When you hear about another social media site for marketing property, it’s easy to throw your hands up. It can be overwhelming. You feel like you need to hire someone just to handle all of the online marketing required. You’re told you need to have Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, a website, a blog…the list goes on.
Google+ has recently created a lot of buzz in the online realm—and rightfully so. It has now surpassed Twitter and is second to Facebook for active users on a social media site. Google has tied many of its other products in with Google+, making it easier for users to join.
In this article, you’ll discover how to use Google+ as an alternative to blogging or as a feed for cross-posting to a blog site. A well-established and planned out Google+ Community can generate more visitor traffic than many other marketing efforts.
Let’s take a look at a Google+ Community and how to use one.
Firstly, Google+ has come out with Business Pages, which is similar to Facebook pages. They’re popular, but the theory behind them, like a website, is that you’re publishing content. Individuals can comment on your business page, but, like with other sites, it’s difficult to spark interaction. A business website, or page for that matter, isn’t necessarily viewed as a conversational medium.
With the advent of Google+ Communities, interaction has changed—for the better!
A Google+ Community is like a meeting place where members share a common interest. Instead of just visiting your site or page, individuals join to share information and offer input. In the community, it’s “all about the community.”
When you search Google+ for already-established communities, you can search by keywords. You’ll find real estate, dancing, blogging, singles communities, and more. You’ll see how many members each community has. Members join to talk about their interests and to learn.
Many real estate agents have steered clear of starting their own website and blog, because it’s so time consuming. If that’s you, starting a Google+ Community may provide a solution.
With a community, you can build an audience of people who are interested in what you have to offer, but who also want to exchange ideas and information. If you do have a website, you can write a post to the community and add a link back to your website.
When you start a community, some followers will naturally join, but you’ll have to promote it. Put the URL to your community on your social media sites, business cards, and marketing materials and promote it.
The great thing about Google+ posts is that Google indexes them right away, so you’ll get some immediate SEO clout.
Go ahead, start a community and give it a try. Getting one set up takes about 10 minutes.