What’s The Deal With Google Plus?

Okay, so we’re going to lay our cards on the table for a second and declare our love for Google Plus here at Giraffe Social Media. At every opportunity we encourage businesses and existing clients to build a presence on the platform despite it still being relatively new and unheard of outside of those who take a particular interest in the world of social media.

When we pose the question, ‘so is your business on board with digital marketing?’ The response we’re usually met with is, ‘sure, we’re on both Facebook and Twitter’ (all the while looking rather pleased with themselves). Well great, that’s a start, but there’s a whole new untapped market that is emerging – has been for a while in fact – and the people who are ignoring it are falling behind. We’re not alone in thinking this either.

Getting on board with Google+

Our optimism for the platform is shared by the man who matters most; Google’s new head of social media, David Besbris. He refuted accusations that Google Plus are going to duck out of the social media game and has unveiled plans for a new long term strategy and commitment.

“I don’t think of it as an end game, I think we’re in social – like we’re in everything at Google – for the long haul. We said this at the beginning of the company, we make long-term bets, we make long-term decisions.”

Why Google+ has a place in the Social Media Marketplace

Let’s think about it for a second. Google is the world’s second biggest brand in the entire world, according to Interbrand. The search engine is worth a staggering £50 billion and on top of that, increased its value by 15% just from last year. If you think that a company of this sheer size, magnitude and financial power is going to quietly bow out of one of the most integral industries to modern business, think again.

We think Google Plus works particularly well because it’s so easy to connect to likeminded people with similar interests. In terms of business opportunities, there’s an abundance of established communities that you can join, immediately putting your content in front of the eyes of thousands of people, something that Facebook cannot do. You really can interact with potential customers and influencers effortlessly, costing you nothing in the process and that is what we believe social media is all about.

Besbris concludes, “Social is a whole aspect of computing, much like any other area you would imagine at Google. Behind every one of these screens is a user, it’s an actual person. People are social creatures, they want to share things, they want to learn from each other, they want to ask questions. That’s really important for us as a company …”

What have your Google Plus experiences been like?