Business Development
Googleplus Hangout will prove to be an essential work tool for busy people who are always on the go. You never have to worry about missing business meetings and interviews, wherever you are, you can take your office along with you. To help improve your team projects, you can create different circles base on teams and invite all team members to join the circle. By doing so, idea sharing becomes easy, and free flowing. What’s more, everyone will always be kept abreast of latest developments and be allowed to contribute effectively even without being physically present.

On the Spot Staff Training
Google Hangout will prove to be an immensely resourceful way to train your employees, thereby saving expenses and reducing overheads. For instance, since there is no longer a physical barrier, you can now arrange with any resource person from any part of the world, to explain important issues, business concepts and theories with your employees.

Improved Customer Relationships
In the hands of savvy business people, Google Hangouts will help open new doors of opportunities to meet and reach out to wider customer base. It makes your customer accessible. Among other things, you can begin to use Google Hangouts to introduce new products to your customers, discuss issues that are bothering them and relate with them more openly.

Webcast Platform
One of the latest features of Google Hangout is Hangouts On Air, a cool tool that enables you to broadcast to the general public instantly. The default number of Hangout is still 10, but with Hangout On Air, you can have unlimited number of viewers connected to your webcast session all at the same time. Your session can even be recorded and saved for the benefits of those who couldn’t attend the live show. This will without doubt save tremendous resources that would have been used to make this happen yourself.

Instant Collaborations
With Smartphone’s integration, Google Hangouts has indeed now made business collaborations and communication so easy and highly effective. The mobile version is available on Android and will soon be accessible via IOS. Now, anyone with front-facing camera phone can participate in your video conversation, where ever they are. This is especially a useful tool for those who are out on the field. You can quickly participate in any conference session and send-in real time updates from wherever you are.

It is safe to conclude that Google Hangout is here to change the way we communicate and do business. As you can see, there is no longer any real barrier towards effective business communication. With Google Hangouts, wherever you are, business continues.

The post 5 Ways To Use Google+ Hangouts for Business appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

If you haven’t heard it so far, the latest rage in the social media networking is Google+. And, if you’re already on this platform with your profile, it’s fantastic. Although Google+ may not have the kind of following that facebook enjoys, but to’s better to hop onto this bandwagon while it’s slightly full than getting too late and joining when everybody there is shouting their messages to the consumers as they try to market their products or services to them. Aside from interaction with millions of members, there are synergistic effects of social media and SEO as well. Google+ will definitely reap some of the best SEO benefits and online visibility.

Let’s consider some of the benefits of creating a.

• Claim your space- The biggest reason for being on Google+ is that your potential customers and customers are already there. Instead of shouting your marketing messages to them, you should join Google+ and talk to them using interruption marketing. Engage with them. Talk to them….hear their views, ideas and opinions, as this will help you in growing at a much faster rate (this really work-just think how you as a customer would like to be treated by companies you do business with as a buyer?
• Less users => less competition-Today Google+ has more than 90 million users (although uch less than Facebook), but remember that it is growing FAST and is backed by a technology giant. Remember the bandwagon we’d discussed earlier, so don’t be a chaser once the space is jam packed with other people trying to short on the top of their voice. This is the time to start building relationships when you will be patiently heard.
• A whooping 73 percent Google users log in every day. This is much higher than 48 percent in case of Twitter, or 61 percent in Facebook.
• Google+ allows for more personal and direct relationships. While Twitter or Facebook are cluttered with unrelated info, Google+ has quality content that is informational and professional. Consumers love that. And, will appreciate.

• Innovative functionality of hangouts with live video chats-Aside from talking to your customers via text, you can also hold direct video talk sessions with other members. There is no better way than seeing them discussing what they like about you and how you can improve upon. Big companies spend thousand of dollars every years on marketing research. Now all that is possible for free as you need a webcam and time.
• Big impact on search engine page results-Are you not interested in better search engine visibility…. for FREE? You must’ve already said millions of times “Google it”. Now multiply that with millions of other people in the world. Now tell us, won’t you be interested in another way to be found on Google.

There are many more advantages and you’ll know them once you create your Google Plus Business Profile. You’ll be really happy you did!

The post Benefits of Creating a Google+ Business Profile appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

As a business owner, you need to gather intelligence about your clients and offer them solutions that solve their problems and appeal to their interests. Social media sites help you do that because it gives you a place among customers where you can convey your messages and call the customers to take action. The dilemma for most business owners who understand this fact comes in the choice of social media platform. It is a battle between two major sites, Google+ vs Facebook. War of the Worlds. Stop being undecided and grow your business through social media by following the usage tips for the two big sites.

