Although not many marketers prefer Google+ as the marketing platform of their choice, Google’s social media platform is still a powerful tool that can help your business gain more online visibility and better brand awareness. As a matter of fact, it helps with SEO and can improve your search rankings. This is one of the primary reasons why big brands such as Starbucks and The Economist are keeping their Google+ pages despite having fewer followers as compared to their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
If you have an existing Google+ page for your business, you certainly want it to help you attract more people and better engage your customers. However, even if you are posting great content on Plus, it seems that no one is paying attention to you. Well, fret no more because Adam Connell of Search Engine Journal offered some nifty hints and tips on how you can promote interaction on Google+ and get your followers talking and commenting on the posts you create.
First, you need to upload content when your audience is watching. This increases the probability of your posts being viewed and read by your followers. Before you do that, Connell said you will have to identify the “optimal time” for sharing content. But don’t rely on others to choose the best time for you. “I see plenty of posts about the best time to publish your content, but that’s not your data, so it may not work as well as you think,” Connell said. As such, you should conduct your own study so you can determine when the best time to share content is.
Another way to get more interaction on Google+ is to share content created by influencers in your industry, or those people who already have an established audience. By leveraging their influence, you will be able to climb the top. But before you share the content created by these influential people, first you will have to identify those who have real influence of Google+. Fortunately, there are certain tools you can use, like NOD3x, so you can conduct an in-depth analysis to find key influencers in your niche or industry.
Remember that effective communication is a two-way street. Therefore, to encourage interaction on your Google+ pages, you should also take the time to reach out to your audience. After all, how can you expect them to talk to you if you won’t talk back? Also, Connell pointed out that engaging your audience shouldn’t be a “one-time thing.” It should be done regularly and consistently.
There are simple ways to engage your audience to earn their trust, and of course, encourage interaction with them. You can share and +1 their posts. You should also comment on their posts or ask direct questions as this provides you with the perfect opportunity to start a conversation.
When interacting with your followers, try to tone down the sales pitches. “Ultimately it’s all about the conversation, and a big part of what will go in your favour is actually helping people. And it works best when you don’t try to sell something at the same time. Help people and ask for nothing in return,” Connell said.
