5 Steps to Setting up your Google+ Business Page in Five Minutes

The much awaited Google+ pages for business has finally arrived and with a 50 million fan following in less than a year, Google Social Media is gradually emerging as the second largest social networking force to reckon with. In an Internet era where the term “hyper competition” has taken on new meaning and is no longer the exception but the rule, a social media advantage that Google can provide you along with a Facebook presence can work miracles and do wonders to your Internet presence. Here is what you need to do.

On November 7, 2011, Google+ opened its floodgates to enterprises both large and small worldwide allowing them to create what can be best described as “Google+ Business Pages” on the lines of Facebook’s Business Fan Pages. With millions of users and growing every hour, Google+ is today “a growing influence on search and has definitely emerged as a key player in the online marketing ecosystem and poses a challenge to Facebook’s domination of the social media space,” according to Pamela Vaughan, an internationally acclaimed expert on social media. So let us get you started on building a Google+ Business Page while you continue to engage your customers and website visitors the good old way by providing premium quality live chat service on your website.

The Ubiquitous Gmail Account

Gmail is all over the place including those who have already been assigned e-mail accounts by their companies, educational institutions and even governments. Reason? Gmail is extremely easy to use, has no storage limits worth arguing about, and can be counted on to deliver 99.9% up time. There is another reason now to set up a Gmail account. You will need one to create your Google+ Fan page. We recommend that you not use an existing personal Gmail account because you will need to share the login and password with other page admins. Instead, go ahead and create a brand new Gmail account, preferably based on your company’s name, and send it a message or two just to make sure that Google knows that it isn’t a spam account but a real account set up by a real person.

Commence with the Page Setup Process immediately

Here is the magic URL:
http://plus.google.com/pages/create
You should be logged into Google when you initiate the process of page creation. Simply follow the wizard like the way you did when you created your Facebook Fan Page. Select your industry vertical or domain, provide company-specific information, save your data and you are almost done.

Public Profile Customization

This is where Google provides you with the opportunity to display your logo, a tag line, and other branding collateral. You always have the option to edit this page based on feedback from your colleagues at work. Make sure that your logo displays properly on all the major browser platforms including mobile browsers. Run the test and tweak the logo if necessary.

Promoting Social Media through Social Media

Now that your Google+ Business Page is ready, it is time to customize it. You can do so in a variety of ways. Place meaningful and relevant content as well as links to premium quality content on this page. Run a few in-house tests and seek opinions from your colleagues and other company stakeholders. It makes perfect sense to load your Google+ Business Page with killer content before you take the show on the road.

Finally

The rules of the social media game are the same whether it is Facebook, Linked In, Twitter or Google+. You will need to remain proactive at all times and put your best foot forward to engage both your existing as well as prospective customer communities. Like any other social media platform, there will be a learning curve to negotiate which you will be able to achieve in no time. Aim high and you will be amazed at the way in which prospects convert into customers before you know it.