Pages

Facebook pages have been the biggest social media feature for businesses to use. When Google+ launched, it also included pages but it is only recently that the feature began to catch on. With pages, businesses are able to create a following around their brand, and do promotions. Facebook allows third-party apps to work on pages and when used correctly they help your business to collect important user behavior data as well as expand the possibilities of sharing your content across the internet.

Hangouts

Facebook wins on pages, but when it comes to the option of a business using video to rally customers, Google+ gets an upper hand. Google+ has a feature that lets more than one person participate in a video chat and the best thing about it is that the chat can be public so that interested people stream it on YouTube. With hangouts, Google+ just created a personal broadcast system that takes the options of video blogs to a new level. Users can interact in real-time and for a business; this helps a lot, especially when you are doing a Q&A session.

Events

Both Facebook and Google+ have events with Facebook letting limiting most of its features to personal accounts. If you were going to use online events to create buzz about your business and its products, then your best bet would be with Google+ because it lets you crowd source the marketing activities of the event. Everyone participating in an event on Google+ is able to share photos and other details of the event in real-time to their profiles thus creating hype about it to reach even more people.

Communities

Google+ shows what your friends and brands are doing online, without them having to mention it. For Facebook, pages are separate entities from personal profiles but Google+ lets users interact with brands, as they would do with a person. The result is that businesses get a better chance of communicating with their fans when they are on Google+ than when on Facebook. Google+ has a community feature that allows you or your brand to rally people around a cause or idea. You can have a community for every aspect of your business or participate in other communities to engage with your fans.

Although Facebook remains the king of social media because of its iconic features, that position will soon give way to Google+. As a business, you need to have a presence on both platforms. Above that, you need to know the specific features of each social network so that you can place various campaigns where they will get you the most exposure and generate business leads. Going through the strong points of the two major sites as discussed above will help you come up with a working strategy for doing business on social media.

The post Google+ vs Facebook. War of the Worlds. appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

What Can You Do In Google+?

Posting in Google+
Google+ allows you to make a post (similar to Facebook) in your stream (the area where your post displays).  Keep in mind that the content you post is searchable inside Google+ and in Google Search itself as long as your post is “public”.  When crafting your post, make sure you are using relevant keywords, attach a link, add photo or video, tag people or pages and select who’s going to view the post (public, communities or specific circles).

Oh yea, Google+ allows you to edit your post after it’s posted.  No more typos!  Just edit and fix.

Create an Event
Another type of post is an Event post.  You can set-up an event right from your Google+ stream by simply adding your Event title, time/date, location and details.  Using the Advanced options for Events, you can include Hangouts and Hangouts on Air along with some additional fields for more event details.

Comments
Google+ encourages you to leave comments on other people’s posts.  Just like when you post, your comments can also be edited after posting.  When commenting on other’s posts, you cannot attach a photo or video.  When commenting on other’s post, leave valuable insightful comments.

Sharing
Show the love by sharing other people’s posts on your Google+ stream.  This not only enhances your stream, but provides your followers with valuable content that you did not have to produce yourself.

+1
On Google+ the +1 is similar to a Like on Facebook.  It’s your way of saying “I like this” post or comment.  Yes, you can give a +1 to comments made on the original post.  Pretty cool, huh?  The other way to +1 is from an external website.  Many sites have added code to their website that allows users to +1 content, products or services directly from the website.

+Tags
The +Tags are the best way to identify other Google+ accounts or pages within your post.  These +Tags are clickable and will take the user to a Google+ personal page or Google+ business page depending on which tag you used in your post.  Simply use the + sign followed by the first few letters of a person’s name or page.  Google+ will auto-fill content and you can easily click the appropriate person or page to +Tag.

Hashtags
Hashtags (# symbol) are used in Google+ to help you organize your posts and search for them later. Users can search hashtags in the Google+ search box located on the top of the screen in your Google+ stream (similar to the Facebook feed). You can also click on any hashtag located inside a post. You will then be taken to a Google+ search results page for the hashtag you clicked on.

Hangouts
Google+ Hangouts are probably one of my favorite features.  Hangouts are live video chats with up to 9 participants. As a business owner you should use Hangouts to record webinars or how-to guides, host Q&A sessions, host workshops, make announcements, and more. Google Hangouts have several built-in features perfect for businesses: screen sharing, document sharing, simultaneous video viewing and chatting and session recording.

