Google Plus is a platform above all others. Â It's micro-blogging aspects makes the social update stand out to your follower when done in the right way. Â Google Plus can single-handedly bring your blog to the forefront of social marketing, however, you have to understand what to do in order to make this happen.
Some people think that building links are the most important part of marketing for your site.
Others, think the best strategy is link dumping all day long to get the maximum benefits. Â My strategy actually takes a little longer, but, like the concrete foundation of my home, it will last through anything. This is actually the future of social media marketing on Google Plus.
I want to talk to you about relationship marketing. Â Why you should forget everything you know about the face of social media, the face of SEO, and focus on the people behind the scenes. Â This will lead to your success in the future.
The Building Blocks of G+
I have learned a lot in the past six months that I have been on this platform. At first, I thought like you thought. I decided that this was a place where I could put my links and hope for the best. Hey it works on Facebook and Twitter, so why not this social platform? As my time on Google Plus evolved, so did my ideas about how to market on this platform.
One of the best ways to solidify your presence on Google Plus is through the influential people on this platform. There are many ways to make yourself accessible, and here are the top ways that I have found that have brought me out of the woodwork on this platform:
- Interaction on updates
- Engaging in the comments
- Resharing other people's posts
- The ping and it's benefits to your update success
Believe it or not, while you may think your content is King, there are people out there that have no idea about your feelings. Â Perhaps they actually know nothing about you at all, and the first time they see an update of you, it shouldn't be “Check this out” in the description followed by a link.
[shadowbox]Recommended reading: 5 Incredible Ways To Master Google+ with Circloscope[/shadowbox]
You must have interaction with your followers. Â Take advantage of the micro-blogging platform and write to your readers on G+! Â If you have never thought of this before, let me share with you the awesome benefits of doing it this way.
Interaction in your updates
First of all, you are able to create a call to action inside your Google Plus update doing it like this. When you become interactive with your followers, you then become interesting enough for them to want to engage BACK with you on your update, and this is actually the first step to building a solid relationship with these people. Here is an example of an update that I did a little while ago that simply engaged the people:
As you can see, this asked the audience for interaction with me on this post. Even though this didn't have a link back to my website, people still got into the post because I took some time to write out something interesting that people wanted to read. From this post alone, I found out that there were lots of relationships still waiting to be cultivated on Google Plus for me.
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Engaging in the comments
Relationships are built because you make yourself available to the people around you. Now I'm not telling you to go off and comment on every Google Plus update that you see, I'm simply telling you to keep a watchful eye out for posts that interest you where you could give an educated opinion on something. This is the best way to also get people to circle you on Google Plus.
People are looking for others that have knowledge about certain subjects and will want to cultivate that relationship with you. Comment engagements are a great way to get recognition in this aspect of relationship marketing. It's easy to plus one someone's update and move on to the next one that you may be interested in, but I challenge you to take the next step and become involved with the people around you.
Resharing
Resharing is another great way to let people know that you're interested in building a relationship with them. Again, remember the first point. Be interactive every time you share something. Even when it's advertising someone else's update. Make it as informative as you can get it and also make sure you ping that person in the update. That way they can see what you have done, and more than likely, they will comment on your update to thank you for taking that extra time to expound on their update. Does this automatically put you in someone else's good grace? Not by a long shot. Anything that's worth doing online, will take time. It will have to be done consistently and without fail. I know that sometimes we get in a rush and when we share someone's post, we don't really put all of the emphasis on there that we should. But I challenge you to change your outlook on Google Plus this week and try to take some extra time to use these steps. It will help you build relationships on this platform.
The Final Thought
Just as in the update quote above, relationships do breed opportunities that you would have never gotten without them. Being patient with social marketing on Google Plus will reveal a lot of positive things in your marketing strategies on this platform. Strategies that you have never seen before! So take advantage of the benefits of Google Plus and forget everything you know about social marketing, and start focusing on the people.
