Your Brand’s +1
Posted on Nov 22, 2011 by valeriemorini
After much anticipation, Google+ launched the long awaited brand and product pages on the platform, a next and integral step in Google’s overall vision. Initial opinion yielded mixed results about how worthwhile it is for brands to jump on the Google+ bandwagon, and whether the adding yet another page to maintain will be beneficial enough to justify the time commitment and/or ultimate departure from the current social media powerhouses.
When Google+ launched in June, the new social platform was assumed to be Google’s counter response to Twitter and Facebook, and was compared as such. Well, it is quickly proving to be so much more than that, and just one piece of Google’s larger plan to effectively streamline social media, email, and all Google web products. By consolidating the Google user experience on one platform, brands now have the ability to more effectively track, broadcast, and promote inline conversations in one place, ultimately creating stronger brand experiences and messaging.
So what could make it even better? Two words: Google search.
The power and accuracy of the Google search engine to generate relevant results is why the service leads the search market and enjoys the potential for the highest click through rates for search results and advertising. Capitalizing on the power of the search engine, Google is adding ‘Direct Connect’ to the list, a service that will allow searchers to add a ‘+’ before a brand name in their search and be immediately directed to the brand’s Google+ page. This service will dual serve the purposes of the consumer and brand simultaneously.
To stir the pot a little more, last Thursday Google+ launched ‘trending topics’ which has generated even more buzz around metrics and the potential for the platform to challenge the trend identifying advantage of Twitter.
So, what’s the verdict? Get on board, now. If the social networking components are not compelling enough, consider the additional advantages of having Google’s AdSense, Analytics, direct connect, trending topics, search power, and the thousands of additional bells and whistles that Google is unleashing. Regardless of the angle, it is advantageous for any brand to enroll now. With Google behind the wheel, who knows what roads will be discovered next, and we’re betting you will want to be there.
-
Khessert
