There are two trends building momentum as we roll further into 2013.
The first is that Google+ is HOT. This “ghost town” is now a bustling metropolis with communities and hangouts on every block. Even my stauch Facebook friends are showing up regularly.
The second is that Social Business buzz is getting louder. Businesses are starting to grasp that the key to success in using social technology is to be social.
The word “social” remains a sticking point. When we advise companies to get social, what they’re hearing is this:
“No, Willie. I don’t want you to solve the problem, I want you to listen and empathize.” – The Irrelevant Show
So we substitute words like open, collaborative and connected to make it more palatable.
Whatever we choose to name it, the point is: social is good for business.
With Google+ we have both the social and business tools to work with. But before we use them, we need to define our S.M.A.R.T. goals.
Specific
A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. Keep it clear. Keep it concise. Keep it focused.
- Who is involved - Page administrators, managers, departments?
- What do you want to accomplish - Leads, Engagement, Education?
- Where to engage - Profile pages, Brand pages, Communities
- When do you expect first measurable results - 3, 6, or 12 months?
- Why use Google+ - Improve Google Search ranking, increase leads?
Measurable
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. You can’t manage what you can’t measure.
- What are the KPI’s: number of followers, (number of people who have circled you)
- Level of engagement: comments, hangout participation,
- Google Analytics now include detailedsocial reports.
- Also recommend read: The Definitive Guide to Google+ Analytics
Attainable
Do you have the resources? Can you reach your target market?
This is big! – Google Brand Pages now can circle anyone. Recently, Google gave its Google+ Brand Pages the ability to circle anyone regardless if they’ve been circled first. This leaves the opportunity to reach out, comment and interact with anyone you wish.
Of course, whether they follow you back depends on your content and authenticity.
Warning: Use wisely. Profiles can Still Block other Profiles or Pages when required… so don’t be spammy or you’ll be muted or blocked.
“With freedom comes responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Realistic
To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Having as many Google+ followers as Larry Page is not realistic. If company leadership isn’t on board, it will fail.
- It’s better to measure your level of engagement than your number of followers.
- How many are interacting on your Community Page?
- How many client circles have you created?
Timely
A goal should be grounded within a time frame. It gives you a sense of urgency.
Set a Page launch time and prepare by having content ready, a full profile/about page, and editorial calendar. Remember that social is a culture, not a campaign so there’s no “it’s done” time. Use your key performance indicators (KPI’s) to check your progress periodically.
Google+ is a social platform wrapped around a suite of social business applications.
For companies struggling with the new business reality, it provides an accessible entry point.
Social is serious business. One of the largest companies in the world just covered itself with a social layer.
If you’d like to learn more about Google plus, subscribe to my Weekly Google+ Tips Newsletter.
Ray Hiltz
@newraycom
Latest posts by Ray Hiltz (see all)
- Why You Must Merge Your Google+ Local And Google+ Page Now - March 18, 2013
- Free CRM Inside Your GMail - March 3, 2013
- How to Set S.M.A.R.T. Business Goals For Google+ - February 18, 2013
I can always count on you to get me the best Google + info!
Thanks, Jeff.
Awesome post Ray and with you on G+ being “hot.” I have been amazed at the increase of traffic, even the diehard naysayers are lurking.
Thanks for the good teaching!
Appreciate that Randy. Been a long while since I've been called "hot" ;-)
We're all students in the digital space and we"re all teachers.
Have a great day.
Thanks Ray for always providing tangible and actionable ideas for how we can better utilize Google+. Really helpful stuff, I think we have just hot the tip of the iceberg for what Google+ and Google's full portfolio of offerings can do for businesses.
And thanks again for the Hangout today.
My pleasure, David.
There certainly is a lot to discover. Which is why we have to take the "elephant" approach to it – one bite at a time. :-)
Hangouts rock. They take on line connection to another and more human level.
Fun getting to know you better.
I hope they maintain this "hotness" I think they have finally reached a point of where even the nay sayers are joining in. Great article, I always learn something about G+ from you. Subscribed to the newsletter, and fired off a nasty letter to Google for not placing you in the top 5…don't worry buddy, I got your back…
LOL – Thanks, Gerry.
Sorry to be tardy with this reply, but seems that although I've subscribed to replies, I don't get notifications of comments.
I agree that a number of naysayers (some of them my best friends) are appearing more and more in my G+ stream.
Helpful and practical. Thank you! Google+ is something I need to really delve into. This has given me a good baseline to do just that.
Appreciate that, Jason.
Well I don't know about bustling, but definitely has picked up the last six months. G+ definitely provides a ton of features, and seem more tapped in to their users than that other guy.
An indication, Steve, of the growth I've seen is that I have a few peer circles of other marketers, bloggers and social media consultants where I've set the volume to receive email notifications when they post.
Before the new year, I'd get one or two a day. Now I've had to go back and turn that volume down because my inbox was one long stream of updates from G+ agnostics.
Thanks for your feedback. :-)
Good stuff, Ray!
While most are not considering Google+ as an entry point, you may be on to something there.
Thanks for sharing! :)
~Keri
Thanks, Keri.
The more I read your articles on G+ the more I realize I need to spend more time with it. I'm missing out on a lot of opportunity. S.M.A.R.T Ray keeps me informed ;)
Thanks, Jessica.
Certainly my pleasure.