[gp-comments]
Hello,
Well i think i’m not caring about google plus lately, the reason is simple i think it’s really slow to navigate. But after reading your post and tips i’m must say i’ve missed lot of thing in google plus.
thanks
Hey Singh, you really should start using Google Plus. I find myself on it almost all day long. There are so many things that you can do with it to promote yourself and others on there. Really a great platform.
Hi Ileane,
Thanks for sharing the one more impressive and useful information.
Also holding those in your circles involved and approaching back to your Google+ sheet will depend on your content.
For that cause, you may desire to create exclusive content expressly for Google+ in the identical way that you may give exclusive access to certain parts of your location and exceptional discounts just to Facebook or Twitter users.
I appreciate you commenting! Building engagement in your circles is what it’s all about!
I am soaking up the info I can find about google+ and I appreciate your platform about relationship building. It has always been the same we just now have the world as our playground. Thank you so much.
Yeah its really a great concept…lol, forget the SEO and focus on the people.
You are right it is so easy to make huge number of friends at Google plus but to develop relationship with your friends and followers is heck of the task. You can add crowd in your friends list easily but quality friends are not much easy to find. For this you need to make them feel your value with your sharing, with your comments and with your prompt response to their sharing. Resharing every second post will not work; you need to be choosy to show you have a criteria for resharing.
Hey Edson, I would have to politely disagree with you on that aspect. Quality friends are pretty easy to find on Google Plus. If you are looking in the right places, there’s great people all over that platform willing to create a relationship with you.
But I do agree with you that resharing every post you come across will not work. There is a strategy, of course, for resharing.
Glad to hear that Wade. I already have developed solid Marketing strategy for Twitter and Facebook but nothing yet for Google + and Youtube.
I think that this article can be very helpful for me.
Thank you a lot!
Glad I could help Vukasin. Google Plus should be your top priority. Watch where they’ll be in 6 months. You need to be there when they get to where they’re going.
Hi Wade,
It’s time to take Google+ seriously,b’cos with Hummingbird algorithm Google is all set to integrate social signal as a ranking factor. Google’s previous Core Search Engine Algorithm was not supporting it before. But Hummingbird solved the problem.
As Social Signal – Google+ will be at top, followed by Twitter, then Facebook 🙂
I agree Akash, we’re never going to truly figure out the search engine, but if we can realize what the people want then that’s just as good as a win too!
Hey Wade !!!
Well all the tips mentioned here are quite helpful ones…I have not ever considered G+ that much effective for social engagement as one is the facebook or twitter…but using different updates in its algorithm and giving more search friendly presence to the links shared on G+,Google has made all the marketers to look forward to G+…No doubt the links shared and discussed on G+…got found in the searches quickly….but I did not find that better environment of engaging the people on G+ as I can do on Facebook or twitter…sometimes it sounds as if Google has offered too much to the customers and users that irritates somewhere…but all the tips mentioned here by you are pretty helpful one or I would say to be considerable ones..so that will help me out for sure..
Thanks for sharing
Ricky, I used to be in the same boat as you with my thoughts on Google Plus. Actually, you can be yourself more and have more of a chance to build relationships there.
You have explained it very beautifully Wade.
Google plus is something which is getting more attention these days because Google is busy in sending some weird animals to destroy blogs. So loving their own platform in the only way to survive and build an authority on Google.
As the number of people on Google plus are growing on the same way I am seeing more people inclining towards YouTube.
Interacting with other fellow blogger and asking questions on Google plus is a good way to get attention.
Thanks for this share..
Those weird animals only destroy blogs that are trying to “fix” the system. If you stop trying to get on the first page of Google, you’re going to be ok. Start building relationships first and foremost and everything else will fall into place.
Thanks for sharing an awesome post.. Soon google plus will blast and it will became kind of social media.. Still many people don’t know the power of google plus and consider this as a fun.. WADE HARMAN you have mentioned the brief how it usefull a lot now everyone will know the importance of google plus..
