Google+ is the hottest thing in Social Media.
Introduction
In just a few short days, the site gathered hundreds of thousands of users, making it a definite contender in the social media arena. A few weeks after launch, it was up to more
than twelve million users! With such explosive growth, it is poised to become a major player very quickly.
There is even some buzz in the world of social marketing that perhaps Google+ might even eventually replace Twitter, because it is so easy to use and integrates so many features into one unique platform.
Obviously, anyone who is serious about promoting their brand should take advantage of emerging technology, and Google+ is at the forefront of new developments in social networking. This is the perfect time to join the game!
In this article, you’re going to learn a few tips and tricks you can use to make the most out of Google+ to promote yourself, your business, your website, and your brand. So let’s begin.
One of the most powerful aspects of Google+ is the +1 function. This function allows individuals to share things they like by using the +1 button. This has the potential to allow your marketing to go viral through Google+ users.
You can add a +1 button to your own blogs and websites, and you can even customize your plus one button. Just visit the following URL to customize your +1 button.
http://www.google.com/webmasters/+1/button/index.html
The +1 button is essentially very much like the “Like” feature of Facebook. It will promote the links to your Google+ friends, and the more of your friends who vote for the link with a +1, the more your link will be promoted.
Be careful to share links only occasionally. The less often you share links, the more impact you will have when you do, and the more often people will be willing to add a +1 to those you do share.
Obviously, getting contacts is paramount. The more friends you have, the better, but they must also be targeted. It won’t do you a lot of good to have a million contacts if they aren’t interested in whatever you’re offering!
Contact lists on Google+ are known as “Circles”. You can have as many circles as you like, and you can divide people into various circles. Your contacts will not see which circle you’ve added them to, so you don’t have to worry about offending anyone. You can easily keep your family and friends separate from your business contacts if you’d like to use the same account for both business and personal contacts.
Make sure to check out various Google+ communities to find people who are interested in your niche. You will probably also want to add yourself to the directories, as well.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with social marketing is spamming their followers. While social marketing is essentially permission-based, you can still spam your followers if you post too often.
Because of the potential viral marketing element, it is especially important to moderate your promotion on Google+, because you want those promotions you make to be impactful. More people will +1 your links if you post them rarely.
I suggest posting no more than 2-3 links each day. This will give you the biggest potential to be seen, while still being respectful to your contacts and not flooding them with promotions.
Don’t forget to mix your promotions with useful links from time to time. This will get people to pay attention to everything you post, because they won’t want to miss anything important. Make sure you get them used to seeing useful, important links from you!