Google+ Preparing For Businesses

For some time now, people have been talking about how there’s eventually going to be a social network that will replace Facebook. I laugh to myself and think these people are delusional. After all, Facebook has more than 600 million accounts and successfully found a way for individuals and businesses to connect and share with one another. In my mind, Facebook is the king of all kings.

Well, here comes Google, again. When the company launched its social network, Google+, on July 12, my interest peaked, but I remained skeptical and for good reason. Google has attempted to enter the social media arena in the past with Google Buzz, Google Wave, and Orkut, but to no avail. Will a fourth attempt be the charm? Perhaps.

In just a matter of days, the social network has attracted more than 10 million users and that only accounts for the select few that were provided access permission.

How is Google+ different? Like Facebook, users can still share and comment on status updates, photos and links, but Google+ enables users to share certain information with groups called “Circles.” Say for instance you’re a CEO and don’t want your employees to view photos from a recent trip to Las Vegas, no problem. Users can create various circles that target different audiences such as friends, colleagues, and family.  Another key difference is the addition of video chat known as “Hangout,” which allows users to chat with each other.  

These features may sound appealing to individual users, but I wonder what the benefits will be for businesses. Google was planning to launch a corporate account program later in the year; however, the timeline for implementation accelerated after thousands of businesses attempted to sign up. Companies that wanted to be part of the test period for Google+ were required to submit an application last Friday.

While Google is still in the midst of putting together the roadmap, I am speculating on exactly how companies might use this social network to engage with customers.  Here are my thoughts on the Google+ features that may be useful from a business perspective.

Circles: For companies that sell a variety of products, I think the circles feature might be a good opportunity to segment your conversations for each product or service. For example, let’s say you offer a device that’s appealing to younger generations, but Baby Boomers have no use for the product. You could broadcast that information to your Generation Y circle. The targeting aspect should be of great value!

Hangouts: I foresee the chat function playing a big role for companies. Some businesses have started using sites like Twitter to communicate with patrons regarding customer services issues and other matters. However, a video function could prove to be extremely valuable for businesses and help them develop stronger relationships with customers by providing that one-on-one focus. Companies might use this feature to make a contest more appealing; for example, 10 finalists selected from an open competition could participate in a championship trivia challenge via the chat. In addition, I can see focus groups taking place through this medium as well. There appear to be numerous possibilities for companies to increase brand awareness and engagement through the Hangouts feature.  

It will be interesting to see how advertising comes into play. When users create a profile, they’re asked a variety of questions such as gender, favorite movies, TV shows, bragging rights and more. I certainly think that Google is going to make some noise when it comes to the business ads. 

According to Christian Oestlien, the advertising lead on Google+, “Google is very excited about boosting the business experience with rich analytics and the ability to connect that identity to Google's major money-making AdWords business.”

Google+ may provide some unique features from which businesses can benefit; however, my bet is that Facebook will remain the head honcho.