I have news for you. Google Plus has already blasted. Most people don’t realize it because they’re still singing the praises of Facebook.
Great Post Wade,
Google Plus is an emerging social networking. and there are many benefits from it in terms of SEO and More. Google Plus are great to content sharing and get raked better in Search Engine.
Nikhil 🙂
Glad I could help, but don’t think of Google Plus as another way of getting better SEO. That’s not what this post is about. Forget about ranking, forget about SEO, forget the fact that Google Plus is part of the largest search engine in the world, just focus on the social part of the Plus.
Now I know where to start, been looking for some useful tips on how to use G+ properly and now looks like I’m already ready to use it..
Thanks.
Nhick
Awesome! Go get it!
Hi Wade,
I have to admit that I’ve been ignoring Google+ because I didn’t know how to find my way around it. But after reading your post and the comments, I definitely think that I will start jumping in.
I guess like everything else it just takes time to learn..but the only way to learn is to get in there and start using it.
Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a great day.
It’s well worth the time you will spend on it, trust me.
Socila networks are always a good platform to promote yopur website and as google + not blocked in most of the schools,colleges and offices so it can be the best social network.
That’s correct. However Google Plus could even be considered even more powerful social network for this.
Hi Wade,
Nice reading, Google+ is a social media that all bloggers should seize upon its power.
I have notice many websites ranking even with poor quality content, however the number of G+ shares was the main factor.
I agree wholeheartedly Haga. You’ve spoken correctly.
Imagine that Wade, people actually speaking to each other and learning a little bit more about the other person. Wow, what a concept!
I find it so hard to believe that so many people still don’t get this. Why would I want to visit your blog when all you do is dump your link and I never see or hear from you again? What makes you so attractive, why would I want to visit? It still boggles my mind that people don’t get this concept at all.
On Facebook and Google+ I ask a random question everyday and it gets people to talking. Some are more popular then others but it opens the conversation to get to know more about them all while having some fun. People out to try it and see how that goes.
Of course right now Facebook’s posts do a lot better then Google+ but I haven’t built up the same type of following there yet. I’m working on it though.
Thanks for sharing this and hope it will help others see that this truly does work to their advantage.
~Adrienne
Good points. Sometimes its hard for people to see the forest for the trees. They can’t grasp this simple concept because they are too busy thinking about how hard it’s going to be to get web visits to their site.
Forget the link dumping and start a conversation like you said. Engagements are the most important part of any social network. It builds trust and friendships
Nice post mate, Seems like google plus has improved its design and which make it perfect for building relationships with fellows. I really love the commenting section of google plus.
thanks
Yeah, Google Plus has updated it’s profiles too, so they are always on top of it.
Hi mate,
Nice post on time,now Google plus is future of social media.Google making Google plus more attractive and more useful for business purpose,thats why we all are need to maintain relationship with our audience on Google plus.Thank you for sharing.
I agree that Google Plus is the future of social media. Well said.
Google Plus is really a great platform to bring social media traffic to your blog,the thing is its use and after reading the article a beginner can lead its blog to success.
See…I think that you’re thinking is about the same type of thought that most people have about Google Plus. It’s not a “great place to bring social traffic to your blog”. You can’t look at it like that. You’ve got to understand first that it’s a great place to build connections and friendships. After that, the traffic comes.
Hello wade,
it’s obvious that we are utterly ignoring the google plus social platform which is of really useful to build good relationships with fellow bloggers and others. However we are giving much more preference to facebook.
Nice tips for Cultivating the Relationship on Google Plus,
Thanks
You’re going to be surprised that there are millions of people on Google Plus every day. I hate it when people think that just because they’re not using it then no one else is. Things go on without us, it’s up to us to jump in where we can.
I once read a post on MOZ, where it was stated that there is relation between Google+ and a high ranking on Google search. Basically, the author was saying that Google+ influences a high ranking on its search engine.
