GOOGLE+

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GOOGLE+

Google+ is a social networking tool developed in 2011 by Google Incorporated. With 300 million monthly active users (as of October, 2013), it is currently the second largest social networking site in the world.

USER DEMOGRAPHICS

• 63% male, 37% female

• 22% of online adults visit Google+ at least once a month

• 42% of users are young adults, aged 18-24

• 31% of users are 24-34

• 70% of the top 100 inter-brands use Google+

• 5.3 million unique visitors in the U.S.

• Most users fall into the middle class income bracket, earning between $30,000 and $149,000 a year

FEATURES OF GOOGLE+

• Includes basic social networking elements such as profile photos, “about me” sections, work and education history, interests, status updates, etc.

• Users can organize people into groups for sharing, called “Circles”

• Offers free video conference calls called “Hangouts”

• “+1” button allows people to recommend sites, similar to Facebook’s “Like” button

• “What’s Hot” stream shows what Google+ users have interacted with most

• Online photo editor “Creative Kit”

MARKETING ADVANTAGES

• Great for small businesses to network with the people in their community

• Great for search engine optimization; Google+ influences search rankings

• Google+ is growing rapidly, meaning your customers will most likely eventually be using it too

• Marketers can increase their reach and influence by developing a strong following

• Can utilize Google+ Advertising to promote business

• Interaction with customers through Google Hangouts

• Ability to track in depth analytics

• Ability to create “Circles” based on demographics that you are trying to reach

MARKETING RISKS

• Social media users become irritated with the “clutter” of advertisements and promotions on their feeds

• Users may begin to completely tune out advertisements and sponsored posts made by businesses

• Hackers pose a security risk to spam your followers

• Marketers must be very careful about what they post so they do not offend their audience

• Competition may take notice of what you are posting on Google+ and begin to emulate your tactics, possibly stealing business from your company

CLOSING STATEMENTS

In conclusion, Google+ is a rapidly growing social media platform that marketers must take advantage of. The advantages greatly outweigh the risks, and with the 300 million active monthly members, it would be senseless to not utilize this tool.