From the HB Blog
“You don’t even know what the thing is yet.” – Sean Parker, “The Social Network”
Much like Justin Timberlake’s line from the 2010 film, “The Social Network,” this Google+ “thing” has yet to find an identity since its launch in June of last year – and that’s okay.
The platform offers some of the same things as other major players Twitter and Facebook:
- follow other users’ news streams,
- share interesting content via text, links, photos, and videos, and
- comment on others’ posts.
However, there are two unique offerings that help separate Google+ as its own platform.
The power of search
As we all know, Google dominates the search market. Google+ offers users and businesses the added bonus of search traffic to their accounts. Now, your bio, content, and posts are all searchable content. In fact, Google created controversy with their recent announcement regarding Google+ content appearing in Google searches.
Businesses can heighten their brand awareness efforts with engaging content on their Google+ pages that will accompany searches about their brand, product, or service.
Let’s hang out
The second unique feature comes from Google’s take on video chats. They’re called Hangouts, or impromptu video chats with dozens of people.
With a few simple clicks, you can invite certain people to private chats for collaboration and communication, or offer a public forum for topical discussion. I see great potential in Hangouts for businesses. Companies can offer previously impossible direct contact with their customers to provide support and recommendations in the hopes of extending the customer’s relationship with a brand.
Only six months into its life, Google+ sits in prime position to grow in 2012. Will you grow with it?