[Updated 8/11/11] Google Plus for Marketers: Summary, Review, Implications and Recommendations

Google+ for Marketing Executives:Summary, Review, Implications and Recommendations

SummaryWe believe G+ will take its place among a small group of critical social networks for marketers within next 1-2 yearsG+ incorporates best of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. and attempts toevolve the breedIncreases usage and usefulness of other Google services(Chrome, AdWords, Google Apps, Android OS, Picasa, etc.)Will use user data from all above services to provide transformative opportunities to marketersBrands must be prepared to leverage G+ when business pages become available in late September / early October 2011, esp. in regard to legal and compliance Image credit: http://www.zurmat.com/2011/07/22/google-plus-growth-vs-other-social-networks/

What is Google+?G+ is a collection of different social products:Profile (similar to a Facebook profile)Stream (a newsfeed on the default page)Sparks (a recommendation engine)Hangouts (a video chat service)Huddle (a group texting service)Circles (a friend management service) Photos (a photo sharing service)Coming Soon:GamesQuestionsBusiness Profiles

Stream (this is the Default view)

StreamStream allows users to view news feeds for Circles either one at a time or all at once at the click of a mouse, allowing for easier filtering/browsing than Facebook, which presumes to know what you’ll like either via “Most Recent” or “Top News”

CirclesCircles enables you to sort contacts into relevant groups

Sparks (Landing Page)Sparks are search-term driven. Landing page is a “semi-curated” results page for a few pre-selected topics. You can also manually find things by entering terms in the search box.

SparksSparks allow you to find and follow items of interest on the web. They don’t find G+ posts. It’s not social search. It does make following keywords similar to following people (via Stream).

SparksWhen create a Spark item, you “bookmark” that search term’s results so you can easily view them later. Useful for curation, market research, keeping up with news, etc.

ChatChats can be enabled only for Circles or individuals – lets you control who can see your online status and initiate a chat with you (not possible w/Facebook)

HangoutHangout is live group chat. You can invite as many as you want, but only video chat with up to 10 people at a time.

Hangout (Pop-up)Hangout occurrences are posted to Streams and are pre-set to be inherently viral and visible - but that also makes it impossible to control who can participate. Note the chat window alongside.

PhotosPhotos is designed to work most seamlessly with Android OS phones. Seeks to encourage upload and sharing with high levels of virality. Default screen shows photos from your circles

PhotosPhotos is a social networking app like Flickr, Picasa, Facebook. Photos carefully mimics most effective functions of Facebook photo, like tagging, uploading, albums, etc.

PhotosPhotos is different in that you can share photos or albums only to certain circles or individuals if desired. “Photos of you” is its own default category, making it easier to manage your visual identity inside G+

HuddlesNot a new idea - very similar to Groupme and many other startups offering group SMS textingOnly available on Android or iPhone via the G+ app (don’t look for it on the website!)Can include anyone – not just G+ users

Key Characteristics of G+CirclesAssumes people run in multiple social circles and would prefer to communicate with each one differently Users group contacts into segments (Circles) and publish / share / engage selectivelyAsymmetric: Users can follow and engage with people who don’t follow them back (more like Twitter, less like FB)Viral: Users can share with ANYONE who has put themin their circles

G+ Key CharacteristicsData and PrivacyFirst social net to let users download ALL their social dataSettings page is easier to understand and use than FBEasy to see when and how info is shared, esp. photos (more sensitive)

Key Characteristics of G+Post distribution & notificationsExtremely viral andconversation-friendlyUsers comment more oftenComments highly visible in G+Probably due to default notification settings, which notify of EVERYTHING by Gmail and in notifications on the black nav bar (above right)Also likely due to early G+ user population dominated by popular influencers/power users…and appear to do so more readily – comments often stretch into 50s or more for a single post – rare in Facebook

G+ Key CharacteristicsIssues…Too many notificationsNo way to distinguish between worthwhile notifications and useless ones (e.g, an inane or glib comment isindistinguishable from a useful one)How do you sift through100s of comments? Cries for “better filtering”, etc. appear frequently

Why Google is serious about G+

G+ potential to “turn the tide”The “Black Nav Bar” – shows how Google properties are now more present and interconnected (communication, network, search, productivity, collaboration)G+ is an important missing ingredient to Google mix: a driver of longer and more frequent visits/sessionsHas potential to make Google properties once again the most popular online destination

The “ ”Similar to - but an expansion on - Facebook

Is a tacit endorsement to your social network of:

Content (example: an article or video)

URL (example: in search results or on website)

