Google+ Brand pages may have debuted just a few months ago,
but many companies have already flocked to the social media platform to
reach out to new fans. And it’s not just the big companies that are
adopting brand pages: Google+ Group Product Manager Christian Oestlien
says small businesses are also jumping on the Google+ band wagon.
“We have obviously a lot of involvement in the local space,” Oestlien
says. “We’re seeing a lot of small businesses get on Google+ and use
that to directly engage with their audiences.”
But Google+ isn’t like all other social media websites. Unlike broadcast-heavy mediums such as Facebook and Twitter,
Google+ activity thrives on quality rather than quantity. Valuable
content sharing with in-depth comment threads is what users are actively
looking for, which can pose a challenge to companies accustomed to
churning out quick posts for the other social media platforms.
“For example, if you’re a finance-oriented media company, make sure
you’re posting stuff that’s interesting and relevant in that category
and that you’re engaging with your audience,” Oestlien advises.
Thinking of starting your own brand page?
The best way to learn how to manage a brand page is to find those
leading by example. Check out these three tips culled from companies who
are kicking butt on Google+ engagement, and below in the gallery, check
out 10 subset of Google+ all-stars in a variety of industries. What’s
your favorite Google+ brand page and why? Let us know in the comments.
1. Putting a Face on the Company
Unlike other social media networks, Google+ has a comments system
that is integral to social interactions. This gives brands the
opportunity to transcend an outward image and connect users with the
people who make the company run. Oestlien explains that brands that opt
to be more personally involved on Google+ reap the benefits.
“The ability to move beyond a post and understand that there are
really people behind these pages really deepens the experience and lends
itself to a loyal, more engaged audience,” Oestlien explains.
One of the easiest ways to connect with users on Google+ is to utilize the platform’s gang-busting feature, Hangouts.
Brands have been using Hangouts to personally connect up to 10 users
with a face in the company. Oestlien explains that he’s seen successful
Hangouts on everything from computer companies connecting users with
their tech support and department stores allowing fashion bloggers to
give users style advice. Hangouts are also about to expand to even more
people.
“We evolved the product Hangouts On-Air, which is now being tested
with a handful of pages and big users on Google+,” says Oestlien. “What
we saw is that there’s a huge latent demand to participate in Hangouts,
even from the perspective of streaming and watching what’s going on.”
Utilizing Hangouts gives users a personal experience with a brand,
one that is bound to foster loyalty and increase brand appeal.
2. Broadcasting Novel and Different Content
Brands cannot engage if they don’t have content, but be careful what
you post. Oestlien says a major no-no on Google+ is double-dipping
content on the platform and another social media website.
“I think a lot of Google+ users look to see if the brands are
actually engaged in the platform itself or just reposting what they’ve
shared elsewhere,” Oestlien explains.
Instead, Google+ users see success in producing interesting and novel
content that is both relevant to the brand and infectiously shareable.
Non-profit LGBT rights group NOH8
uses its Google+ brand page to not only share video and images that
remain in line with the organization’s core message, but also showcases
the visually arresting photos of regular people participating in photo
shoots for NOH8 all across the country. NOH8 co-founder Adam Bouska says
that sharing these photos on Google+ allows the group to connect with a
whole new audience, and to engage them in the cause.
“As a smaller non-profit with limited funds, being able to promote
our message through social media photos and updates has allowed us to
effectively transmit our message worldwide,” says Bouska
Producing content that is not only interesting, but meaningful, is absolutely key to a successful brand page.
3. Engaging Power Users
Google+ brand pages don’t just provide a way to share content; such
close engagement with an audience means that a company or brand can
tailor the message to their fans in any number of ways. Oestlien
explains that brands are able to segment their content and engage with
influencers in the social media space to produce maximum effects.
“A lot of people already talk about getting a lot of referral traffic
from Google+ than other potential properties out there, primarily
because I think they’re able to hit the right audience and do it in a
really relevant way,” Oestlien says.
One of the best ways to engage these influencers is to use Circles
and segment major brand-influencers in order to provide even more
tailored material to those who matter. Oestlien says that when brands
provide specifically meaningful content to a group of core fans, they
are not only cutting down the white noise that can happen with most
broadcast-based strategies, but also encouraging those users to engage
and reshare the brand’s content to their own circles. He adds that
enabling feedback is an absolute must.
“Most people who really see high engagement levels are those that
enable resharing, the ones that enable commenting and focus on using
products like Ripples
to see which users are highly engaged with their content and tailor
more content to appeal to Influencers that can help drive even more
participation.”
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