Hangouts on Air
Google + Hangouts on Air (HOA) allows you to broadcast is a “watch only” mode to the public without requiring the viewers to participate in the Hangout.   The basic functionality is the same as a regular Hangout. You just need to make a few minor selections so that you can broadcast and record your Hangout on Air.  After the recording is finished, you can easily add it to YouTube for public viewing.

Profile
Your profile on Google+ is your identity within Google and it’s products.  Just like Facebook, you start off with your personal profile on Google+.  From your personal profile, you can then create your Google+ Business page profile.  On both profiles, fill in as much information as possible so people can find your business in Google Search results. Focus on using relevant keywords in the ‘Introduction section’ on your Google+ page About section.

Circles
Circles allow you to organize and categorize the people and pages you are following.  Think of it like a list on Facebook or Twitter. You can circle anyone or any page on Google+.  The person you circled will be notified that you circled them.  They can decide to circle you back or not, either way you can still receive their posts in your stream.

When naming your circles, it’s important to know that no one else but you will see that names of your circles.  I would highly recommend that you use professional names for your circles.  You can circle up to 5,000 people and pages combined.

Pages
Google+ Pages are the perfect solution for brands, companies or groups to create their Google+ presence.  When using Google+ as a page, you have access to every feature and function on Google+ that you have as a individual users, including Hangouts!  Google+ pages are owned by one person and ownership is transferable.  Do you have someone you want to give admin rights so they can help post content on your page? You can do that! Google+ pages allows up to 49 page managers.

Ripples
Ripples are a Google+ feature that allows you to see who’s sharing your content throughout Google+. This interactive graph provides a ‘at-a-glance’ insight into any public shares made on your public posts. Remember, your post must have been shared for any ripples to be created.

How Should I Use Google+?

Listen and Search
Start by searching your location, zip code, job title, company name, competitors, well-known individuals in your industry, terms and phrases your customers use, etc.  Next, search Hashtags (#) followed by a keyword or phrase.  As you find content that you find interesting, remember to comment, share in your stream, +1 the content, or add the author to a circle.

Circle / +1
You need to grow your Google+ network by connecting with other people.  The best way to do this is when you are searching, find people that interest you, circle them and start a conversation.  You can start by leaving comments on their posts, giving them +1′s on their content and sharing their content with others in your stream.

You should also let your existing customers know you are on Google+.  Invite them to connect with you on Google+ and publish exclusive content to with your “customer” circle.

Teach
Google+ is a great place to help other people. Be ready to help and respond to those in your industry who are struggling.  By doing so, you will become the go to person for your niche topic.

Comment / Share
Your business will need to post frequently to have an impact on the community you are building. Go out and find relevant content to post, respond to comments and link to your own content. By sharing information that entertains and interests your audience, you will build your Google+ followers. Don’t forget to share about yourself once in awhile. Remember, people connect with people not brands. Show them who the person behind the brand is. Share your story.

Communities
Google+ introduced Communities in December that makes filtering and finding relevant conversations easier than ever. Think of these Google+ communities as ‘gathering places for your passions’. You can have chats, dialogue, events, contests, share photos, and much more.  Members can add events and open Hangouts right from the page.  They can also share content to the community through their Google+ share box.  Just like in their stream, Google+ users can +1  and share content in the group.

Do you have a Google+ personal page, Google+ Business page or Google+ Community?  If so, please leave me a link in the comments below.  I’d love to connect with you on Google+.

Rebecca
http://gplus.to/rwardlow7 

The post How To Put Google+ To Work For Your Small Business appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

Four Types of Google+ Communities (Open & Private)

Google finally did it!  You can now create a community of like minded-people in Google+.  This is great news for those of use who love to collaborate and share our passions! Everyone in the group can share whatever they want relating to the community topic.

As a Google+ user, you can easily create a Google+ community. When setting up your Google+ community there are four options (two public and two private).  One thing to note is that all content from your public groups will be indexed and discoverable through Google+ search.  How amazing is that?!?!

The four types of Google+ community groups you can create are:

1. Public group that anyone can join and post.
2. Public group where only moderators can post, but anyone can view or comment.
3. Private group (members only) that can be discovered by search.
4. Private group (members only) hidden from search.

Sample Categories in a Google+ Community Group

Think of these Google+ communities as ‘gathering places for your passions’. You can have chats, dialogue, events, contests, share photos, and much more.  Members can add events and open Hangouts right from the page.  They can also share content to the community through their Google+ share box.  Just like in their stream, Google+ users can +1  and share content in the group.

