So Google+ Brand Pages are here and everyone’s got opinions. Most people are disappointed for some reason, be it the lack of design elements, the one person admin, lack of Vanity URLs, the fact that people need to add you to their circles before you can add them, the very high chance of cybersquatting… let’s agree it’s not perfect, but what ever is?!
We do believe there is opportunity though, it’s just figuring out where Google+ fits in the plethora of platforms available. It’s figuring out what content is best shared where. I just found myself explaining my expectations for a fashion brand on the three main platforms (FB, Twitter, G+) as:
- Facebook is for consumption. Here I want to see the latest clothes, be able to click through and buy them, maybe get involved in customizing them, entering competitions etc.
- Twitter is for engaging with the brand and getting quick updates from them. Here I want to be able to praise or complain, I want to hear as soon as there’s a sale, get excited about a new launch with my friends.
- Google+ is about telling me the story behind the brand. It’s about making my engagement with it even deeper. It’s giving me videos from people behind the brand (a la Burberry) to give me that extra insight. Yes, at the moment I get that on Facebook, but to be honest, it doesn’t really fit there for me.
Feel free to disagree by the way – I may be very wrong, and this may not work across other brands in other verticals.
Anyway, lots to figure out. And we’re not assuming that Google+ is right for everyone. It’s definitely more suitable to some brands. And most importantly, it’s most suitable to those who are willing to make a commitment. Maintaining your social outposts, and keeping them consistent and according to a strategy is not easy work.
In the meantime, we’ll keep learning and will share our opinions here or on our Google+ page!
