Don't Create Your Google Plus Business Profile Before the Official Launch
If you're waiting for Google+ to launch for the general public as I am, then here's even better news if you're an entrepreneur, startup business, or established business brand. They're building some serious features to benefit business brands separate from the standard features for individual user profiles. They've already put out a video and accompanying posts warning brands not to create brand profiles. They're strictly enforcing this message before the official launch and while Google+ is still in testing stage.
All existing user profiles being used as brand or Google plus business profile will be deleted without exception. Google put out the announcement this week to prevent wasted effort by businesses, but in that same post it told brands there's something much better in store for them on Google+.
It seems Google's done it's research and is leaving nothing up to chance. Studies conducted by Forrester research in 2011 showed that most individual users 12 to 17 years old don't want to mix their social media experience with brands and businesses. Those 18 to 24 are much more receptive however to friending business brands with personal ones. The single great benefit is, Google intends to create a better experience for your startup or small business on Google+ than what Facebook offers on its social network. There currently isn't any accurate way to measure your business marketing progress on Facebook or other major social networks aside from broad estimates provided by social media marketing and SEO tools. Google+ however will be able to include it's popular SEO metrics tools into the Google+ experience, meaning your Google Adwords, Adsense, and Webmaster Tools will be right there in your social brand marketing campaign.
Google+ aims to create a unique experience for your business brand using your existing google username or a new one created specifically for business purposes. A Google spokesman said, “How users communicate with each other is different from how they communicate with brands,” meaning they don't want to mimic the user/business experience on Facebook, they want to make it better, more efficient and ultimately more profitable for your business brand.
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Comments
It's unusual how mark Zuckerberg from Facebook was one of the first people to establish a prominent presence in Google plus testing. I think something major is going down at Facebook in terms of fear of Google taking over the social media sphere. He's definitely getting close to the competition to figure out how to stop this coming juggernaught from destroying Facebook. Good luck with that. Like the Japanese once said after hitting us, I fear we've awaken a sleeping giant.
The idea on Facebook is that some information is only right for friends and family, but the rest is for business related stuff. Honestly I hate the idea of always having to create two separate profiles one personal and one business. It's a privacy issue and I know that, however my issue with Facebook is that when you publish any content to your wall, everyone sees it. The first time I saw this I almost lost my mind, I yelled out to my wife that someone hacked the person's account because I'm reading their private conversation right now. But that was FaceBook and people came to accept it.
Google+ social networking has stepped up to the plate to fix that issue. Your family, friends, acquaintances, and followers are organized in groups called Circles. And the best part is that they have no idea what group you've place them in unless you tell them. So strangers who consider you a friend, but you don't feel the same way, can be placed in maybe the acquaintance circle. I like that idea.
So what exactly is Google's timeline for releasing the business only part of Google+. I would think they would have that specially ready and bug free knowing that business brand advertising are their main bread and butter.
I'm waiting to hear what or when they will release the business features. Like everybody else I have an interest in establishing my business brand early on to get more eyes noticing my service. I've been lucky to got invited my a colleague of mine and I must say I'm very impressed with what I see. I especially love the circle features and the drag and drop function of of just highlighting and pulling people into friends, family or followers. I think google has definitely learned from its past mistakes in social and is taking Google+ to levels that will give Facebook a huge run for it's money if not put it out of business. I can see Facebook launching their IPO earlier than expected because of this. Cash in their stock at the high before the whole thing goes to the dogs. Thanks Google for once again making things work the way we like it.
I have a strong feeling Google+ is here to stay this time around. Google is not letting Facebook and Twitter take up major parts of the online advertising gig. It's what they've built their search for and perfected it into billions of dollars every year.
I'm glad I stumbled across this post before creating a Google+ account solely to promote our company brand. I definitely would not have liked to have the profile I created deleted when the official pages launch. :-)
You can say that again Marquisa. I know at least 6 small business owners who put in quite a kot of time setting up a Google Plus profile for their business only to have gotten a big setback from Google guys. All of their profiles were deleted but not in the rude sense of someone being a spammer. Google did tell them those profiles had to be removed for personal ones only and to setup those same profiles in the business section when thet launch it. They got public relations in place too it seems, don't want to anger anyone.
Google plus is here to stay. I'm not planning on abandoning Facebook, but I welcome the competition. It makes for a better user experience on both social networks. Facebook has always had the I don't care if you don't like our latest update attitude which I seriously hate. Now they're forced to take our opinions into account and perhaps not do things we don't like especially pertaining to privacy. Google has basically spelled out what it's going to do regarding our profiles, I like the idea of transparency. I wanna know what you intend to do with all my information I'm sharing, the honesty is greatly appreciated.
A techie guy launched a paid ad on Facebook to promote his Google plus account and get more followings and Facebook like the anuses that they are banned the guy's ad and went further to suspend his entire Facebook account. How childish. Their reasoning was that it violated their Terms of Service, which states nothing against posting an ad to promote yourself on a competitor social network. Wow touchy touchy aren't we Facebook. Well the guy's ad or better yet his ad getting banned got him tons of followers on Google plus after he posted what Facebook had done. That Karma got Facebook really quick didn't it :-)
I am so anxious to get my business setup on Google plus. The opportunities seem plenty from what I'm hearing. Plus getting your foot established before everyone else is a major key in your brands success. I really hope it lives up to it's social networking hype. Google I think will deliver something unique and pleasant as they have a reputation for making good products and services that people and businesses like.