Google+ has had a lot of publicity in recent months; news reports are constantly reminding us about its user growth, which has now reached over 540 million monthly active users! It’s pretty rare to be able to walk into a social media meeting and not hear Google+ being discussed.
“It’s good for SEO!”
“It’s a great networking tool!”
“It’s a new marketing platform to use!”
But like every social media, there is no point just sitting on an account. Having a Google+ account might look good on your website (as you can put the icon next to the list of other social media icons that you have), but is it actually enhancing your business?
If the answer to this is no, or I don’t know then you NEED to read this. And if the answer is I think so, then you still need to read this!
Google+ has numerous features for you to use, so even when you’re actively engaging on Google+, the likelihood it – you’re still not reaching its full potential!
I could be here all day telling you about all the features you could use, and how and why they will improve your business, but if you are serious about improving your business – I highly doubt you have enough time for me to list them all. So, instead I’ve highlighted 3 key features that you need to get your head around.
1) Helper Extension for Chrome
I imagine that the majority of you reading this will already be using Chrome as your Web Browser, which is great, because it means that you are just one quick download away from making Google+ that little bit easier to use. By downloading the free extension Helper, you can get multiple benefits including:
- One-click tool to share Google+ content on Twitter and Facebook
- Desktop notifications on new posts
- Bookmarking tool for reading Google+ posts later
Downloading it is simple – just go to Chrome’s Web store, download the extension, follow the setup instructions, and you have a one-click tool to extend your reach.
2) Customizing your Text on Google+
Google+ enables you to change the style of text that you post. It may not be a ground breaking feature, but in a media saturated society, being able to stand out is key!
Here are a few examples of codes you could use:
- Bold: Add an asterisk at the beginning and end of the words you want to make bold (i.e., *post header*)
- Italics: Add an underscore before and after the words you want to set in italics (i.e., _post header_)
- · Strike-through: Place a dash before and after the words you wish to have a line run through (i.e., -post header-)
3) Google+ Ripples
The last feature of Google+ that I believe everyone should know about and use is Google+ ripples. It allows you to see the responses to a (Google+) post in an aesthetically pleasing, clear and focused way. To use this feature, go to the top right-hand corner of the post in question and hovering over the downward arrow, click “View Ripples”.
From there, Google+ will take you to another page with a mind field of information. It will tell you how your content has spread, and which users have been the main contributor to this.
