Follow these tips to get the most out of Google+.
Personalise your page
Each page includes a profile picture and cover image. Make sure you change these from Google's default images – they're the first thing a visitor will see, and if you've not bothered to change them, they're likely to move on without checking out your content. It's a good idea to set your company logo as the profile picture, leaving you free to experiment with the cover image. This is massive, and is a good place to showcase a picture of one of your products, or something relevant to your business (a camera company, for instance, might want to use an attractive photo of a landscape). Whatever you choose, make sure that any image you use is top-quality – especially the cover photo (as it's so large).
Get visual
Post plenty of photos and videos, as these are always popular with followers, and often attract lots of comments. As above, make sure any image you use is high-quality – low-quality images can look shabby and unprofessional, damaging your brand's reputation. Adding visual content also helps improve the general appearance of your page – a profile interspersed with bright images looks much more appealing than a page of dense, static text. Be sure to post a variety of different images, as a page with duplicate pictures can look unbalanced.
Be interesting
'Content is King'. It may be an over-used cliché, but it's also undeniably true. To have a successful Google+ page, it's essential to create interesting content that followers are going to want to interact with. You could post exclusive offers and discount codes, or create a behind-the-scenes video demonstrating an aspect of your business. Other posts which often prove popular include thought-provoking takes on current issues affecting your industry, and competitions which require interaction from your visitors. Make use of the Google+ Hangout facility – hold a Hangout with an expert, or announce the release of an exciting new product.
Promote your content
As with any social media site, new followers won't just appear overnight. Be prepared to work at your Google+ page to make it successful. The first step is to post exciting content on your page. Then, use your existing social media channels and company website to promote your new content, directing them to your new Google+ page. Update your information – wherever you add social media icons to your correspondence (such as on business cards), be sure to include Google+. Another way to gain popularity is to follow other, relevant businesses and industry experts, and contribute to discussions on their pages with useful insights.
Post regularly
All too many companies have fallen foul of this tip. Google+ is full of long-neglected business pages, which leave an unprofessional mark on a company's online profile. To maintain a successful presence on the site, it's important to post regularly, and engage with your followers. Be realistic – if you don't have a dedicated social media executive, you probably won't have enough time to post every day. Set a regular content schedule and stick to it – you'll be more likely to keep up with it if it's scheduled in. Don't wait until it's time to post to think of content ideas – organise a content meeting once a month, and try to come up with a series of posts that can be used in the future.
With around 359 million active members, Google+ is a valuable social media site for businesses to join. However, it's important to spend time cultivating your page, or you could find yourself being ignored by users. Be sure to post regularly, with interesting content that your followers can engage with – and promote your page on other social media networks.
Author Bio
This article was written exclusively for E-Junkie by Sally Swales of Executive Offices London.
Post a Comment