Making money with Google+ is going to be similar to – but a little different than – making money with Facebook or Twitter. While Google is still rolling out changes to Google+, so that all users are having to figure things out on the fly, there are certain things you can do now to make your Google+ business ventures successful.
Remember, Google+ is just another social network, but it does function differently from either Facebook or Twitter. Just like you probably had to learn to think differently in order to leverage your Twitter following, as opposed to your Facebook account, you’ll have to think about Google+ differently from either of these things in order to make the most of it. These five simple steps will help you leverage your Google+ account as best you can so that you can make more money for your business.
1. Get More Followers
Before you start trying to use affiliate links or boost your business or product through Google+, simply focus on getting more followers. Since you can’t yet have a business site, now is a good time to build personal Google+ circles of friends, family members, business contacts, and more. For now, you should not focus on making money. That sounds counterintuitive, since you’re supposed to be reading this to learn how to make money with Google+. However, if you hold off for a while now while you’re building followers, you’ll become more credible in the world of Google+. For now, just be a part of the conversation, and bring in your business or product whenever it’s absolutely appropriate and not more often than that.
2. Be Professional
The average age and goals of a Google+ user is different from that of a person with a Facebook account. Despite the fact that Facebook is now used by many older people, it’s still mainly the domain of teens and young adults. Google+, on the other hand, is a little more sophisticated, and many users are a bit older. This means that you need to tweak the way you interact on Google+ in order to keep your circles engaged. In general, a more polished, professional, relevant persona will be necessary to maintain a good Google+ following.
3. Re-Post with Other Sites
As you’re building your Google+ account, don’t be afraid to cross promote and use re-posts from your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You’ll most likely have different contacts on each site, so there’s absolutely nothing wrong with re-posting information and tidbits between sites. Plus, this can make getting your Google+ site going a lot simpler for you.
4. Learn the Differences
Before you jump into marketing through Google+ and actually making money for your business, make sure you understand the differences between Google+ and the other social networks you’re already using. Right now, everyone else is discovering those differences, too. Just take your time, and don’t worry about making money right away, since you will be able to make more in the long run if you really understand the basic differences between Google+ and your other social networks.
5. Get Google+ On Your Website
This fifth step is perhaps the most essential. You’ll definitely want to get a “plus one” symbol on your websites so that you can start leveraging Google+ there as soon as possible. It’s just like a Facebook like button, but it will eventually play into actual website rankings through Google, so it should be a vital part of all your websites from here on out.
Business credit cards for social networking
Whether your business needs a better camera for posting photos to social networking sites like Google+ or you want to hire a part-time social networking guru for your small business, Jamie Scott from CreditDonkey says a separate business credit card should be something to consider. These cards often come with perks just for small businesses, including travel rewards and other business-related rewards. Plus, they’re easy for you to use online, and they keep you safer than if you used a debit card for your business’s online transactions.
Google+ is just now starting to become reality, so expect it to take some time before you see businesses that are really leveraging it to make money. Remember, slow and steady really does win the race, especially when it comes to sophisticated social networking tools like this one. You want to get in there and get going, but focus on really setting goals and learning all about Google+ before you start trying to make money.