Last week Google held its annual I/O conference where it announced new products and updates planned for the year. One of the most notable items is the update to Google+. The platform has been around for two years and if you’re like us you’ve been hesitant to put much effort there. Since all Gmail account holders automatically receive a Google+ account, it has a large audience (more than 340 million users) that is largely inactive. After reading about the updates, we couldn’t help but wonder if it’s enough to make the platform worthwhile.
Google+ added 41 new features to its platform, but the first one you’ll notice is the change to a multi-column layout. The main star of Plus’ new layout? Your photos. They fill the entire screen, making it easier for users to scan the site.
Now is the time to shift to a visual focus on your social media platforms, With this change to Google+, you can bet the algorithm has been adapted to prominently display posts with photos over text updates. If your business is largely visual, then you’ve got yet another platform tailored to your content. If visuals don’t come naturally to your content strategy, think outside the box. Create a visual representation of how your product works or an image featuring step-by-step instructions for best utilizing your services.
The redesign also features related hashtags. Before the redesign, Google+ was not an ideal platform for finding new content. With this update, Plus will automatically add hashtags to the content you share and suggest related hashtags to find similar posts and content.
With this added feature, users can now use Plus for research purposes. Consider adding it to your list of places to find out what’s trending. By monitoring your industry chatter on Plus, you can stay current on what’s new and upcoming. Work this into your inbound marketing plan and you’ll have great ideas and fodder for content development.
Finally, Google+ has released Hangouts the platform and the tool now serves as a stand-alone application. With that comes richer, more responsive messaging; conversation histories; notifications that sync across devices and free face-to-face video.
I think many organizations have barely scraped the surface of Hangouts’ potential. Consider using it to announce new products or services. You can then walk users through a product demo and answer any frequently asked questions you may be receiving. Since users can see your expressions and hear the excitement in your voice, your communications become more personalized. At the very least Hangouts could serve as an alternative to Skype or FaceTime conversations.
So after all that, we’re left with the question—is it time to focus our social media efforts on Google+? My answer is yes and no. Remember every platform isn’t right for every organization. If you find that your customers, prospects and industry thought leaders are engaged on Google+, then it’s time to focus your attention on the platform. Google is investing a lot of time to get users more active on the site and these tantalizing updates are just the start. It’s been two years and with more than 340 million users, we can bet it’s not going anywhere.
What are your thoughts on the Google+ updates and the platform in general? Has your business experienced success with it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
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Emma Walter is a senior account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.
