The first time I looked over Google Plus, I liked it and wanted to start a business page for PrintKEG. But at that time, Google recommended brands not to participate yet so we didn’t. Not to mention, Google already had a string of misfires including Google Buzz.
Months passed by and Google was showing considerable dedication to Google+, and for some reason, I ran into difficulty opening a brand page once they were available. I just couldn’t get the signup process to work for me correctly. I don’t know why, nor do I remember the exact details of my troubles, but I again abandoned the idea of using Google+ for our business.
But this morning, I decided we might as well. Maybe I should have sooner because only hours after my first post, Mashable reports that Google+ will begin carrying into search results as of today.
Via Mashable:
Google+ members, and to a lesser extent others who are signed into Google, will be able to search against both the broader web and their own Google+ social graph. That’s right; Google+ circles, photos, posts and more will be integrated into search in ways other social platforms can only dream about.
Google calls the search update “ “Search plus Your World.” Jack Menzel, product management director of search, explained that now Google+ members will be able to “search across information that is private and only shared to you, not just the public web.”
Another major reason why we didn’t start a Google+ account is actually more problematic. Essentially, every social network our business participates in has its unique purpose. We have no desire to rehash blog posts or paste Facebook posts, but we also don’t want to abandon consumers using Google+ over Facebook.
We just haven’t figured out what that unique experience is yet. So, in the meantime, we’re going to regurgitate blog entries until we figure out what to do. My main objective is to keep lines open with consumers preferring Google+ and at least begin working and understanding the “new” social network.
But when will it end? Next, we’re likely to experiment with Pinterest, a vision board-styled social photo sharing website, and recently we opened an Instagram account, but I cannot help asking myself what is the limit of networks we should participate in? We should probably stop participating when we cannot offer that unique experience we’re so adamant about providing. Easier said than done I guess.
With Google+, we can not ignore the possibilities of being integrated into Google’s search, especially as an online company. For now, we’ll basically provide a comparable experience as Facebook and let users decide which method they prefer to attain the experience.
Well played Google. Well played.
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