Google+ Hangouts on Air are a game changer for small businesses and entrepreneurs. When you produce a successful show, it can be the fastest way to get seen, be heard, build trust and connect with your ideal audience.

The key phrase in that last sentence is “successful show.”  Anyone can set up a Hangout on Air (HOA) and fumble their way through it. And many do, which is not a great experience for the audience. 

HOAs are Better than TV

Why better than TV? The ability to connect intimately with your audience. Not only can you broadcast globally…

• You can interact in real time via the Event page
• You audience can watch anytime at their convenience
• Public Events are indexed by Google
• YouTube is the second largest search engine
• You can get the exact, highly-niched content you want

I was invited by Zara Altair to be a guest on her Midweek Zap HOA to discuss the process for setting up an HOA and some promotion tips.  In 36 minutes we covered quite a bit, and yet there’s so much more I do for my own show, Adventures in Visibility. The conversation does not cover the steps for setting up an HOA. My program on Google+ 101 can help you with that.

10+ tips for making your Hangout on Air Show a Success

There are detailed timestamps for the tips in the video description on YouTube.

1. What is the purpose of your show: why, what, when and how are they going to support the growth of your business?

2. Before you create your first show, watch other shows first. RSVP, +1 and share. Participate during the live show to experience the live engagement. An excellent example of a highly engaged show is The Mia Connect. 

3. Practice. Before you schedule a live event, do a couple of practice runs with a friend or colleague.

4. Brand your show. Create a header banner that tells your story. Google+ Business Spotlight is a great example.

5. Create a YouTube custom thumbnail. This can be used in place of a trailer video for your HOA as well as uploaded to your video as a branded custom thumbnail. You can see how I use a custom thumbnail here.

6.  If you have guests on your show, get correct, up to date information from them: bio, headshot, social links and bullet points for the content they want to cover. It’s critical to make your guest(s) shine and you do that by providing your audience the best and easiest ways to connect with them.

7. Include calls to action in the Event description. Tell your audience to RSVP, +1 and share the event. Ask them to comment and ask questions for your guest.

8. Promote the heck out of your guest(s). Use Canva or PicMonkey to create images promoting your show and pithy quotes by your guest.

9. Promote your show on other social networks.

10. Show promotion doesn’t end when the show is over. Now, it’s time for you to post the video on your blog and then promote your post. Go the extra mile and transcribe the show and add captions to the video. At minute 25:00 in the video I share additional ways I get the word out post-show.

It doesn’t end there!

This is just the tip of the ice berg. I have a checklist of nearly 50 actions I take pre-, post- and during the HOA. The results are proof that the work pays off. My audience grows with every show. My guests love me and the audience gets tons of value from the information shared before, during and after the show.

The post Ten Tips for Making Your Hangout on Air Show a Success appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

You will learn the new ramifications of using the +1 button.  By implementing a very simple tactic you can increase engagement on G+, find new connections and get more visibility.

Scroll down to post your comments and questions below. We’ll be monitoring them throughout the Hangout and post-hangout to get your Google+ questions answered.

Stephan Hovnanian owns Shovi Websites, a website design and email marketing firm based outside of Boston. He is also the creator of WebSIGHT Hangouts. Stephan strives to distill the experiences and expertise in web design and online marketing trends, and present it in a way that works more appropriately for your particular situation, your goals, and yes, your limitations. Click here to learn how Stephan can help you with your Google+ cover design and marketing.

To get reminders about when Adventures are scheduled and when replays are posted, you can get on the list and follow me on Google+. Be sure to let me know you want to be added to my Adventures in Visibility Notification Circle so you get the invitation directly through Google+.

The post Adventures in Visibility – The Google Plus +1 Visibility Advantage appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

I’ll be “grilling” Stephan about changes to the cover image that impact how people can interact with you. Stephan will also discuss how to use hashtags and cool new image features.

Scroll down to post your comments and questions below. We’ll be monitoring them throughout the Hangout and post-hangout to get your Google+ questions answered. [If you can’t see the video, click here to watch it on Google+]

Stephan Hovnanian owns Shovi Websites, a website design and email marketing firm based outside of Boston. He is also the creator of WebSIGHT Hangouts. Stephan strives to distill the experiences and expertise in web design and online marketing trends, and present it in a way that works more appropriately for your particular situation, your goals, and yes, your limitations. Click here to learn how Stephan can help you with your Google+ cover design and marketing.

To get reminders about when Adventures are scheduled and when replays are posted, you can get on the list and follow me on Google+. Be sure to let me know you want to be added to my Adventures in Visibility Circle so you get the invitation directly through Google+.

The post Adventures in Visibility Hangout – Recent Google Plus Updates appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Now, I need your help. I could easily come up with visibility topics to share with you. However, I’d like to know what you want to know and learn about regarding increasing your visibility on the Web.  Some suggestions that have come are:

• Using Foobar and Hellobar
• Using Listly for visibility
• Speakpipe

What online visibility or marketing topics would you like to see on the list? Please let me know in the comments and be as specific as possible.  For example, you want to know how to create a community on Google+ vs. how to use Google+ in general. Make sense?

If I see a theme developing or a specific topic being posted by several people, those ideas will go to the top of the list.

To get reminders about when Adventures are scheduled and when replays are posted, you can get on the list and/or follow me on Google+. Be sure to let me know you want to be added to my Adventures in Visibility Circle so you get the invitation directly through Google+.

The post Adventures in Visibility Hangout – What do You Want to Learn? appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.