Google+ has over 540 million active users but engagement is declining, with only 50% of top brands actively posting each month, down 24% year-over-year. While it has strong brand awareness, only 22% of adults use Google+ at least monthly. The best uses for brands on Google+ are driving search and collaborating with customers and teams through circles, hangouts, and Google My Business profiles.

1. nick westergaard | branddrivendigital.com
social spotlight
BRAND DRIVEN digital
Google+What to Do When the Search Giant Goes Social

2. not google’s first rodeo …

3. too big to fail? (at social)
Photo via Flickr user Robert Scoble

4. Google+ social spotlight
‣ By the Numbers
‣ How Brands Engage
‣ Things to Remember

5. By the Numbers
1

6. consider their mission
To organize the world’s information and
make it universally accessible and useful

7. 100 millionmonthly active users in its first year
in the beginning …

8. 2.2 billionregistered users as its integrated
with YouTube & Gmail
today
Source: Simply Measured

9. 540 millionactive users
Source: Simply Measured
but only

10. 62%of users are b2b marketers
Source: Simply Measured

11. 90%of profiles never posted to the network
Source: Simply Measured

12. 22%of adults that are online, use Google+
at least once per month
Source: Simply Measured

13. accessibility
& discovery
google+ is FOCUSED ON

14. -16%google+ activity is down 16%
Year on year
Source: Simply Measured

15. still ahead of linkedin in brand awareness

16. overall usage isn’t horrible

17. use among 12–24 beats linkedIN

18. and it’s daniel radcliffe’s favorite social network

19. How Brands Engage
2

20. 87%of top brands use google+
Source: Simply Measured

21. 50%of top brands using google+ actively
post each month — down 24% YOY
Source: Simply Measured

22. anatomy of a profile

23. started out very different …

24. now very similar to Facebook – who copied who?

25. circles & Hangouts
Circles are more intuitive than facebook, twitter
lists; hangouts provide easy collaboration
key features

26. circle segmentation

27. hangouts = convenient collaboration, research

28. beacons across the social web
Photo via Flickr user cordiaz2000

29. effectives uses abound
Cadbury
Visual content
ESPN
Conveys emotion
Destinology
Maps, virtual tours
Christian Dior
Exclusive offers

30. in 2014Google discounted the popular & powerful
Google+ authorship feature

31. google my business
profile — this connects you with customers
searching on google, Google maps, or google+
google+ Tip:

32. no adson google+
(but don’t forget about adwords)
today

33. driving searchand collaborating with customers and team
best uses for Google+:

34. Things to Remember
3

35. google+ required
a google+ account is now required
for commenting on youtube

36. Google+ measurement
‣ Number of users that have you in a circle
‣ Number of +1s on posts (via Google Analytics)
‣ Total brand mentions
‣ Profile views
‣ Referring links on site

37. ‣ The Economist
‣ National Geographic
‣ ESPN The Magazine
‣ Time
‣ Discover
‣ Popular Science
‣ Forbes
‣ Elle
‣ Vogue
‣ Glamour
Top 10 Brands on Google+
Source: Statista

38. would you bet against google?
Photo via Flickr user brionv

40. #UIMKTG
@nickwestergaard

41. nick@WESTERGAARD.COM
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