Is Google + a Waste of Time? | Briar Copywriting

Is Google+ a Waste of Time?

April 5^th 2016 Sally Ormond G+, Google, Google plus, Marketing, social media

Google plus

Should you really be using G+ as part of your marketing strategy, or is it a complete waste of time.

Before we explore that further, let’s take a look at its evolution:

It arrived to a great fanfare in 2011 as the next big thing in social media. With the backing of Google it was seen to be the best social network to be part of because it would give your SEO a boost.

After its launch it quickly gained 25 million users.

After much furore about the way you were forced to have a Google + account to use other Google products such as YouTube, it went it alone in 2015.

In November 2015 it was then rebranded as G+ and split into two platforms for photos and streams

Despite its meteoric rise, G+ has never been able to shake off its dissenters. While Facebook and Twitter have continued to go from strength to strength, G+ has always been the also-ran, never quite hitting the same levels as the big boys.

Many still use it purely because of the Google connection and the potential SEO benefits. So are they right, or should you forget about G+ altogether?

G+ features and how they help your business

Google Collections

Google Collections are the latest feature of G+.

It allows you to create a page within a page, which can be customised. Once set up (very easy to do) you can post about specific topics, a bit like how in Pinterest you can set up different boards for different subjects.

By segmenting your content in this way, you can target your information to relevant audiences.

An added bonus is that they are indexed by Google, giving you more potential for inclusion in the search results.

Google Hangouts

Hangouts are great if you use videos and vlogs as part of your marketing strategy.

You can promote your hangouts via your G+ page (and other platforms). They are great for Q&A sessions, plus if you audience can’t participate during the live broadcast, you can also save them to YouTube and embed them on your site.

Traffic and SEO

Everyone knows that Google incorporates G+ content into its search results. That means pushing your content out through G+ (with links back to your site) is a great way to drive traffic back to your website.

What does the future hold?

The conscious decoupling of G+ with other Google products make marketers anxious about the future of the platform. But far from letting it dwindle, Google is continuing to invest in it, making it a social media platform fit to compete with Facebook and Twitter that will help take your business to the next level.

My advice?

Stick with it, watch it evolve, and make sure you’re there to take advantage of what the future developments bring.

Tags: G+, Google, Google plus, Marketing, social media

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