Google+ post (example: a status update)Why the “ ”?2/3rds of the economy is influenced by personal recommendations.McKinsey& Company20% of consumers are key influencers of purchasing activities of 74% of the population.GartnerConsumers mention 56 brands in conversation per week.Keller Fay62% of these discussions are positive.Each peer recommendation reaches 150 people on the social web. ForresterLess than 25% of people say they trust emails they sign up for.1 in 3 people come to a brand through a recommendation.Weber ShandwickThe most recommended company in any given category grows2.5x the category average.Bain& Co.40% of advocates answer, comment, or give opinions online several times each week. Yahoo! and Comscore24

The “ ”Will appear to you, your social network, and to general public in Google’s search results

+1 button must be added to websites in order to appear

Personal recommendations drive “pre-qualified” traffic+1’s are also stored in a tab on Google+ profiles for easy access. Users can opt to show their +1 tab, or keep it private – “micro-bookmarking”

+1 tab is intended to let users manage from a single destinationThe “ ”

+1 is Google’s way of incorporating personal recommendations into search results on a massive scale

From the general public, in aggregate (example: “this has1200 +1’s”)

From your personal networks (example: “Steve, Roger, and Bill +1’d this”)

From yourself(example: “you +1’d this at some point in the past”)

+1 is a BIG DEAL because it means brands with more +1’s will get more traffic, more qualified traffic, and more conversions from Google search, which owns 85% of the marketThe “ ”

G+ Key CharacteristicsHow G+ Will Play into Search ResultsEmpiric research suggests Google organic search results are affected by whether user has added a brand to their Google+ CirclesThis means the more popular your brand is in G+, the higher your SEO rankings are likely to beHovering over the Ford Motor Company link displays this:

Before G+AfterG+ context w/ other social netsImage Credit: http://scalableintimacy.com/

After G+G+ context w/ other social netsImage Credit: http://scalableintimacy.com/

Facebook ComparisonPages for Individuals and Businesses (called Profiles in G+)G+ Profiles are not currently customizable yet, whereas FB pages can essentially developed as fully as websitesPostsFormat and options for posts are practically identicalNews Feed……But G+ News Feed can be custom-filtered by users via Circles“Liking” a post (Google calls this “+1”)… Except…+1 only applies to posts, websites, and content - not to Profiles+1 concept assumes user may like a user’s post without committing to holistically “Liking” the author+1 informs search results, whereas FB Like does notWill G+ for business include profile-level “Liking” like FB? We’ll see…

Facebook ComparisonPhotosTakes dead aim at the most-used function in FacebookDesigned to work best with Google-owned apps, OS’s, servicesCareful to be BETTER than Facebook on managing privacy and sharing issuesPerfectly synced with Picasa, which should give it an advantage over both Facebook and media site sharing competitors:Facebook, and photo sharing services from …Apple / iPhotoYahoo / FlickrAdobe / CS 5 Microsoft / Windows Live Photo Gallery

Unprecedented Growth… Image credit:: http://www.zurmat.com/2011/07/22/google-plus-growth-vs-other-social-networks/

… But Still a Long Way to Go

What’s NextG+ effect on Google Advertising will change the gameBy now we all know that people spend more time on social websites than any other, esp. Facebook, and marketing investment has followedAdvertising in social is different because you can target based on user profiles, which are proven to generate better ads and higher return on advertising spendGoogle has always been ahead in search, but not socialGoogle search targets based on need (keywords)Social networks target based on profiles (identity, interest, friends) Google+ will be able to add the power of profiles to need to provide brands with a revolutionary new targeting capability

Immediate Business Uses for Google+Definite and obvious:Content publishing, engaging, etc.Use Segmentation to do focused Publishing & EngagementUse to build awareness, esp. with influencers/early adoptersContent curation and market research (Sparks)Traffic generationSEO – Essential for businesses to publish/engage in G+SEM/PPC - Target in G+ like they do on Facebook, Linkedin, etc.Less definite, will depend on client and circumstance:Live Meetings (Hangouts) and Chats (Huddles) for planned client/customer and brand interactionsCustomer Service (Dell)Webinar-style presentations

What’s Next for G+: Likely evolutions*Brandable ProfilesMost social networks force their own brand, not the brand of the company. Will G+ be different? We think yes.SMMPswill be able to add G+ channel via API to facilitate G+ presence management. G+ will recognize the importance of doing this b/c brands need to manage publishing and engagement on multiple social networks and will want to just add G+ to the tool(s) they are already usingCustomers may be able to post content directly onto a brand's profile/page and give brands management control so that those posts can be deleted, moderated, etc. (kind of like Wikipedia)*Credit for some evolutions suggested: https://plus.google.com/111091089527727420853/posts

[Updated 8/11/11] Google Plus for Marketers: Summary, Review, Implications and Recommendations

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[Updated 8/11/11] Google Plus for Marketers: Summary, Review, Implications and Recommendations

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