Google announced last week that it had launched Pages for Business on its social network Google+.
I had this topic on my Social Retailer blog last week and listed what I suggested three possible benefits.
Reading: How to create a google plus page for your website
- Direct connection to search. By using the “+1” button, Google has linked Google+ directly to its search linked. Also currently being tested is a feature called “Direct Connect” that will allow searchers to find Google+ business pages directly through search.
- Better audience segmentation. With circles, Google+ offers businesses a better way to segment audiences, which means messages can become more relevant and timely.
- Personal connection with customers, employees and vendors. The live streaming video Hangouts, a Component of the platform, allows businesses to create live, virtual face-to-face connections with customers and others.
In this article, I describe how to set up a Google+ for merchants who want to.
How to create a Google+ page
Setting up a page is a simple process that shouldn’t take more than five minutes.
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Step 1 . Go to Google+ Business Page & nd click the blue “Create your Google+ Page” button.
Step 2. Select a relevant business category ry and add your information. The categories to choose from are: Local Business or Place, Product or Brand, Business, Institution, or Organization, Arts, Entertainment, or Sports, and Other.
If these sound familiar , because they almost literally mirror the same categories Facebook uses on its Pages platform. I was particularly surprised by the use of the term “place” as it has been a staple of Facebook for a while.
Step 3. Add a tagline, upload a profile banner , Click on the “Next” button and your page will be created.
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Once this is done, Google+ will give you the option to share the page with your circles. The contribution is from the person who created the page, not the page itself.
How to use Google+ Pages for business
During the page creation process, only a small amount of Es information is requested, so you will need to add more content to your “About” profile page. Options include introductory information, contact information, a link to the website, and links to other recommended websites.
The types of information available depend on the category selected. For example, if you select Local Business or Location, you can add hours of operation. You can also set visibility to control who sees what information.
Once the Company Page has been created, there are six main activities you can participate in.
- Post status updates. Posting content will probably be the primary way you use Google+. Like Facebook, Google+ allows page owners to interact as a “page” and not as an individual.
- Link your Google+ page to your website. Google+ offers a badge that is connected to your page and can be embedded on your website. This will make your Google+ page more visible and increase the number of recommendations (+1).
- Create your circles. Once users add your page to their circles add, you can add them to yours. Google+ automatically provides pages with a range of circles including: Followers, Customers, VIPs, and Team Members. You can create other circles if needed.
- Start Hangout. Hangouts are live video chats that let you chat directly with up to nine People can connect other people.
- Add the +1 button to your site. When Google+ users click the button, it will be shared with their circles.
- If necessary, add Google+ Direct Connect. This is an experimental feature currently only available to major brands. However, Google will make the feature more widely available over time. For those who qualify, Google requires that there is a link from the retailer’s website to the Google+ business page.
Conclusion
Google+ business page functionality is inadequate those available on Facebook, not least the ability to add custom apps. Google will likely add more features over time. Until then, the social network can serve as a secondary channel through which you can build some brand equity and potentially improve search results as well.
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