The Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t the only thing that happened in March 2020. Google also launched its new social platform Google Plus. On March 12, 2020, Google Plus became the third-largest social platform in the world, after Facebook and Twitter.

It’s important to note that while many businesses will be quick to jump on Google Plus as a marketing opportunity, the platform is not necessarily meant for marketing. Instead, it’s primarily designed as a place for people to connect and share content.

But that doesn’t mean that marketing on Google Plus is any less effective than on other platforms. In fact, it probably works even better because it’s less of a distraction.

Why Market on Google Plus?

If you’re reading this, I assume that you’re either a business owner or an employee looking for ways to grow your role in the organization and be more efficient. As such, this article is probably going to come as no surprise: you’re going to get a ton of value out of marketing on Google Plus.

First off, Google offers a fantastic targeting platform. No other social network even comes close when it comes to delivering highly relevant content to highly targeted audiences. For example, I could create content on a range of topics and then target that content to audiences across the United States, Canada, and the UK. Even more impressively, I can target that content to extremely specific demographics within those countries. For example, I could create content about SMBs (small and medium businesses) in the UK and then target that content to SMBs in the UK that are using HubSpot.

In a nutshell, with Google+, you can target the right audience and get your message across with minimal effort. It’s pretty incredible.

How Is Marketing on Google Plus Different From Other Social Networks?

If you’ve ever worked in digital marketing, you’ll know that marketing on social media isn’t necessarily different from marketing on Google Plus. After all, many businesses use social media to get the word out about their products and services.

What is different is that on social media platforms, you’ll typically see the same kind of content from all sources. On YouTube, for example, you’ll see a range of videos from brands and creators, all pushing relevant, valuable content. On Facebook, you’ll see posts from businesses, brands, and celebrities, all trying to engage with as many people as possible.

On the other hand, Google Plus is heavily curated. Instead of being overloaded with content, you’ll see curated selections from businesses and creators that you choose to follow. Essentially, on Google Plus, you’re not going to see everything. You have to choose to engage with content that interests you.

This is particularly useful if you’re trying to engage with a busy audience. Imagine that you’re a fitness brand and you want to create content to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone. You’ve probably got a range of fitness related videos that you can use, but if you want to inspire people to take a spin class with you, you’ll need to pick a spin class video that they’ll find interesting. As the owner of a small business, you don’t have the time to create an entire YouTube channel just to promote your classes. With YouTube, you’ll probably find a range of classes from different studios, all crammed into one place. On Google Plus, you’ll see a curated selection of fitness classes from unique teams, with the option to click on each class to learn more. As a result, you’re getting relevant, valuable content that is curated by Google Plus users. So, not only is the content interesting, but it’s also highly relevant to your target audience.

Now, if you’re not the type of business that likes to stay in front of consumers, this may sound like a negative aspect. After all, wouldn’t you rather be doing everything you can to get attention on social media platforms where your content is more likely to be seen by your target audience?

Well, yes and no. First off, let’s not dismiss the power of being discovered on social media. If you’re an influencer or a fashion brand, you can likely add your brand to a range of social media platforms, such as TikTok or Instagram, and have thousands, if not millions, of followers. All you have to do is create interesting and valuable content that millions of people want to see.

As a small business owner or manager, you don’t always have the time to create unique content for each platform. That’s where marketing on Google Plus comes in. Instead of creating one-off posts for different networks, you can use Google Plus to curate content that drives engagement and builds credibility with your audience.

To get started, simply go to settings on your Google Plus account, then select content at the top, and click create content bio. You’ll then need to write a brief bio about your content, along with a link to the first piece of content you’ve curated. Next, you’ll need to decide which type of content you want to curate: 

• Quotes: Pick a famous saying or a quote from a prominent person (perhaps someone you know or respect)
• Videos: Pick a funny, inspirational, or educational video that you think your audience might find interesting
• Pics: Curate a selection of images that you think might interest your audience
• Links: Select links to news articles, blogs, or other websites that you think are important and relevant to your target audience

Once you’ve picked the type of content you want to create, you can hit publish, and you’ll start seeing content curated from all over the place. From there, you can either keep curating content, or you can switch over to managing your content to see all the posts you’ve created. If you do choose to manage your content, you can click on a post to see more details about the article, as well as find hyperlinks to other posts you’ve published.

When it comes to marketing an online store, you might consider using a tool like Shopify, which provides you with a variety of marketing funnels. With each funnel, you can choose a route to tell your budgets and estimates. For example, you could choose to reach out to customers via email marketing, grow your audience on social media, or run ads on the largest search platforms.

As a small business owner, whether you run a luxury goods store or sell industrial supplies, one of your biggest expenses is probably going to be marketing. Because you don’t always have the money to spend on high-cost ads, you might want to consider a holistic approach, building a marketing funnel that takes into account your budget. To get started, simply visit Shopify and create a free account. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be presented with a marketing funnel, which you can then customize.

As a luxury goods brand, you may choose to prioritise email marketing and social media to reach your target audience. However, you may also choose to spend money on ads on the largest search platforms, such as Google or Bing. Depending on your budget, you may want to consider which route you want to go down. As a first step, you can either use one of the marketing funnels provided by Shopify, or you can create your own.

In the case of a luxury goods store, you’re going to want to invest in an email marketing tool, such as Mailchimp, to capture emails from your target audience. After all, without an email list, you’ll never be able to contact your customers. Once you’ve got your email list, you can use a tool like HubSpot to create automated campaigns that send emails at regular intervals. This can help you connect with your audience on a more personal level, while also ensuring you reach your target audience with the right message at the right time.