Friday, August 31, 2012

Social Fridays: Create a Google+ page to connect with users

Welcome back to our Social Fridays series, where we’re providing tips for getting set up optimally on Google+ each week. Last week, we shared best practices around placing +1 buttons on your site and tracking their performance. Today, we’ll move on to creating a Google+ page for your site.

A Google+ page is the hub of your site’s identity on Google, and offers a number of tools to help you reach audiences in new ways. On your +page, you can share your articles, photos, YouTube videos, and even host live broadcasts. Your +page will also include a +1 button that users can click to recommend you. Think about your Google+ page as a way to complement your site, allowing you to grow and measure user engagement before directing users back to your pages for more of your great content. Creating a Google+ page is simple and takes just minutes.

 

Once you’ve set up your own +page, be sure to set up a content pipeline and post regularly.
One great way to engage with users via your +page is to host regular Google+ Hangouts. Hangouts are free, multi-person video chat sessions for up to 10 people that can help you get closer to your users, no matter where in the world you’re located. We all know that talking face-to-face can convey much more than simply typing messages -- so consider hosting classes via Hangout if you run a hobby-related site, or invite loyal readers to discuss recent content you’ve published.

You also have the option of broadcasting your hangout to the world via Hangouts on Air. Up to 10 people can still actively participate, but anyone can tune in to watch via live streaming on your Google +page, your YouTube channel, or even your own site. Every Hangout on Air will be automatically recorded and saved to your YouTube channel, so you can edit and share the content afterwards. Whether you want to interview an expert, give a behind-the-scenes tour of your business, or just share your content live in front of a global audience, Hangouts on Air allow you to connect with your users in a new way.



To create a Google+ page for your site and get started with Hangouts, sign in to your personal profile on Google+ and then follow the simple instructions. You’ll be able to enter details about your site and upload a profile photo so your users will be able to recognize you. For more information about getting started with +pages, visit the Google+ Help Center.

Feel free to share feedback about this post and your experience with using Hangouts on our AdSense +page. Then, join us here next week for our next Social Friday post -- we’ll share a little-known best practice for posting to your +page that can help increase engagement with your users.

Posted by Arlene Lee - Inside AdSense Team

No comments:

Post a Comment