Using social media at the office isn’t always a good thing. Many people associate it with slacking off, avoiding work, and generally finding excuses to get oneself in trouble. But if you know about Google+, then you know that not all social media is made equal; in fact, some of it can be leveraged as a way to enhance your job, not detract from your performance.
Sound like foolish nonsense? Bear with us as we explore five ways to utilize Google+ at the office and become a more efficient worker as well as a more connected individual.
1. Finding Clients and Customers
Of course, any time you’re talking about using social media at work, the question inevitably becomes how you can utilize the platforms available to you to find new customers and clients. Google+ is no exception, but it does offer some unique ways to do so; for example, reading your Google Plus reviews and finding out who’s interested in your company but who isn’t taking action. There are also more indirect ways of reaching potential new leads through Google Plus, such as fully exploring your circles and looking for common interests.
2. Improving Your SEO Prospects
Everyone who’s on Google wants to be higher in the rankings; that’s just a part of being on the web nowadays. Google Plus features allow companies to enhance their profile by allowing you to encourage your customers and clients to boost your status with a few hits of the “plus” button. Hey, if you can’t beat Google, you might as well join it; start utilizing Google Plus as a way to enhance your company’s listings. Not to mention, Google Plus brand and user profiles will often show up higher in SERPs than Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts, and sometimes even your own website.
3. Discover Where Your Customers Are
One of the great features of Google Plus is that it’s so nicely and neatly tied in to your circle’s location; it’s not hard to find where the customers who’ve linked up with you are coming from. And once you have that information, you can start leveraging it to make your company more efficient at targeting new customers. Using Google Plus will also allow you to find other counter-intuitive ways of finding new customers by examining how they found you in the first place. With the addition of the new Google + Local you now have an avenue to hyper target regional customers, and integrate user feedback into your Google Plus campaign without soliciting it.
4. Making Your Company More Accessible
There’s nothing quite like a Google Plus account to make your company come across as more accessible – except for the other big-time social networking platforms like Twitter. Using Google Plus to interact with customers will allow you to spend your time on Google Plus legitimately and ultimately make your company seem more approachable. Heck, it might even enhance your reputation – if you handle it right. As the Android operating system continues to gobble up market share, Google Plus is only going to become more ubiquitous with the mobile market. As customers continue to buy smart phones, Google’s market share of your social graph only has one way to go.
Allowing Employees to take part in your company’s social media campaign will improve morale, as well as relationships; both with customers, and with each other.
5. Building Your Reputation Organically
Speaking of your reputation, we have to mention that Google Plus is one of the best ways to start proactively managing your online reputation. Why? Because your Google Plus interaction allows you to get up close and personal with those users who matter the most – the customers who like to interact socially. These customers need interaction with you if they’re going to feel appreciated and subsequently spread the word about how great your company is. Just keep in mind that these users have a discerning taste, and you’re going to need to bring your “A” game if you want to wow them.
With all of these benefits at work simultaneously, integrating Google Plus into your marketing strategy seems like a no-brainer. The important thing is to institute a social media policy that brings order to network use with clear guidelines and expectations. Employees will enjoy short breaks from collating and filing, and you’ll expand your company’s digital reach.
- 5 Ways to Successfully Utilize Google+ in your Office - June 28, 2012
