When Google launched their social networking site Google+, the powers that be hoped to surpass the success of Facebook. Unfortunately for Google this just didn’t happen. While the success of Facebook has yet to be duplicated by any other social media site, Google+ has seen some success as a professional development network. More user friendly and easy to navigate than LinkedIn, Google+ offers users a better social media experience, but does Google+ influence the power of digital marketing. The short answer, yes. Experts are discovering that the platform Google+ provides is integral in the success of any digital marketing campaign. Here are a few things you can implement in your digital marketing campaign with the help of Google+.
1. Email. As all digital marketers now, the biggest challenge is getting people that visit their client’s site to subscribe to an email list. However, Google+ allows marketers to bypass the subscription list and directly market to all users.
2. Specific communities. Google+ offers consumers specific communities to join. Gone are the days of marketing to people who have little to no interest in your niche. Instead you can target people who have similar interests, which saves you time and money.
3. The benefits of Google+ hangouts. By setting up Google hangouts marketers can communicate directly with clients and consumers. For example , big box retailer Best Buy recently set up a Google Hangout and has found some success connecting to their customers.
4. Google+ authorship is important to SEO. As Google+ gains momentum, it is also gaining authority and authorship, which is increasingly important to the success of SEO. All digital marketers and SEO experts know, Google makes the rules regarding SEO, it makes sense that they would pass on favorable results to those who are also active on Google+.
While time will be the ultimate test for the success of Google+, there is no doubt that Google plans to push this platform to new heights, hoping to do to social media what they did to search engines.