(Newswire.net — March 12, 2014)  — Google Plus originally began June 28, 2011 as an invitation only experiment and by September 20 of that year they had opened it up to anyone 18 years and older. By January 26, 2012 it became open to 13 year olds in the U.S., 14 years and up in South Korea and Spain, and 16 and up in the Netherlands. It was a rousing success in every instance.

 

However, what about Google Plus for the business people? Is it really needed? The answer is a very big YES! As of 2013, Google Plus is considered as Facebook’s biggest competition, and is fast approaching more than 500 million members. This makes it the second largest social media network online, and that’s something that no business can ignore if they want to remain viable in today’s modern and fast paced online world.

Why is Google Plus Important for Businesses?

With all of those 500 million people out there, a business should consider it as a gold mine for acquiring potential customers and traffic to their websites and stores. Google Plus offers them a chance to promote and advertise their products and services, as well as interact with their customers and others in their niche, and to join communities and circles available in Google Plus that can help them to get data and contribute data and watch their ratings rise in the Google search engine ratings.

 

By posting onto a Google Plus account page, a business can help to promote its brand name by linking their website or blog with their Google Plus page, as well as their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The more places you are posting information on your products and services, the more places that are helping your business to grow and become more well-known in your niche.

Use the Google+ Button Often

Businesses can also benefit from Google Plus by putting a Google Plus button onto their website, blog, Facebook or Twitter account. This will get you more traffic and it is similar to a “like” on Facebook. This is a vital tool for a business, because the Google search engine includes it in their factors for ranking and it even has a place in your Google Webmaster Tools account to show Google Plus stats.

Join or Create Communities in your business niche

Google Plus also has a Communities feature that businesses can use to their advantage. This feature lets anyone put together a group of people or “followers” who have the same kinds of interests or goals. Businesses can join in with their customers and interact with them to find out their needs, wants, and desires concerning their products and services.

A business can also join with others in its niche and they can help each other to learn about the newest happenings in their field, answer questions, and share other valuable data.

Use Google Plus Hangouts Wisely, Effectively

Another major tool that is good for a business involved with Google Plus is Hangouts, which are chat or video sessions in real time that can be used to invite people to meetings, training sessions and more. You could, for instance, put together a focus group on one of your upcoming new products or services and have up to 10 people in video mode or more in chat mode, to discuss the new items.

This feature is something Google Plus has that neither Facebook or Twitter has, and that makes it special. It means that you have yet another good tool to add to your marketing toolbox to help you to get more traffic, more customers and ultimately more sales.

Post and Post Often, But Be Sure to Post the Right Stuff

Posting on Google Plus is different from posting on other social media, because people on Google Plus are looking for serious content and useful information to help them to reach their goals and to learn about other businesses and future happenings and innovation in their fields. They don’t want to talk about funny cat videos or whose birthday it is. They want up-to-date and relevant text, pictures, and videos that can offer their followers the data and information they need.

Share the content you post on Google Plus, as well as the useful content your followers and circle members post, and that too will help to promote your name and get your business more noticed in the virtual as well as the physical world.

All in all, it is indeed vital for a business, large or small, to join in the new social network platform of Google Plus and see just how it will help their business to grow and thrive. All you need is a Google account and you can login and start creating your profile and other pages right away. Don’t let this innovative and fast moving social network leave you behind if you want your business to be active and profitable far into the future.