I’m making an assumption that after you read this post, if you’re not already enamored with Google+, you’ll be inspired to get on board and explore how the social network can boost your visibility and your business.
You may already know I’m a self-confessed Google FanGirl. I’ve been shouting from the virtual roof tops about how great Google+ is for more than two years…on webinars, in Hangouts and at speaking gigs. I’ve taught classes and work with private clients to get them up and running on Google+ with a strategic plan.
Yet, I’m still asked daily why in the heck someone should add yet another social platform to their already overwhelming marketing plan.
“Why Google+? I love Facebook.”
OK, I use Facebook and have been since January 1, 2008. I have a Facebook page and belong to a number of groups. I find though, as Facebook tweaks the newsfeed and controls more and more of what your fans see (or don’t see as is more often the case), that I get less and less interaction, regardless of what I do. And I experiment a lot!
Facebook is great for sharing personal adventures and quotes and staying connected with my friends and family. But it sucks for connecting with people who have said they’re interested in how I can help them build their online presence and visibility. Barely anyone sees the content I post and curate on my Facebook page. I have to “pay to play” now. And so do you if you want to get in front of your ideal audience.
Google+ is different.
11 Reasons Why I Love Google Plus
Creating a profile on Google+ boosts your search engine rankings in Google.- Every time a reader clicks the +1 button on one of your blog posts or Google+ posts, it increases your standing with Google
- Easy to create Circles (lists) of people that are tightly segmented so you share the right content with the right people
- You can create “opt in” Circles; people tell you they WANT to be notified when you post niche specific content (like an email list)
- Hangouts enable you to create live streaming video shows (free!) that are simultaneously recorded on YouTube. This the best thing that’s happened for online entrepreneurs since blogging (IMHO)
- You can use private recorded Hangouts to meet with clients, teach, train, facilitate masterminds – at no cost to you or your clients
- All content you post publicly is indexed by Google – fast!
- Google+ communities are better organized than Facebook groups. All posts are categorized so it’s easier to search and participate in discussions
- Google+ is integrated with Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube and Picassa, making it an all in one tool easy to manage your Google activity
- There are plugins you can install to add Google+ comments to your blog posts. This one feature alone has increased the visibility, comments and shares of my blog; when someone comments, it’s posted on their profile with a link back to the blog post
- The people! I’ve met people I never would have connected with on Facebook or LinkedIn. Many have become true friends, clients, collaborators, JV partners, guests on Adventures in Visibility, invited me to be a guest on their podcast, etc. My network has grown faster than on any other platform, ever.
These 11 reasons flowed right out and are in no particular order of importance. And, there are so many more reasons I love Google+ and why it’s become my social platform of choice. As I was writing the list, I decided to throw the question out on Google+. Below is the post and the responses…(I’m having trouble getting the embedded post to show up so this is a screenshot. Click image to see all the responses.)
Convinced yet? Want to get started reaping the benefits of Google+? There is one caveat…
Like any social network, to get the benefits and rewards of Google+ you must be consistent, generous and committed to engaging with the people you meet. Otherwise, it won’t work well for you. It’s not good enough to drop a link and run.
Now are you ready but you don’t know where to start? Click here to join me for a 90 minute webinar on how to Rock It on Google+!
If you’re not on Google+ yet and you’re feeling reluctant or stuck, I’d love to know why. Post in the comments so we can have a conversation about it. If you prefer a private conversation, we can do that, too. It will help me better articulate the benefits for others (and you, if you want to be convinced).
I wanted to love G+, but honestly, the nerds at Google dropped the ball when they tried bringing all users under one roof, particularly with Youtube. It alienated its users and caused a lot of people to call BS on Googles “Don’t be evil” motto. At some point people are going to realize that all of these social networks aren’t actually bringing people together, but are rather keeping people apart.
Hi Corbin, thanks for posting. My experience on Google+ is quite the opposite. I connect regularly with people on Google+ daily in a very meaningful way and have met many G+ friends in real life as well. That has not been my experience so much on other networks. As for the integration with YouTube, again, I love it. Gives more access to live Hangouts to those on mobile devices and builds the conversation into the entire experience. And, that’s my experience. I appreciate your point of view.
Denise, I like and am learning from you. I agree Facebook has done a major disservice to online discussions, reducing all discussion to often vapid illustrated quotes. However, I want to point out an anomally you may be unaware of or gloss over. G+ does not seem to work equally well for all industries. I’m interested in the comments of you and others on which industries succeed on G+ and which do not.
From following holistic health and Energy Medicine on G+, I would say Energy Medicine practitioners and users are WAY under-represented compared to the presence of Energy Medicine on the internet and on search engines.
Let’s recall all health-related industries thrive far more on personal referrals than on advertising , articles or ads tho all are employed,
My speculation is Energy Medicine practitioners and users are under-represented on G+ because EM material on this platform seems not to generate much interest; that is, +1s or comments.
Can anyone else confirm or deny these speculations?
Bruce, I’ve found that using Hangouts on Air is helping to bring people over to Google+. Once people experience the platform, they stay.
Hi Denise,
Been some time! How are you? Until now, Google+ still get some love and hates from me (to be really honest). What I love most is the people. Near to zero bots and sales pitch (random).
What I hate? I can’t set on Buffer! Haha
Well said / written and shared it around too!
*PS Hope you are in good health
Hi Denise,
These are compelling reasons to me. I need to release Facebook even more to make room for G Plus time.
I’m spending so much time writing comments, publishing posts and writing for clients that social has taken a back seat. Twitter is my focus now with G Plus coming up behind it.
Your post is fab because it shows why the network favors us bloggers. Quick indexing appeals to me, and more than anything I rarely received the spammy requests that I see through Facebook messages from time to time.
That alone makes Google Plus worth the time to work, and to network on.
People seem super supportive on the network and most blogging themed communities I’ve joined are solid, as many of my Blogging from Paradise posts gain traction on Communities with minimal effort on my part, promoting them.
Now I need to find a few more great blogging Communities, to join and network through.
Thanks Denise, I’ll tweet this through Triberr.
Ryan
I appreciate your thoughtful reply, Ryan, and I appreciate the shares. While the indexing and seo are great, it’s really the people and generosity that make Google+ so powerful, isn’t it?!
There are some great points, here, thanks Denise.
it is so important that you spend time getting to know other people, and Google+ is a great platform for networking. We have been on there for about a year, and are seeing the positive changes in our networking. We can recommend this every bit as enthusiastically as you!
Glad to meet another Google+ enthusiast, Oliver! Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate hearing about your success, too.
Nice article Denise! Your sooo right
Thank you, Bill, appreciate your words of encouragement!
Great blog, Denise! Saw a few reasons that I forgot to mention. Especially the SEO ranking.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Bob! I did ask for just your #1 reason. Appreciate you stopping by.