When setting up your community, I highly recommend setting up discussion categories.  This will allow users to filter posts by topics.

YES! You can have multiple ‘owners’.  Here’s how:

1. Click on the member tab just underneath the profile picture to display the page of Community members.
2. Select who you want as a moderator
3. Click on the small drop down arrow to the right of them
4. Select promote to moderator.
5. Repeat the process again and next time promote them to Owner.

FYI…Google has not rolled out Communities for mobile devices yet.  Rumor has it this is in the works, but no date has been announced yet.

Have you joined a community yet?  If not, let’s learn together.  I invite you to join my community:

Social Media Breakfast Kishwaukee Area

Google Stats as of 12/6/12 (source: http://ow.ly/fV15d)

• 500 million people who have upgraded (joined)
• 235 million are actively using Google+ features (+1′ing apps in Google Play, hanging out in Gmail, or connecting with friends in Search)
• 135 million are active in just the stream.

The post Four Types of Google+ Communities (Open & Private) appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

Create a plan: Focus on one or two platforms and do them well! Decide which social media platform(s) your business needs to be active on. You don’t have to be on every single social media platform. Be where your customers are! Determine if your customer base is using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterst, YouTube, LinkedIn or Google+. Pick one of these and create a content calendar. Need help creating a content calendar or determining where your customers are spending their time, email me.

Use Automation Tools: I highly recommend that you use a tool like HootSuite to automate your posts. By scheduling out your post or tweets, you will have more time to spend interacting and building relationships with your fans or followers. Never schedule your replies! Be real! Respond or reply in real-time.

Be Consistent: No matter how often you post or tweet, do one thing BE CONSISTENT! Social Media is moving quickly and to be seen you must post at least once a day, if not more depending on the social media platform. Set a schedule and posting consistently will help you build trust with your fans or followers. My personal recommendation for small business owners: Facebook Fan Page 3 times/day, Twitter 5-6 times/day, Pinterest business page 1-2 times/day, Google+ business page 2-3 times/day, LinkedIn personal profile 1-2 times/day. Remember, you don’t have to be on all these platforms! Be where your customers are.

Use A Timer: Especially when you are first getting started, use the timer on your phone, computer or even the timer from your kitchen. Set a 30 minute limit per day. Social Media takes time and patience. You will not build your online presence overnight. It will take time and consistency!

Do you have any other advice for small business owners just getting started? Comment below.

The post Social Media Time Management Tips appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

This kicked butt, serious butt. Watched the whole thing. Great PowerPoint, jam-packed with information at the right level, great transitions and tempo and I loved the little green pointer. I can tell you spent a bunch of time preparing for this. Wonderful job ! – Terry Williamson, BoomSocial

Feel free to use and share the information with your networks. All I ask is that you take time to COMMENT below or on my Facebook Fan Page after you’ve watched the webinar. (http://www.Facebook.com/SocialBizDiva)

The webinar “How To Connect With Your Customers Using Google+” is now available for viewing.

CLICK HERE FOR WEBINAR: http://meet21007540.adobeconnect.com/p7hsh81upf2/

Key topics to be covered in the webinar included:

• Setting up a Google+ Page for your business
• Best practices and great example cases for using Google+
• Promoting your Google+ Page
• Improving the performance of your online marketing with +1

SLIDES

Rebecca just gave us more advice in this presentation than I expected. Thank you for making so many things clear and giving us such detailed to-do items. Your time and talent are much appreciated!   -Nancy L

The post How To Connect With Your Customers Using Google+ Webinar Replay appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

To get ready for this new feature, click the “Like Pages” link on the left side of your screen below ‘Pages’.  Simply add the brand or business pages you want to receive updates from.  To view updates from these pages, click the “Pages Feed” link (shown above).

If you currently don’t have the “Pages Feed” link, you can still view your brands posts by using this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/feed

Who’s excited about this new feature?

The post Get Facebook updates from your favorite businesses and brands appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

The Edgerank formula (as shown to the right) takes into account the Affinity + Weight + Decay of the post.  Affinity is the score between the viewing user and the edge creator.  The weight for this edge type (comments, likes, etc).  The decay factor is based on how long ago the edge was created.  Sounds Greek right?

Let’s break in down into easier definitions:

• Affinity – The language between the user and the story
• Weight – How are users are talking about the story (comments, likes, shares)?
• Decay – How recently was the story posted?

