Here at Grammar Chic, Inc. we are routinely contacted by business owners looking to take their social media presence to the next level. They understand that content marketing offers innumerable benefits, and they come to us eager to launch content on all the major networks—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, sometimes even Instagram and Pinterest.
Well, okay: Most of the major networks. Curiously enough, Google+ is the one most frequently neglected or ignored. If we had to guess, this isn’t only true among our potential clients, but among small business owners in general. Google+ was initially rolled out to sky-high expectations, and the initial reaction was that it simply didn’t measure up to the more established platforms like Facebook. In some ways it has yet to fully recover from those first impressions, yet it has absolutely proven itself to be an integral and influential player in social media.
Bigger Than You Think
Why are some small business owners skeptical about the power of Google+? One reason is the assumption that it simply doesn’t have a lot of users—and that’s true enough, if your barometer is Facebook. Slamming a social network for not having as many users as Facebook, though, would be like saying the United States is tiny because it doesn’t have as many people as India; the comparison is accurate yet also misleading, as it still has a heck of a lot of people.
That’s the boat that Google+ is in. No, it’s not as big as Facebook—but in no way is its population of 540 million active users “small.” You’re still looking at an awful lot of potential traffic you could be driving, and a lot of increased exposure.
The Google Connection
That’s actually not the main reason to be active on Google+, however. The main reason is right there in the title. Google wants people to use its search engine, and has essentially imposed itself on us. Google+ Business pages have started to yield higher and higher search results, and content posted there gets an automatic edge in search engine rankings.
Many companies come to us saying their #1 goal is to increase their search engine visibility—and if that’s where you are, then you simply must have Google+—period.
Rave Reviews
A final consideration is that Google+ reviews play an increasingly large role in the search engine landscape—meaning you can significantly enhance your company’s online reputation simply by encouraging your customers and clients to leave you positive reviews. Yes, Facebook has a review option—but at this point, it’s not as influential as that on Google+.
The bottom line is simply that Google+ is more than most people assume it to be. It’s a powerful and unique tool in the social media toolbox—and you ignore it at your own peril.
To learn more, contact our team today. Visit www.grammarchic.net or call 804-831-7444.
The Red Ink 