Google is finally inviting businesses and organizations to set up profiles in their Google+ social network!
First adopters can choose to set up a business profile in one of five categories; “Local Business or Place” (e.g. Hotels, restaurants, places, stores, or services), “Product or Brand” (e.g. Apparel, cars, electronics, financial services), “Company, Institution or Organization” (e.g. Companies, organizations, institutions, non-profits), “Arts, Entertainment or Sports” (e.g. Movies, TV, music, books, sports, shows) and “Other” (e.g. pages that don’t fit any of the above categories).
Here are answers to three questions you may be asking before joining Google+ for business:
Is Google+ worth my time and business investment?
Yes! Setting up a Google+ page is great for search engine optimization. If you already have a personal profile on Google+ you’ll find it among the top results if you search for your name — expect the same when you set up a Google+ page for your business.
How will visitors experience my Google+ page?
Get ready to discuss your products and ideas with your customers and followers – Google+ for business will allow you to host live video chats (called ‘hangouts’) with visitors to your page. This feature is perfect for media, professional services and product demos.
Can I segment my audience on Google+?
Audience segmentation is one of the things that makes Google+ great for personal profiles, and yes, that feature is also available for businesses and organizations. Although you’ll typically want everyone to know about your events and promotions, you will also have the ability to send tailored messages to specific groups of people – e.g. clients, suppliers or prospects.
So who’s on Google+? Well, we are – add us! You can also find top brands such as the New York Times, Marvel and Toyota.