The aim of this article is very simple. I have to convince you that you are making a big mistake by ignoring a major part of the future of Google – Google Plus and branding with Google.
First things first, people simply don’t get this whole Google Plus social media thing. You think it’s about posting pictures of cats, or your lunch, or your latest meeting, right?
Let me explain why this is SO wrong and hopefully I’ll open your mind to a HUGE opportunity for every businessperson out there.
Google is an Ecosystem
If you use Google Chrome or have an Android device, you know you log into the ecosystem before you start using a Google property.
Then there is … Gmail, Google Drive (which is amazing for collaborative working), Google Hangouts, YouTube, Google Play, Wallet, Google Maps etc. All connect back to your personal Google+ account. The image you use from your Google Plus profile, for instance, will show across all those Google properties.
“But I’ve heard that Google Plus is going to … ”
Yes, yes, I’ve heard all the rumors too. The community members understand it better than almost any journalist though. So let me explain why it is ‘here to stay’: Google Plus is the backbone to so many of Google’s products now.
It is integral to Gmail, Contacts, Search (Google Plus posts are all indexed), and importantly for you: Google My Business.
My Business
Google My Business is where you will set up a Brand page or a Local Page.
Go to Google.com/business to set one up (but Google yourself before you do as you may already have one!)
A Local type page’s content appears in Google Search e.g. when you look for a restaurant, bar, noodle bar etc. This information is largely drawn from the Google Plus page within the My Business dashboard. Job done.
If you have a Local type business, you must claim your page, as you are missing a trick and maybe even customers too. With Local pages people can leave you reviews which give you a great opportunity to manage your digital reputation, too. For example, five reviews with some ‘stars’ in the results are great for social proof, assuming they are good. (You may even turn around poor reviews by engaging and resolving any issues.)
Build Trust, Create a Reputation and Become an Authority in Your Niche
Google Plus then, is your digital identity on the Web. And why should you want to build up that identity within the Google ecosystem? Simple. It helps branding with Google and showing Google your authority . And when you do this, you will find that your content surfaces in Google Search (the biggest Search engine in the world) and also in YouTube (the second biggest).
Think of it this way. If you want to be an authority on a subject, you go and spend time with the best in the world, the existing authorities. Then, over time, they begin to engage with you and see that you too understand ‘this area.’ Through their digital engagement (including on Google Plus) they begin to show that you should be trusted, and tell other people about you (sharing your content). This in turn leads to you branding with Google and being seen as an authority, too. (i.e. Their authority rubs off on you.)
If you want to go deeper on this, make sure you check out my buddy David Amerland as he is the master of Semantic Search.
So why would an entrepreneur want to be seen as an authority? Surely, they just need people to buy into their products or service, right? Wrong! This is all about ‘who you spend your time with’ and as we know, ‘who you know’ in business is paramount. And in order for people to tell your story, and for Google.com to display this in Search, you need to be known for something. This is where authority and branding with Google shines through, and people come to you to hear what you have to say.
Start Creating Content
If you are not blogging, doing videos, or doing a podcast, start now. These are the modern ways for you to show what you know as well as connect with people who, for example, you might invite onto your show as guests.
Below you can see me chatting with Sir Ben Kingsley in a Google Hangout on Air. (‘La, de, da’ I know!)
TIP: As I know you are short on time, I am going to give you a super tip on how to turn 30 minutes of your time into three blog posts, five videos, and a podcast as well.
And how? Use the power of Google Plus combined with YouTube to begin branding with Google:
- Start by creating a Google Hangout On Air.
- Then, once you’ve recorded it, get a transcript done for about $1.50 a minute (I use this service). This will give you about 3,000 words of text!
- Create three blog posts from those words.
- Download the video (from YouTube) and remove the audio from it, then you have your base for the podcast. You can even add on a fancy front and back end to it as well.
- As you now have the video on your computer, you can dissect that into sections, add a video intro/outro and re-upload each one to YouTube as a 35-minute segment.
You can also embed the videos into your blog content, which gives people an awesome mix of media.
Make It Easy for People to Share Your Content
Let’s say you are starting to build your Google Plus network and blogging. You also want to make sure you make it easy for people to share your content. To do this, add in social sharing buttons (as you can see below), including Google Plus.
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