This is an article about why small businesses and brands should be using,or should reconsider using, Google Plus. There are many benefits that Google Plus provides over the other social media platforms that are available. Many people are unaware of these benefits and have cast Google Plus aside. This is a mistake and the article goes over why small businesses and brands should use Google Plus and the many benefits they would receive by using it.

As the second-largest social network in the world, Google Plus has gained attention on the world stage when compared to the likes of other social media platforms. With more global users than Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram combined, it comes as no surprise that Google Plus is quickly becoming a social media favorite among users and will eventually overtake Facebook as the most popular.

Two years since Google Plus launched its ‘Pages’ platform many marketers and digital professionals still believe Google is using their platform to continually boost SEO and expand their market reach. Fortunately their ‘Pages’ platform was an instant success, both for brands and individuals, and is now heavily integrated into almost every aspect of Google’s online properties and applications.

Here are the reasons why brands should reconsider using Google Plus:
Google is more than just a social media platform. While many aspects of Google Plus are similar to those of other social media platforms like Facebook, it’s simply not all about sharing thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Google Plus encourages users to play an integral role in increasing the efficiency of their web-based platforms beyond social media. The platforms and applications you use every day can be easily managed through Google Plus and other relevant online programs.

The majority of social media platforms in operation today have a very narrow reach and are typically unable to provide the variety of services that Google Plus provides. Chrome, Android, YouTube, Google Play, these are all web applications that Google manages and user contribution to these applications only increases how effective they become. People using Google Plus reveal to Google the videos they’re watching in YouTube, the websites they visit using Chrome and the searches they make, their contacts on Gmail, and the searches and places they’re visiting on Maps. Not only are these heavily integrated into Google Plus use but Plus also gains information from email, chat, calendar, and documents use on the Google platform as well. For Internet marketers and those interested in what Google users are doing online, Plus is an invaluable and incredibly insightful tool.

There are many other reasons as to how Google Plus is much different than Facebook. On Plus users are able to fully customize their online experience. Users can pick and choose which content they are interested in and is relevant to them rather than having an algorithm complete it like on Facebook. The Facebook method can filter friends’ posts and reduces the amount of content that reaches your page. One of the key features of Plug, Circles, even allows users to pick a targeted audience for the relevant and interesting content they want to share. Rather than simply sharing with everyone like on Facebook or other social media platforms, with Circles you can share content with people who are truly interested in what you have to provide.

Google has put the entire controls of users online social media experience into their hands. While Facebook is constantly making decisions for their users and encouraging them to make even more choices online, Google Plus has adopted a hands-off approach and lets users determine what their own needs and relevant interests are. With Plus it’s the user who is the most important, rather than simply the platform and pursuing advertising needs. With Google Plus users are provided with a variety of ways to engage with other users and gain new contacts or friendships with people who have similar ideas and beliefs. Through Communities people are encouraged to participate in relevant conversation and share thoughts and ideas with one another. For brands that are interested in determining what people online find important, this is a great opportunity for them to find out what users are looking for. These brands are encouraged to participate and essentially steer the conversation towards topics they want people to become more informed about.

Brands can also provide seamless customer service to their audience with specific problems and concerns through the incredibly efficient Communities platform. No longer do brands need to set aside space on their website or have an entire section on their forum dedicated to customer service issues. With Communities users receive a much higher standard of customer service and brands are enabled to deliver it easily and more efficiently. With Hangouts brands can also interact with their users and potential customers on a much more personal and “face-to-face” level. Hangouts is a video chat application that allows for live-broadcast, virtual personal interactions, and the ability to provide live customer support. These key features are among the many important and beneficial features both users and brands can receive by using the Hangouts option.

There are many incentives and benefits when it comes to SEO and online visibility that Google Plus provides when they begin using the Plus social network. Brands are guaranteed a great location, typically on the right side of the window of search results, that Google fills with photos and relevant posts related to the brand. This encourages organic traffic and increases the audience of people who are interested in the brand. People using search can also easily find the Google Plus page of the brand as Google encourages them to visit and provides the necessary inform to do so (business information, website, logos, etc.). Ranking in search results with the help of Google Plus is a great benefit that many brands experience once they start using the social media platform.

Google promotes the ideology that content is the most important part of any brand or website and wants users to be able to access it quickly. By using the +Post ads, brands can easily advertise and take advantage of Google’s online presence by displaying relevant ads throughout the Google Plus interface. Brands can reach millions of people through the ad services that Google Plus provides. While Facebook offers the ability to promote brands on their platform, with Google Plus brands are provided with the opportunity to promote across thousands, if not millions, of websites. Google has a far reach and provides a much better return when compared to similar social media platforms that are in control of only one or two different websites.

Many different products and services that take advantage of Google Plus are always being integrated into the social media platform. Plus is a great arena for businesses looking for promotional opportunities, effective SEO, and to increase their online audience. With how easy it is to use and the effectiveness of this social media platform, businesses and brands from all over the world are making the switch and putting in more effort creating relevant and informative Google Plus accounts. Many well-known companies have already seen immense success using Google and will continue to do so as Google grows.

Seeing how well integrated Google and it’s relevant platforms have become with online business and social media, it can be easily predicted that the online search giant will continue to grow and provide countless opportunities to brands looking to take advantage of their services.