Launched in June 2011, Google+ (also known as Google Plus) has become the second largest social networking site in the world. A Google+ business page gives businesses a way to connect with customers on Google+ as Google+ users can add a company’s Google+ page to their circles and receive updates on their homepage. If your company doesn’t have a Google+ business page, it’s not too late. Here are 5 steps to follow when creating a Google+ page for your business:
Step 1 – Go to the Google+ Business Page and click on the ‘Create a Google+ Page’ button in the top right hand corner of the page.
- Note: you need to have a personal Google+ profile set up with Google before you create a Google+ business page.
- A business page can only have one owner but can have up to 50 managers. Having more than one page manager allows you to share control of the page with multiple people without sharing your personal log in information. For more information about adding managers to a page click here.
Step 2 – Pick a category that best fits your business from the 5 options provided. Note: each of the 5 main categories has a drop down menu to further define the type of page that you are creating.
- local business or place
- product or brand,
- company/institution/organization
- arts, entertainment, or sport
- other
Step 3 – Add information
- Choose a name for your Google+ Business Page
- List your company website URL
- Choose who your content is appropriate for (i.e. any Google+ users etc.)
Step 4 – Get Started
- Choose a cover photo that speaks about who your company is
- Add profile picture that represents your company
- Add a story/tagline (i.e. 10 words that describes your business page)
- Add contact email address
- Complete profile information (including links, story, people settings)
Step 5 – Explore Your Google+ Page
Take the time to explore your new Google+ page and get a feel for the layout of the page. On the left hand side of your Google+ page, you can hover over the ‘home’ icon and a sidebar of options will appear. Sidebar options that you can explore include:
- Dashboard
- Profile
- People
- Photos
- What’s Hot
- Communities
- Events
- Hangouts on Air
- Pages
- Local
- Settings
In May 2013, Google introduced a new layout for Google+ pages to help users better explore content and improve their online photo experience. Here’s a new video by Google that introduces the new Google+ layout:
httpv://youtu.be/vF5RovO5R8w
Fun Facts About Google+:
- Before it was launched, Google+ was known as Google Circles
- Over 1 million business and brand pages were created in the first 6 months of operation
- As of December 2012, Google+ had 500 million registered users