Google+ is looking better than ever for use by small to medium size businesses and individuals. The simplistic design of the Google+ profile is refreshing in comparison to the new – and extremely busy Facebook site. Google+ has not given businesses permission to set up Google+ pages yet, but it has allowed GM & Ford to set up test profiles. So far, Ford Motor Company’s page is significantly more developed than General Motor’s page.

Google+ reported that a business variant of Google+ pages is set to launch later this year. Entrepreneur.com reported that Christian Oestlien, the advertising lead for Google+, said the new business pages will include “things like rich analytics and the ability to connect that identity to other parts of Google that businesses might use on a daily basis, like AdWords,” he added.

Below are the benefits we compiled of developing a Google+ page based off of Ford Motor Company’s Google+ page:

Google+ Page Features:

o Buzz: “Goes beyond status messages”
 Users can share updates, photos, videos, & more with the circle of their choice. They can also start conversation about things you find interesting.
 Allows users to connect on other sites they already use and has inbox integration.

o +1: Anyone can instantly see how many times a link/information has been shared by users.
 +1 is designed to “get a conversation going.” By clicking +1 a user gives something “their public stamp of approval” – then they can immediately share with their Google+ “circle” of choice.
 Once a user +1’s a topic or item on the next, the next time friends and contacts search on Google, they might see their friends’ recommendation, giving web users the power to help their friends narrow down their search.

o Circles:
 Users can separate friends from the companies they follow
 Allows companies to specifically target certain users by dividing the users into different groups and tailoring specific messages to those users. Circles could help marketers target and tailor messages to a specific audience.

o Hangouts:
 David Armerland’s article “Google+ Business Accounts: What Can You Expect?” said it best: “If we look at Ford’s example of using hangouts, the group video conferencing feature of Google+, to connect directly with relatively small groups of casual users and discuss subjects specific to their cars (like the recent move to integrate Spotify on-demand music services on some models) we can see how what appear to be relatively small, low-cost aspects of social media connections become the seeds which grow into successful viral campaigns.”

o Integration with Google Analytics style reporting tools: Business pages will see where visitors come from and they will also gain stats about how much interaction each visitor has with their actual page.

Pop Labs is gearing up several campaigns to launch once Google+ gives businesses the green light to proceed in a formal manner. We look forward to utilizing this new platform to grow the audience for each of our clients that will gain some benefit from their target audience enjoying Google+.

Need help with your Google+ strategy, get in touch and let us help!

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It’s 7 a.m. – do you know what your social media campaign is doing for you? Time is a valuable tool for your social media strategy, if applied correctly. So, if you have been wondering what is the best time to update your business’s Facebook page, when to publish a blog, or post a tweet, there is a science behind not just “what” to post, but “when” to post. Timing your interactivity with various social platforms can dramatically improve your marketing campaign as a whole. We will explore both.

Learning how to manage and balance your social strategy can be tricky and it is important to remember what your purpose of using social media is, who your target audience is and what is the “voice” or “tone” of your brand. Having an account on Facebook or Twitter does not mean you have a digital marketing campaign ready to go. Simply sharing content via social platforms whenever you feel like it will not make for an effective strategy (remember: information is not marketing). It is imperative to understand who your audience is and what their motivations are for being interested in the type of content you have to offer. And consistency is key.

In order to begin this process, consider the following questions as an example of what you should be asking yourself every time you get ready to post or engage with your audience:

• 1. Is it relevant to the prospective or current customer you are targeting?
• 2. Is this content just about selling your product or service or providing value that would encourage engagement with your brand across several groups?
• 3. What is the call to action of your messages to the audience – is it awareness, engagement or transaction?
• 4. How does this single message fit with your larger marketing strategy, the consistency of your message and the tone of your brand?

Thinking in advance about the type of message you want to deliver, the desired outcome you’re seeking and who exactly you are targeting will help you determine the best social media marketing means. Now sprinkle a little timing into the equation and here is where it gets interesting.

Timing Tips for Twitter and Facebook:

• 1. Retweet activity is heaviest between 2 – 5 p.m. (EST). Tweet later in the day and later in the week for best results.
• 2. Saturdays and Sundays are amongst the highest days for Twitter click-through rate (CTR).
• 3. Weekends, between 12a.m. – 12 p.m. are the best time for sharing information on Facebook.

Timing Tips for Email Marketing:

• 1. Experiment with sending out emails during the weekend, as they tend to get more opens and a higher CTR on Saturdays and Sundays.
• 2. Early morning is when most people typically open and read their email. If your email is waiting for them, they are more likely to read it.
• 3. Send email more often with content that is more relevant should minimize the rate of unsubscribers. No one will see your content as valuable, if it arrives once a quarter.
• 4. Your newest subscribers are your best subscribers as they have a higher CTR potential.

Timing Tips for Blogs:

• 1. Blog post page views are highest on Mondays.
• 2. Comments for blog posts tend to spike on Saturdays and Sundays.
• 3. Blog posts published early, between 6 – 7 a.m. (EST), tend to get the most links.
• 4. Blog more frequently! Try blogging at least once a week as a good starting point.

Remember, it’s important to understand your purpose of each communication with your client and apply these key points accordingly. Construct a plan that will allow you to monitor, analyze and manage your efforts. Once you have a proven method of content that your audience is responding to, experiment with different times and days to get the most effective strategy for your campaign.

Want to read more timing tips? Follow the #TimeSci hashtag on Twitter to stay ahead of the curve.

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The internet as a whole is trending toward a social platform, where consumer interaction and engagement are key to keeping people involved and loyal to their connections, brands and products. The biggest of these social trends is allowing customers to review, discuss and react to their experiences related to business engagements. Taking this trend into their own hands is the search giant itself, Google.

After a number of hairy starts in the social media realm, Google has launched the testing phase of +1, a way for users to socialize and engage with their search engine results. Essentially, +1 gives users a “like” button for sites, ads and even on page content. So, for example, if an individual searches for “recipes” and someone in their network (such as a friend or acquaintance whose opinion would matter to that individual either as a Gmail contact or Google Talk contact) “+1′d” a site or ad, that site will show up higher on the search results for that individual. In a nutshell, the site gets rank for being voted as useful by a friend. Google also mentioned that they are going to integrate into other social media tools, such as Twitter, to expand recommendation possibilities.

What will this mean for Search Engine Optimization?

As of now, Google’s +1 is an experiment to merely collect data on the efficacy of this tool and to watch the behavior of users who receive +1 recommendations. Additionally, positive ratings carry big implications for PPC ads. If users +1 an ad, then that can bring down the cost per click, raise the average position of the ad and make the ad stick out next to competitors because it has the +1 logo where others might not.

The real question is, what’s to stop a blackhat SEO company from making a bunch of Gmail accounts and +1-ing them? This question has yet to be answered. The algorithm that Google puts into place for +1 will have to take blackhat techniques into account and it’s still not certain how much weight positive clicks will give the site overall. Recently Google has taken online reviews into consideration when giving rank, making the user aspect more measurable and holding more weight.

Stay ahead of the curve on Google’s +1: update your content!

When was the last time you added new information about your services, products or industry? The most important tactic for your website, AdWords ads and blog postings is to be as relevant as possible. Stay on top of information and don’t forget to maintain a user-friendly website. If users find your site frustrating, disorganized, filled with errors or requires more than just a couple of clicks to get what they are looking for, then it’s time to update or have professionals come in and streamline your site for you.

Remember, Google’s business is to bring the best search results possible to the users, not to cater to advertisers and websites.

For more information on Google’s +1 or to find out how to enable +1 when you search, visit their informational content or contact Pop Labs today!

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