Finding the online forum where your target audience socializes is key to any social media marketing strategy. Some audiences tend to congregate on Pinterest, and others hang out on LinkedIn or Facebook. One social media site that is often overlooked is Google+. Have you considered whether or not Google+ is right for your online business? As a marketing agency, we would say yes! Here is how to market on Google plus.
While Google+ doesn’t seem to have the same widespread appeal as some other social media sites, such as Facebook or Instagram, it’s very popular with certain online communities, such as photographers. For instance, The Landscape Photography Community on Google Plus has more than a million members, and the Street Photographers community has nearly 400,000 members, many of them uploading images every day.
Other popular communities include gaming-focused themes, computer science topics, and baking and cooking groups. Do some exploring of your own to find out if there are already existing communities on Google Plus that are interested in what your business offers. Search Communities and People using keywords commonly used in your own inbound marketing, and if you find sizable groups of people discussing your industry, Google+ might be the place for you!
But how do you go about marketing on Google Plus? Here are a few tips and tricks:
Create an Effective Bio
As on most social media sites, an effective bio will make it easier for people and businesses to find you.
Use your Google+ About page to give a concise overview of your business, and don’t forget to include links back to specific pages on your website. Use important SEO keywords in your About page, and take advantage of formatting options allowed by Google+. For example, Google+ allows you to use bullets, lists, and links. These formatting options not only look nice, but they make it easy for people to see what you offer at a glance.
Use Google+ Events
The Events features on Google Plus syncs with Google Calendar, which is one of the most widely used calendaring apps out there. You can use Google Events to send invitations to webinars, local events, and even Google+ Hangouts.
Using Google+ Events can help you to increase your brand awareness and reach new people. Real-time Hangouts are increasingly popular for discussions, teaching sessions, and webinars.
Post Often and Include Keywords
Keywords are not just important for blog posts and web page content. They’re also important for social media posts. Try to include at least one of your most important keywords in each Google+ post.
Google’s search algorithm includes results pulled from Google+ posts, so get in the habit of optimizing every single post.
Engage in Conversations
Scheduling regular posts on Google Plus will help you with your digital marketing efforts, but if you really want to find success, you’ll also engage in regular conversations.
Getting in the trenches and interacting with people is the best way to build an active and engaged audience on Google+. You probably don’t have time to do this every day, but set aside a couple times each week to participate in conversations with people in your circles.
Each time you comment, you improve your search and SEO benefits, and you have the potential to widen your circle of influence. Just remember to keep your conversations professional and focused on business-related or industry topics.
Post High-Quality Content
Whether you create the content yourself or share other people’s content, make sure it’s of the highest quality. Include attractive images, videos, or infographics with your posts, and proofread everything. Reshares will garner increased attention, so encourage readers to share and comment.
For more information about marketing on Google Plus, or to discuss any other digital marketing strategy, get in touch with us at Park Slope Softworks, your inbound marketing company in Brooklyn. If you would like to get a Free SEO analysis of your site, click below!
