Today Bad Pitch takes aim at Google+. It is, indeed, the newest toy. But it’s not the newest technology or anything that is so amazing that it should change the game. In fact it’s just another experiment to get us hooked in. (Search for the phrase “Google Wave Game Changer” and you see what I mean.)
PR people are not using Google+ in huge ways—and the business profiles added in are not helping PR people. In fact, it’s too early for any of us to be thinking about this new soc-network as a place for our clients. Although it appears everyone seems to think now is the time.
Q: Should there be this much fuss - this early - about getting our clients on Google+?
Facebook is ubiquitous among consumers, and brands have fallen over themselves to create Pages, or Likes! Brands want to be social, be “out there” and, of course, get the all-ecompassing buzz. But these Pages aren’t as beneficial as many expect them to be.
According to a recent study by Constant Contact and researchers Chadwick Martin Bailey, only 17 percent of respondents interact with brands on Facebook. That’s an alarmingly low number considering how much effort is put into making sure customers know brands are on The Zuckerbook.
Turns out that Facebook brand pages are about brand awareness rather than engagement. Almost three-quarters surveyed said their interactions with brands on FaceBook came through reading statuses or updates from the brand.
A: If business pages are not driving action on a site that would be the third largest country in the world why are people so anxious about establishing profiles on “+”?
My own friends joined Google+ but none have stuck around. And in the last weeks of September users averaged 5 minutes and 47 seconds per week on Google's new network while we spent an average of 12.30 minutes per day on FB.
So we already know that hardly any Facey time is spent “interacting” with brands. Most people are still talking to one another--or broadcasting. What makes anyone think business profiles are going to be successful on Google+ while the masses spend so little time on Facebook doing so?
Despite the rationalization above, Google+ business profiles have been one of the biggest topics in the major news media for a while now. Why? They (and we) are desperately seeking the coolest, newest tech and they (and we) jump to bigtime conclusions in order to rationalize its impact. Which means we’re all suckers.
And yes, one day we’ll all be owned by Google. So I suppose we have to prepare for that inevitability.
I look forward to the day when social network sites convince folks to buy whatever crap is peddled there (hopefully it's good crap). It hasn't occurred. So before you make the big pitch to the higher-ups about why they have to be on Google+ maybe find some proof that it actually works....
In my opinion there is a lot of life left for influence inside older media—you know, like blogs!
@laermer
This rant had assistance from Pete Axtman.
We think the reason to look into setting up a Google+ page for your business boils down to one main factor: SEO (as we say at the end of this post http://blog.cdginteractive.com/my_weblog/2011/12/5-things-to-know-about-google-pages-for-businesses.html).
ReplyDeleteGoogle is clearly incorporating signals from its various applications as factors in search ranking, from +1s to connections via + Circles and beyond. Look at the way they changed Reader: sharing within the app became sharing to Google+.
It's best to stake your share of G+ real estate now to be prepared for any consolidations that come down the road (we're thinking Places may be one of the first).
I really appreciate this post. I'm a senior PR student, but even just a few months ago, I was in the group that advocated for businesses to have a profile on every social networking site. I didn't realize how much work went into creating unique content for each platform. Plus, your point that no one uses Google+ is very true. Why spend time reaching a non-existent audience? Your insight on Facebook is great as well. It truly is important to note how consumers use their time on Facebook before throwing a brand page onto the site. Considering how fast things change online, I agree it's important to reach out with tried-and-true methods like blogs.
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