Google + may not have the mass appeal of Facebook and Twitter, but it does have another benefit – the backing of the largest search engine in the world and the one most marketers and people rely on daily.
Improving your Google+ presence and engaging more people is a definite way to really help your business and is worth the investment in time we can assure you. So, here are five excellent strategies that will help increase Google+ engagement.
Website
The first big step you should take to get people and customers interested in your Google+ account is to make it findable. This can be easily achieved by simply adding a badge to your site. This means it’s easy for visitors to find, engage and follow you with one simple click.
Curation of People and Content
Google’s Circles was a revelation when it arrived and it still is. The Circles feature is a great way to manage interest groups that you may be a part of. You can create Circles or join Circles in areas as disparate as you can think of.
Circles are also a great way to build friendships and relationships, while also great for keeping current ones warm. Smart curating of Circles can make the whole process a lot easier. For instance, people often create Circles around different people they want a link from or want to be noticed by. This can be easily achieved through creating some strategic Circles and allows you to easily drop in on them and keep an eye on what they’re up to.
Proactivity
Being on the ball and proactive and starting conversations yourself can really help with your success on Google+. Interaction with other people and their posts is a must to boost engagement here. Here are some tips that can help:
- End posts with a question
- Respond to comments and questions
- Use mentions wherever you can
- Create high quality content
- Use photos and interesting content to create interest for you and your aims.
Trending topics can also throw up plenty of positives too. Look under the Home area, in the ‘What’s Hot’ section to get an idea of the trends that are easy to contribute to.
We find in our social media marketing department that setting goals too for interactions can help keep you focused and on the ball and ensures that you use your Google+ each and every day.
Hangouts and Communities
Joining Google+ Hangouts and Communities can significantly benefit you too. These are great places to engage people and connect with others with the same interests as you. This is essential for building a good, strong presence. These are great to create connections and provide specific interests and passions.
With all the communities on Google+ you won’t find it too hard to find one that suits you and that you can participate in. These are great places to share and also to find quality content, as well as answer and ask questions.
Hangouts are also a great way to enhance your engagement with users and customers and offers a full on real time interaction with a number of people at once. They allow for direct lines of dialogue between a business and its customers and allow for great engagement through Q&A sessions, talks and hosting contests. Hangouts can also be recorded and used on blogs or YouTube, allowing you to play them back and these can be a significant SEO boost because of this.
Google+ can be a significant benefit to business and using these tips will help boost engagement rates no end and help it succeed.