Getting Started with Google +

Uh-oh. Social media site Google + opened up to brands this week and your company has no idea where to start? Don’t hit the panic button just yet. Here are a few suggestions for turning G+ into a positive for your brand.

 

– Get PR and marketing folks on G+ immediately. “Start understanding how the service works, do some searches—find out what kind of people are on there that they can target,” said Haley Hebert, Social Media Manager for LEWIS Pulse.

 

– Start putting G+’s new +1 button on everything. The feature is similar to Facebook’s “like,” meaning people can +1 a particular show. “It’s your stamp of approval on the content and that factors into search rankings,” Hebert said. “Really consider putting plus one button on social content now.”

 

– Get your network page set-up ASAP. “Get on G+ fast. Register your pages with your intellectual property as quickly as possible before squatters swoop in,” said Jonathan Kopp, Global Director of Ketchum’s digital unit. He also suggests incorporating G+ into your networks’ main web properties.

 

-Use hashtags for your stories. Just like Twitter, G+ has added a feature for users to post using hashtags. People can search keywords and the story will come up if your hashtag is used. This will also bundle together your show and comments people are posting about it.

 

-Stay relevant. See what other brand pages are doing, make sure you are keeping up with the latest trends and even try to make some of your own. Take content that you have on Facebook and Twitter and share it on your G+ brand page.

 

-Stand out. Start thinking of creative ways to get your followers interacting with your networks brand page, whether that’s through having people comment on a posted video or posting a question that sparks debate about your show. “It’s about being very real,” said Steve Krakauer, senior digital producer for CNN. “It’s really just about sticking with what your brand is and sticking it on that new platform.”