{"id":3426,"date":"2013-02-26T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2013-02-26T16:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.dlvr.it\/?p=3426"},"modified":"2026-04-06T17:27:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T00:27:37","slug":"google-plus-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dlvrit.com\/blog\/google-plus-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get the Most Out of Google Plus For Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are like many businesses owners and marketing professionals we speak with, learning a new social network can be overwhelming. As with most things, there is learning curve involved in understanding something new. No difference with Google Plus for business.<\/p>\n

Google Plus for business comes packed with a number of powerful features to interact with customers including Pages, Profiles, Circles, Community, and Hangouts.<\/p>\n

To help you get started on Google Plus for business\u00a0and not feel overwhelmed, we have explained a few of its major features below in laymen\u2019s terms.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>Why Google Plus For Business?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before we start, you need to decide if Google Plus should be a part of your marketing strategy. In short, it cannot hurt.<\/p>\n

Google Plus now has 500 million total users and over 135 million active users. Furthermore, you can benefit from the additional lift in search results. Google Plus bridges the gap between search and social.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>Understanding Google\u00a0Plus\u00a0for Business
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

First, let’s define\u00a0Google Plus terminology.<\/p>\n

Profile:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What:<\/em> This is a place for your personal information<\/p>\n

Why:<\/em> A personal Google Plus Profile is needed before setting up a Page<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/em> For improved search results, add a small snippet of code<\/a> to your blog to help Google identify any content you write.<\/p>\n

Pages:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What:<\/em> This is strictly information about your business. (Note: There are feature restrictions<\/a> with Pages.) Reminder: A business cannot have a business Page without first creating a Profile<\/p>\n

Why:<\/em> Improved SEO. When your customers search on Google, the results to the right may include relevant posts, photos, and videos from your Google Plus page.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/em> Connect your Google Plus Page to your website<\/a> for improved search optimization. (Note: Dlvr.it makes it easy to connect your blog to your Google Plus Page<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Circles: <\/strong><\/h3>\n

What:<\/em> This feature allows you to organize and share different information with friends, neighbors, colleagues, customers, etc. It\u2019s like a Rolodex.<\/p>\n

Why:<\/em> Organize customers and prospects into different Circles and send unique information to each. Also, get notified when important customers make a post.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/em> If you use Gmail and Google Plus, your Google Plus Circles can be accessed in Gmail<\/a>. This makes it convenient to email customers organized in your different Circles (ex. VIPs, around certain product lines).<\/p>\n

Communities <\/strong><\/h3>\n

What:<\/em> These are public or private places to communicate with and market to a group of people with shared interests.<\/p>\n

Why:<\/em> Great way to extend your reach and influence. Let\u2019s say your business provides healthy snacks for kids. Wouldn\u2019t you like to connect with parents who are interested in organic foods? Now you can. Search for or start a Community on Google+!<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/em> Google Plus Communities can be an email replacement. Connect Google Drive to a private Community as an inexpensive way to organize customer interactions and share documents, videos, service manuals with groups of or individual customers.<\/p>\n

Hangouts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What:<\/em> Video Chat with Customers. \u00a0(Note: If customers cannot access Google Plus, they can conference in with a free voice call.)<\/p>\n

Why:<\/em> Have \u2018face-to-face\u2019 meetings with up to 10 customers or prospects from the communities you belong to. Invite up to 9 community members (at one time) to a demonstration of your product, a focus group, solve customer service issues or do a Q & A.<\/p>\n

Pro Tip:<\/em> Invite people from your Google Plus communities to do a quick focus group. Provide incentives like a free sample or the first to try a new product you are launching.<\/p>\n

<\/span>How to Use Google Plus for Business Marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n

The marketer in me realizes the importance of Google Plus for business. I\u2019m reminded of an interview we did with\u00a0Scott Frangos<\/a>,\u00a0Content Marketing Strategist & President of WebDirexion. \u00a0I can still hear Scott\u2019s words today:<\/p>\n

Remember that Google Plus IS Google.<\/strong>\u00a0It is not just another social media network \u2014 it is at the heart of all things Google. Your advantage is that you don\u2019t always have to be logged into Google Plus to take advantage of amplification and reach options.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I understand the importance and can\u2019t deny the fact that with over 150\u00a0Million active users\u00a0and 50% of all users\u00a0logging into Google Plus daily, Google Plus is\u00a0a social media network you can\u2019t ignore. Truth is, it isn\u2019t as popular as Facebook or Twitter, but undeniably, it can help\u00a0impact your search engine rankings<\/a>\u00a0in a VERY positive way.<\/p>\n

To help visualize\u00a0how you can use Google Plus to your advantage, Quicksprout\u00a0created\u00a0the following\u00a0infographic that lays out the steps you need to take to\u00a0use Google\u2019s social network for your marketing needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

Furthermore, if you are a local business, you can supercharge your Google search presence by optimizing Google Plus Local. How to Use Google Plus Local the Right Way to Boost Traffic\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>How to Measure Google Plus for Business Results.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Like most businesses, at dlvr.it, we rely heavily on Google Analytics<\/a> to provide insight into traffic across our website and blog. We use this data to guide our social media marketing<\/strong> strategy. When we want to view our social media engagement we turn to the dlvr.it stats dashboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I have to be honest, I never paid much attention to the new(ish) Google Plus Insights data. I was pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n

Once you get Google Plus up and running you want to know what’s working. Google Plus Insights provides the intelligence you need to optimize your Google Plus business strategy.<\/p>\n

A. How to Access Google+ Insights Dashboard<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Log in to your Google+ Business Page. On the left of the page, click on ‘My Business’.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

B. Google+ Insights Summary Data<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You should see a summary of data for the\u00a0Google Apps you are using. For example, this summary may include Google Insights, Google Analytics, YouTube<\/a>, etc. As shown below, in this list you can find your Google+ Business Page. Click on ‘View insights’ to drill down into the details.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

C. Google Plus Insights Detailed Data<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Google Plus Insights reports data is broken down into four types:<\/p>\n