Now back to the basics, your points are valid and I do agree with it. Building relationship on Google+ is tough and difficult compared to Facebook, however, it is much more organized and from personal studies, I came to realize that blogs with a large number of Google+ followers tends to do well in ranking high.
The arrival of Google hummingbird finally lends credence to this as Google is much more interested in social signals and mobile experience ( a strategy built on the concept of user relationship).
I’m currently trying to build my Google+ profile; your post is the much needed boast to get moving on.
Thanks for sharing.
I still don’t think people are getting the basis of this post. While SEO is important, it’s not the thing that people need to be concentrating on night and day. You’ll never figure out the algorithm, so why not put your eggs in the “people” basket?
You can never go wrong with building a great relationship. You can’t make a relationship with a bot.
I have found that Google plus is the best social platform out there, when you have the right people in your circle or community and pot the good messages especially questions in your topic. you will find people interacting with what you are posting, commenting and talking about your message.
It is more like forums than social network, and if you treat it like forum you will find it very effective marketing strategy.
That’s so true. Google Plus is so easy to be yourself and interact with other people on this platform. If you come across like you’re just there to bomb your own links then people will disregard you. However, if you show cause to be fully invested in people, then they will open up.
It is seriously not the time to avoid Google+ in our online marketing tactics, and approaches. I have seen many brands are still missing out the Google+ in their schedules but in near future, Google will make sure to force us to use Google+.
You are so right. Just like YouTube, Google will probably start making people use their G+ platform in some way in the future. Google Plus is the future of social media marketing, and we may as well embrace it.
Facebook is going downhill fast with all of the ads, and making people pay to simply get noticed by their friends already in their list. It’s pathetic and Google Plus is capitalizing on it.
Fantastic tips. I think a lot of people, myself included are still trying to get their head around G+, so this is a nice guide to work with. I think making your content visual when possible is essential. I really do believe that Google+ is gaining traction – both for individuals and businesses – which is why it’s so important to invest time and energy developing it. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks for the post
Google+ is more and more important, few weeks ago come out custom Google+urls which are free now, maybe it won’t be in future. I had thoughts if it’s good idead to acceppt or not custom url, eventually I accepted.
Hey Wade,
Great write indeed and thanks for sharing. Resharing is a great tool to cultivate relationship but most importantly, remember to tag them!
Haha. I always consider tagging as a good way to build relationship and telling them, “Hey! Great work!”
Have a great week ahead mate!
Hi Wade, mate,
happy to read your useful post here! 🙂
They are interesting suggestions on how to use in the best way Google Plus.
I think, summarizing, it’s all about relationships.
I remember when, time ago when I started blogging, a professional suggested me to build connections and relationships (above all in the business, but also in private life), in order to expand the audience, learn from the others, enrich ourselves.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Wade.
Have a great one.
I have tried repeatedly to embrace Google Plus and I just don’t get it. I just can’t seem to figure it out and I don’t understand the appeal of this platform.
I really have a feeling that I will soon focus my engagement in Google+. I just feel a sincere engagement among circles and members compared to all other social media platforms.
Hi Wade,
Thanks for contributing an useful post for the bloggers. Yeah, as you told, maintain the relationship with influential people, engage in conversations and sharing their worthy content in Google Plus would drive traffic and other benefits to your blog.
I too thought, it is like FB and Twitter and I didn’t drove traffic to my blog from Google plus. But once I addeed some experts and started to share their content on my network, am getting visitors from Google plus. I added you too on my Google plus circle 🙂
Usage of social media sites increasing rapidly and in this scenario it is very important to build your reputation on famous social media sites. Google plus is one the important social media site and everyone wants to get more followers on this sites and your shared points are very helpful and effective to build strong relationships on Google plus.
None of us knows what will be further, because each of these social networks is trying to do their best and to offer its visitors more benefits and advantages, providing new services and new opportunities. But I still think that Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter as well as Google+ have their own audience and number of users who don’t want to choose other social network . You are right that the Social Media War is going further..))