Marketing Through Google Plus

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Dec
18

Latest Internet Gold Rush?

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Once again we’re seeing a gold rush mentality on the internet, as brands rush to claim their social identity on Google+.

AdAge Digital reports on the rush, and the motivation behind this latest lemming-like stampede:

Google has long told marketers that though buying AdWords won’t help them in natural search results, creating great, well-linked content will.

But some marketers are preparing for another shift: Google’s incorporation of social signals from Google+ in its rankings. Brands aren’t waiting for the giant to make it official, which is a big reason they’re investing in Google+ pages. Their worry is that early adopters will reap the search benefits, while others will be buried by those who have collected more +1s.

Google is already “experimenting” with making a click on +1 buttons one of the more than 200 signals informing its search algorithm, according to a company spokesperson. But it could go much further and factor in the number and size of a “circles” — the pools of Google+ users following a brand — as well as how widely its Google+ content is being shared. That could give brands an incentive to be active on the platform and get fans to engage with content there.

“Google’s trump card in social is if they make Google+ an extremely strong signal in their ranking algorithm, and basically they can force every brand to push it because of the impact it would have on Google search results,” said Group M Search CEO Chris Copeland.

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Dec
06

What Can Google Do?

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by Michael Carney

Neil Vidyarthi makes some pertinent points on SocialTimes.com when he asks “what can Google Plus possibly do to make you switch from Facebook?”

Google Plus was in fact the first major, concerted social product released after CEO Larry Page tied every single employee’s bonuses to the success of social. This is why I think the network is here to stay, and that’s why I believe that the people who call it a failure already may be speaking prematurely — but what can they do to steal users from Facebook?

I won’t go into detail about the many powerful features of G+, like Circles, Hangouts (a personal favorite) or the integration with YouTube and other Google services, because what I want to emphasize is that Google is pulling out all the stops to try to get you to switch over. They’re integrating new services almost every week, and simplifying their user interface across all their services in a very positive way. My theory is that with a company like Google, it’s only a matter of time before they hit some killer feature that has users — many of whom already have accounts — flocking back to the service in just a few clicks to try out.

Actually, we think the killer app is already here (and there and everywhere): Google is planning to integrate elements of Google+ across all its properties, adding a SOCIAL LAYER to virtually everything Google does (oh, little things like Search, YouTube, Picasa, Adwords, that kind of thing).

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Dec
05

The Dirtiest Job on the Internet: Moderation

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moderation

by Michael Carney

Who’s that trip-trop-tripping all over my comments thread on Google+?

Why, it’s a troll.

It’s one of the sad facts of cyberlife — trolls (negative, obstinate or just plain ignorant commenters) gather wherever there’s an online crowd, proudly strutting their lack of knowledge, diplomacy or common sense. Some are in it for the money, happily sp@mming away and wasting everyone’s time, others just like to hear the sound of their own keyboards.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek reckons that most of us now need professional moderators to clean up our social pages:

In a cabana in Progreso, Mexico, overlooking the blue waters of the Gulf, Canadian Chuck Dueck cracks open his laptop and logs into the comment forums of several news websites. …

One by one, Dueck, a professional online moderator, deletes [offensive] comments, scolds the people behind them (either on the forum or over e-mail), and, if things really get out of hand—say, in the case of repeat offenders—bans their accounts. Over the course of each day he chips away at the cussing and swearing, the spammers, haters, and trolls, temporarily restoring civility to his corner of the Internet.

Since the first messages were posted on bulletin boards some three decades back, comments and free discussion between anonymous users have been a central part of the Internet’s appeal. Sites such as Gawker and the Huffington Post built their empires on page clicks driven by endless streams of commenters and flame wars. But what’s good for Gawker isn’t always great for established brands, and as companies have embraced the Web and eagerly interacted with their customers, they’ve often been overwhelmed by the response. A lethal combination of anonymity, opinion, and the safety of typing from a remote location all but guarantees that comment forums get out of hand, falling prey to the Hobbesian tirades of the Web’s most nasty, brutish, and vocal denizens—hence, the increasing need for moderators such as Dueck to intervene and sanitize sites’ comment boards.

If you’re facing similar problems, check out the story for some useful advice (and the names of professional moderators).

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Dec
04

Google adds Voice Calls to Hangouts

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Hangouts

by Michael Carney

The Next Web reports that Google+ Hangouts will now let you make free phone calls, bringing anyone in the US and Canada into your group, no computer required. According to a post on Google+ by Jarkko Oikarinen, it’s available now by heading to the Hangouts with Extras page. Once your hangout is ready to go, just click Invite, click the Phone tab and put in the number that you wish to call.

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Dec
01

Give Your Page That Human Touch

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social personality

by Michael Carney

The team behind Google+ Pages, ever eager to help business users to get traction with Google+, recently shared a few tips about how you can make your page feel less robotic and more approachable:

Sign your posts. +Mention the creator of the content at the beginning or the end of a post (we like it at the top) to let your customers know who wrote it. Use italics by surrounding text with underscores ( _ ) or bold it by surrounding it with asterisks ( * ) to bring attention to the poster’s name.

Hide pictures of your team behind your profile picture by adding them to your profile photos album. Visitors to your page can click on your profile picture to flip it over and reveal the faces of your team members. This is a cool little way to introduce yourself to the world! You can also use your scrapbook photos or photo albums to feature members of your team.

Host Hangouts. They’re a way to bring your customers face-to-face with your team. What better way to make them feel heard, appreciated, and important?

Monitor comments. When you make a post it’s likely that your customers and followers will have something to say! Respond to them, answer their questions, and let them know that you’re actually reading the feedback you’re giving.

Opt for informal. The tone of your page’s posts make all the difference. No need to be formal and mechanical. Your posts should be fun, conversational, engaging, and entertaining.

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Nov
07