Overview

Google Plus (G+) is a social networking site owned and operated by Google; and since Google runs the world (at least the web world), this new social media platform cannot be ignored.  

With half a billion users, it’s risen to become the second largest social media site in the world in just a few years.  It combines the best features of its competitors, puts it all in one place, and strives to make it better everyday.    


The Platform in Brief

Google Plus was created in June of 2011 with a lot of uncertainty competing with large, already well-known platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.  However, just four years later it’s established itself as the second largest social media site in the world with over one billion accounts, 359 million monthly active users and 500 million users in total.  (Shervington, 2013)

Google Plus cost $585 million and 500 employees to build.  (Upbin, 2011)  Its users are majority male (63% male, 37% female) and live all around the world.  (Bullas, 2012)

Google, maker of Google Plus, was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996, introducing a new way to rank search results based on relationships between websites.  It was incorporated as a privately held company in 1998 and with it’s mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” Google has grown to be the world’s largest search engine, serving millions of people around the globe. (Schneider, 2013)


The Platform in Operation

Google Plus is all about content.  Similar to other sites, it enables users to view and share messages, photos, links, videos, and events.  However, four distinct features set it apart from the numerous social media sites on the web today.

1. The +1 button allows customers to recommend a business, site, page or content to their contacts.  
   
   
2. Circles let users organize their contacts and choose what updates go to what groups.
   
   
3. Hangouts allow brands to interact directly with customers.  It can be used to make announcements, host question and answer sessions, and as a customer service platform.  Fans can also interact amongst each other.
   
   
4. Local lets customers review local businesses, search places nearby, post photos, and quickly find business hours and other information.
   

Not only is Google Plus good for personal use, but many businesses have found the site very helpful in reaching and engaging with their customers.

Toyota is one of the leading brands on Google Plus.  They share industry news, stimulating photos, and pioneering concepts.  They have also created a very engaging “Toyota Collaborator” feature for their followers.  Using Google Plus Hangouts, users can invite friends to help them design a new Toyota and the finished products can even be taken for a virtual test drive on Google Maps. (Bullas, 2013, para. 3)

Visual content is very appealing with the wide and open layout of Google Plus.  Cadbury has taken advantage of this by ensuring their page is always full of large, bright, delicious pictures. (Bullas, 2013, para. 4)

Posting useful, fascinating, and shareable content is a sure way to create a successful Google Plus page.  NASA posts pictures and videos of space flights, links to interesting articles, and hosts hangouts with astronauts. (Bullas, 2013, para. 9)

Pepsi has mastered the art of customer interaction through their Google Plus page. They collaborate with well-known brands and celebrities to bring competition and giveaways to the web.  The possibility of winning the prize keeps followers connected to their page. (Bullas, 2013, para. 11)

Google+

• Google Plus is the ruler of search engine optimization (SEO).  SEO is the process of affecting the prominence of a website or web page in a search engine’s organic search results and is important to everyone, especially businesses. Google Plus allows users to quickly boost their search ranking on Google. (Schneider, para. 1)
  
  
• G+ Hangouts is similar to Skype.  It allows up to ten users to video chat with one another, giving Google Plus very practical business value.  It also allows customers and fans to interact with others of the same interest. (Lytle, Hangouts section)
  
  
• Google Plus helps businesses find and connect to their market.  Circles make it easy to identify and share specific content with a target market. (Lytle, Circles section)
  
  
• Google Plus provides increased networking opportunities for businesses by giving them access to G+ Profiles.  Businesses are able to find information about contacts and potential customers. (Schneider, para. 2)
  
  

Google-

• Although the design might be eye-catching, navigating throughout the website proves to be quite difficult to new users and takes some practice.
  
  
• The homepage is cluttered.  It’s hard to know what’s important, what’s new, or where to even look when you first open Google Plus.
  
  
• With Google Plus’ popularity falling behind other social media platforms, web content doesn’t always give a “+1” option along with “like it” or “tweet it.”
  
  
• Google Plus serves a smaller market, making it hard for businesses to reach as many customers as they would through Facebook or Twitter.  (Schneider, n.d., para. 3)
  
  

Analysis

In a world where people are more concerned with how many Facebook notifications, Instagram likes, and Twitter followers they have than the actual life they are living – there is always room for a new social media site.  Competing with what’s already in existence is hard for most emerging platforms, but when you’re owned and operated by the world’s largest search engine it seems inevitable that you’ll succeed.  


Google Plus is the latest and greatest.  Instead of switching from Facebook to Twitter to Skype to other social media sites for your personal and business needs, Google Plus gives users everything in one place and it’s better than the models that came before it.  It’s innovative, unique, visually appealing, content heavy, interactive, and here to stay.


References

Bullas, J. (2012, January 3). 6 Social Media Networks to Watch in 2012 plus Infographics. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/01/03/6-social-media- networks-to-watch-in-2012-plus-infographics/

Bullas, J. (2013, October 18). 10 Brands with Great Google Pages. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/18/10-brands-with-great-google-plus-pages/

Lytle, R. (n.d.). The Beginner's Guide to Google. Retrieved February 10, 2015, from http://mashable.com/2013/10/27/google-plus-beginners-guide/

Pros and Cons of Google Plus for Small Businesses. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from http://corp.wishpond.com/google-plus-marketing-resources/pros-and-cons-of-google- plus-for-small-businesses/

Schneider, L. (n.d.). Google - Company Profile of Google - Work at Google. Retrieved February 10, 2015, from http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/companyprofiles/a/google.htm

Shervington, M. (2013, June 8). What is Google Plus? A Complete User Guide. (Videos and Blog). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.martinshervington.com/what-is- google-plus/

Upbin, B. (2011, June 30). Google Cost $585 Million To Build (Or What Rupert Paid For MySpace). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceupbin/2011/06/30/google-cost-585- million-to- build-or-what-rupert-paid-for-myspace/

What is Google (Google Plus) and do I need it?. (2011). YouTube.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC_M6PzXS9g

Contact Information

To contact the author of this article, “What You Need to Know About Google+: An Executive Roadmap for Social Media Success,” please email the author at [email protected].

The mission of the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University is to provide educational experiences for personal, professional and intellectual growth, enable the creation and sharing of knowledge to enhance learning and to advance the practice of business, and engage communities through service to positively impact their future. The Accounting and Business programs in the College of Business are accredited by the AACSB International.