When a social platform starts growing exponentially, good marketers take notice and move in fast. However, social media marketers, not unlike myself, have hit a major roadblock with Google+ – there are no business tools. What’s a company to do?
According to Google+ Ads Lead Christian Oestlien – fittingly in a YouTube video posted on his Google+ profile page – here’s what you need to know:
1. Don’t create a business page yet: Oestlien asked brands and business to hold off using consumer profiles to create a business identity on Google+. Using a personal profile for a company or brand violates the Google+ terms of service (much like Facebook’s policy). In summary, create pages at your own risk until the proper tools become available.
2. Google+ business tools will be coming… sometime this year: Google engineers are currently working on separate business pages, which will include integration with other services like AdWords. According to Oestlien, the “business experience we are creating should far exceed the consumer profile in terms of its usefulness to businesses.” However, no time frame has been set for the deployment of these tools.
3. Apply to be part of the Google+ for business pilot: Google will be testing business features with a small number of users. You can apply here: http://goo.gl/zq95C.
The fact that Google+ has an Ads Lead is a hint of things to come; clearly Google intends to put some form of AdWords on the site, like it has with every other major Google property.
In the meantime, the Google+ roll-out is having a massive effect on Google services across the web, and publishers, brands and businesses should take note. The Google +1 button has already been deployed on Google AdWords and search results. Publishers can (and should) add the +1 button to their content, similar to “Tweet This” or “Share on Facebook” buttons. It is likely that these “votes of confidence” from users will show up on their Google+ profile pages and be integrated into Google’s search rankings secret sauce. In addition, Mashable reported that Google will rebrand Blogger and Picasa to bring them into the Google+ fold. Maybe I’ll hold off on that blog migration I’ve been planning…
It took brands years to get on Facebook; a year or so to realize the value of Twitter. Clearly times have changed. What’s next for Google+? Stay tuned…
