Google+ Is Perfect for Content Creators
There is little argument to be made that Google+ is almost perfect for content creators. Major blogs like Copyblogger and popular websites such as Huffington Post are using the many valuable resources to reach out to their audience. Google loves this and the content producers love this. Google loves it because they can see how readers, fans and individuals are engaging with a particular brand. If said brand is seeing huge engagement through comments, increased followers, +1s and reshares it stands to reason they are producing something valuable for their content consumers. This will allow Google to polish their search algorithm by putting the most valuable content at the top.Brands and websites love Google+ because they can reach an audience in many different ways. They can reach the audience through an engaging conversation on a Google+ post. They can further that conversation by announcing a Google+ hangout to discuss the topic. After the hangout the discussion can continue on the YouTube video. It is hard to argue that all these opportunities are beneficial to a brand or business.
Insert Google Reader into Google+
Google+ was developed as a tool to segment information based on circles. Users can share to certain circles and they can read the content of certain circles. If a user is a huge technology reader they likely have technology blogs in their Google Reader. These same blogs likely produce content that is shared on Google+ therefore placing the brand pages in a "technology circle" will be an alternative to Google Reader. As Google Reader starts to get phased out, readers will look for ways to find this content. Content creators that benefit so much from the Google+ platform can easily publish their content through their Google+ page. Once again, this is a win-win situation.Brands and websites will be able to quickly see which topics are of interest through comments, +1s and shares. Individuals will be able to reach out to brands much easier than ever before. Instead of having to comment on a specific blog post and await moderation of that comment readers can now simply carry on the conversation through Google+. This will increase engagement at enormous clips as individual readers will be able to build relationships with other readers who have similar interests. They can further that relationship with Hangouts, private conversation, etc.
Engagement is Key
Time and again Google+ users point out that engagement levels are at an all time high for their products or websites. One of the problems that many small to medium sized website owners have is increasing engagement. Large websites like Huffington Post and CNN have no trouble getting comments and social shares but this is not an easy task for a business or brand that is not a huge name. That has all changed with the progression of Google+. Engagement is now much easier as the Google+ platform incorporates all types of engagement possible.It is important to note that many readers simply desire the ability to remain passive and not comment. This is acceptable but the goal of any brand or website is to attempt to get the reader active. Active readers are readers who will share information with their friends and family. These are the readers that create virality for websites. This is what makes Google+ such a special platform. It encourages readers to express their thoughts and opinions.