The Power Of Google+ Local
There are a lot of changes happening in Google right now and one of them is the introduction of Google+ Social Impact. This might surprise some but there has been an increasing interest in this exciting new product and its ability to give internet marketers a real competitive advantage. Many experts had been predicting that Google's next step would be to introduce some kind of social platform that will replace the current Google Buzz platform. That was then and this is now
What makes Google+ unique is the fact that it helps you create a network of relationships with your customers and it also offers a platform for you to create business apps that can run across all your devices. So, not only can you get customers to your website but you can also use these apps to capture their information and turn it into profitable data for you. It also gives you access to thousands of new customers every day. That, in a nutshell, is what Google Social Impact does for your business.
The way this works is simple. When you sign up for Google+ you will be asked to create a business page. Once that's done you can start to post content on your site relevant to your business. You can easily link your content to the Google+ pages as well so your fans will not have to go anywhere else to see what's going on in your life. And if you have a blog you can start writing posts that would be appropriate for your Google+ business page.
Some people might be concerned about Google+ not being more social than other platforms such as Facebook. While it's true that it doesn't have the fan base that some of the other sites have, it could be used in a more social way. For example, you could start publishing pictures and videos on your Google+ page in ways that you could easily do on Facebook. For instance, instead of simply tagging your friends with a photo or a video you could actually comment on images that your friend's upload. By doing this you give them the opportunity to see the content through Google but without ever having to post it on their own page.
The same goes for videos. If magazine want your followers to get behind a particular trend, you could start streaming them. This will allow your fans to get involved without even having to click that "like" button on your page. Plus, it lets them see a stream of updates rather than having to sit through a video. And if you have a YouTube channel you could start submitting videos from your site to it. Not only does this help with your SEO efforts, it also helps you show your YouTube audience that you have taken this seriously too.
You can use Google+ Business Pages to keep in touch with your existing customers. You might not have email opt-in forms on all of your pages, but you should include one on the main business page. This is where your current customers will see your latest updates, deals and specials. If you don't want to limit this to new customers, you can also put it on your Explore section so that visitors looking for local businesses can find it.
Finally, you can use Google Places to promote your business. This is a place where people who are nearby can find you. Like Google+ Business Pages you can share videos, photos and more with the place. You can also ask your current users to mention your business to their friends. In order to encourage them to do this, you should create a useful offer; something that will make them glad they referred you and that you've offered them something good to.
So Google+ Local are an important tool for anyone who wants to market their business locally. You can build your brand in ways you never thought were possible. Plus, as you build a reputation you can take the SEO and marketing aspects of the promotion to a whole new level. It makes sense to consider what else you can do to benefit from your Google+ Local account. It really is worth considering.