Why I'm Shifting Focus to Google+ for My Business

Owning a business today can be dizzying. We're in the midst of a digital revolution, but direct-mail seems to STILL be working for my business. Still, there's no question that SEO, SEM, and other digital marketing strategies are vital to remain relevant. So where does a business owner go?

I notice a lot of businesses struggling to use various social platforms, and not adding much value when trying to leverage their Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, YouTube channels, or blog platforms. Personally, I've found YouTube and our blog to be the most effective, and I'm losing home in Facebook's ability to provide a truly meaningful outlet for business owners to connect with their customers. So what's better? Google+.

No offense to Facebook. I'll continue using you to follow my friend's birthday's, to be reminded of Marcel the Shell video updates, and probably even for photos, but you do not seem to be the platform to meaningfully connect me with my customers.

So why google+? Reuters has a good write-up today:

1. Connections.

More than 1 billion people use Google's search engine every month. Google Plus for businesses allows you to potentially tap into that traffic, as Google+ Pages are now showing up in search results.

With the launch of Google+ Pages, the website is also debuting a feature called "Direct Connect." Users who type "+" in front of a company's name in Google's search field will be connected directly to the company's Google+ Page, if there is one.

People with personal Google+ profiles can recommend your business with a "+1," or add your business to their "Circles" so they can follow your every post. They can even chat with you or your employees face-to-face over Google+'s "Hangouts" feature.

2. Collaborations.

"Hangouts" is more than just a way to video chat, it also lets your team work on shared files in Google Docs from remote locations, in real time. Businesses can also use "Hangouts" like a virtual whiteboard for brainstorming.

Customers can also collaborate via "Hangouts." Businesses can host live customer feedback discussions, for example, giving you insight into your products and your customer base, a columnist for Simply Business suggests.

3. Circles.

As you may have heard, Google+ features "Circles," which lets you pick which posts are sent to specific groups of followers.

This could be a boon to businesses that cater to certain demographics, The International Business Times suggests. For example, a business can create different content for different age group "Circles," or send special offers to customers in a certain geographic "Circle."

However, keep in mind that Google Plus for businesses are still evolving. Critics note that Google+ Pages are still in need of business-friendly features like website analytic tools and personalized URLs.

So while other business owners struggle to get people to "like" them on facebook, then find that their updates & attempts to reach people are buried along with photo, Spotify, check-in updates, etc, I'm focusing on a seamless way to have meaningful dialogues with my customers.