cirlce posts an interesting article, go ahead and comment, give it a +1 (similar to Facebook’s ‘Like’) and/or share it with others. They will appreciate your interaction and will likely reciprocate when you post an interesting article! It’s all about being a good neighbor.

Open to Search

Be sure to open your profile to search. I can’t imagine what could be worse than having a Google-driven social platform, only to hide your profile (and your content) by making it invisible to search engines. So at the very bottom of your search profile where it says “Search Visibility”, be sure to check off “Help others find my profile in search results.”

Converse, Connect and Research

Google+ is like a brand new playground waiting to be explored. Even though this network is growing crazy fast (there are now 18 million users on Google+) I believe that the early adopters will reap the benefits of knowing what’s in there and sharing it with others (just like I’m doing in this blog post).

So be sure to connect with like-minded people, engage in interesting conversations and figure out what resourceful things you can do to promote your brand. For example take a look at how Rachel Happe is using ‘Hangouts’ to research, connect and create opportunities for others:

There’s much, much more to learn and discover about Google+. I will continue to explore and share my findings with you. In the meantime, if you’re still NOT on Google+ and would like to be, please leave a comment below stating as much and I’ll quickly send you an invite.

If you are on Google+, what other methods are you using to market your business?

**If you liked this article, please comment, retweet or share it with your friends. Thanks so much

Related Topics:Content marketing Google Google plus How to social media

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social media

The 8 Best Free Social Media Management Tools For Bloggers

Published

3 months ago

November 10, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The 8 Best Free Social Media Management Tools For Bloggers

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets you manage all your social media accounts in one place. With Hootsuite, you can help you save time by scheduling your posts in advance, track who’s talking about your brand, and measure your success over time. Hootsuite also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

2. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a social media management tool that helps you stay organized and on schedule. With CoSchedule, you can schedule your posts in advance, save time with bulk scheduling, and measure your success with detailed analytics. CoSchedule also has a free plan that lets you manage up to two social media accounts.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform that helps you grow your social media following. With Sprout Social, you can track your progress, engage with your audience, and measure your success. Sprout Social also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

4. Sendible

Sendible is a social media management tool that helps you save time and stay organized. With Sendible, you can schedule your posts in advance, track your brand’s social media mentions, and measure your success with detailed analytics. Sendible also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

5. IFTTT

IFTTT is a social media management tool that helps you automate your social media tasks. With IFTTT, you can create recipes that automate your social media tasks, such as posting your blog content to your social media accounts. IFTTT also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

6. Tailwind

Tailwind is a social media management tool that helps you optimize your social media schedules. With Tailwind, you can schedule your posts in advance, find the best times to post, and measure your success with detailed analytics. Tailwind also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

7. SocialBee

SocialBee is a social media management tool that helps you save time and stay organized. With SocialBee, you can schedule your posts in advance, track your social media metrics, and measure your success with detailed analytics. SocialBee also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

8. MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a social media management tool that helps you automate your social media tasks. With MeetEdgar, you can schedule your posts in advance, recycle your content, and measure your success with detailed analytics. MeetEdgar also has a free plan that lets you manage up to three social media accounts.

social media

The 10 Best Free Social Media Management Tools

Published

3 months ago

November 10, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The 10 Best Free Social Media Management Tools

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that offers users a suite of tools for managing their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great platform for businesses and individuals who want to boost their social media presence and engagement.

2. Buffer

Buffer is a social media management platform that helps users schedule and publish content across their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media content strategy.

3. TweetDeck

TweetDeck is a social media management platform focused on Twitter. It offers users a variety of tools for managing their Twitter account, such as scheduling tweets, creating lists, and monitoring Twitter activity.

4. SocialOomph

SocialOomph is a social media management platform that offers users a suite of tools for managing their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great platform for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media presence.

5. Edgar

Edgar is a social media management platform that helps users schedule and publish content across their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media content strategy.

6. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a social media management platform that helps users schedule and publish content across their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media content strategy.

7. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform that offers users a suite of tools for managing their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great platform for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media presence.

8. IFTTT

IFTTT is a social media management platform that helps users automate their social media tasks. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to save time on their social media management.

9. Crowdfire

Crowdfire is a social media management platform that helps users manage their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media presence.

10. MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a social media management platform that helps users schedule and publish content across their social media accounts. Itâ€™s a great tool for businesses and individuals who want to better manage their social media content strategy.

social media

The 7 Best Free Social Media Management Tools For Businesses

Published

3 months ago

November 10, 2022

Patricia Redsicker

The 7 Best Free Social Media Management Tools For Businesses

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that gives businesses of all sizes the ability to track all their social media channels in one place. With Hootsuite, businesses can track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

2. Buffer

Buffer is a social media management platform that helps businesses of all sizes to better manage their social media accounts. With Buffer, businesses can schedule and publish content, track their social media analytics, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform that gives businesses of all sizes the ability to better track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

4. SocialOomph

SocialOomph is a social media management platform that helps businesses of all sizes to better manage their social media accounts. With SocialOomph, businesses can track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

5. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a social media management platform that helps businesses of all sizes to better manage their social media accounts. With CoSchedule, businesses can track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

6. Sendible

Sendible is a social media management platform that helps businesses of all sizes to better manage their social media accounts. With Sendible, businesses can track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.

7. AgoraPulse

AgoraPulse is a social media management platform that helps businesses of all sizes to better manage their social media accounts. With AgoraPulse, businesses can track their social media analytics, publish and schedule content, and engage with their audience â€“ all in one place.