You should care about Edgerank because the more users that interact with your content, the more likely they are to see your posts in their newsfeed.  If your post is displaying in the users newsfeed then you have a greater chance of reaching them along with their friends.

So how can you get the people who already love you to talk about you?

1. Schedule your posts for high traffic times.  BuddyMedia has found through research that posts published in the mornings and evenings receive a 20% higher engagement rate.  The ‘share’ button receives the most action around 5 PM and ‘comments’ and ‘likes’ hits a peak at 8 PM.  Use your Facebook Page Insights to find the perfect post times for your specific brand.
2. Don’t shorten URLs on Facebook.  If you shorten the URL (website link) on Facebook you are taking away the valuable information a users needs to know if they should click on your link or not.  For example, as a Facebook user would you rather click on http://www.SocialBizDiva.com/services or http://ow.ly/eTTa9.  Both these URLs will take you to the same place, but the first one tells the user where they are going.  The second one leaves the user wondering where they are being sent.  Shortened URLs are perfect for Twitter, but not Facebook. Research has shown that non-shortened URLs (aka: long URLs) receive 3 times more clicks than shortened URLs.
3. Upload a photo that pertains to your article or post.  Include the link to your article or post in the description. Post at least 1 time per day, but not more than 5 times per day.
4. Engage your fans with your Timeline cover image.  Change your cover image frequently and always include a description and link in the image description. Include a solid call to action in your image description.  Start using your Timeline cover photo as a billboard, promoting giveaways, events and more!
5. Post questions and make responding easy.  For example: “YES or NO: You regularly visit brand Facebook pages for updates”.

Try these five tips and then check your Facebook Insights everyday to see which posts are creating the most engagement.  Once you know what your fans like, then it’s easy to provide additional content that they will like, share, or comment on.

Remember, the more a fan engages with your brand, the more they will see the content you post!

The post 5 Ways to Boost Your Facebook Edgerank appeared first on Social Media Strategist, Speaker & Trainer :: Rebecca Wardlow :: Social Biz Diva.

Small businesses have a huge opportunity to reach Facebook users.  The Zoomerang survey showed that fifty-one percent of Facebook users say they’re more likely to buy a product after becoming a fan of the small business Facebook page. In the study, fifty percent of small business reported gaining new customers in 2011 from Facebook and Twitter.

Do you know where you customers are online?  If your potential clients, customers, and audience are on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and so on, then it’s only reasonable that you should go to those places to reach them.

Start by determining what social media platform you should be utilizing.

1. Is your business already on Facebook?

Did you know that even if you are not on Facebook, your customers most likely are talking about your business?  Many may have already checked-in to your location on Facebook.  Using the search bar on Facebook, search your business name. Did you find a Facebook Place presence? Then claim it! You will also notice how many people “like” your business and are talking about it.

2. Who’s talking about you on Twitter?

Visit https://twitter.com/search and enter your domain name. A Twitter search for a domain like “socialbizdiva.com” will turn up instances of tweets (even if a URL shortening service such as bit.ly has been used) related to your domain name.  You should also search your Business name, personal name and your competition.  Why?  Because you want to determine if your target market is utilizing Twitter and if you should be there.

3. Who’s pinning about your business on Pinterest?

Are Pinterest users already pinning content from your business? Find out!

Copy this link to your browser http://pinterest.com/source/domain/

Simply replace the word “domain” with your business’ homepage URL, for example with “socialbizdiva.com”.

4. Decide what social media platform works for your business.

You do not need to be on every social media platform!  Be where your customers are period. Put 100% of your focus into one social media platform that fits your audience and do it exceptionally well!

5. Set-up profiles and broadcast your purpose.

Take time to create your profile on the social media platform you decide to use.  Fill in all descriptions, “about” information, and other identifying content. This will help users understand your business and what they can expect from you.

6. Be Human.

If you are posting or tweeting on your business account, sign your posts with your initials or name.  It helps the users connect with you as a person.  Also, don’t be afraid to share, especially if you are a small business owner.  It’s ok to make a daily post about your personal life.  Show them you’re a real person by posting updates about things you’re passionate about.  Chances are your community may share your passion.

Tip 1: Do not post or tweet about potentially controversial subjects (politics, religion, money) on your business page.

Tip 2: Respond to every comment, post, tweet, or message that you receive.  Invest time in those who care enough to reach out to you by showing them you care.

7. Share the Love, Don’t push.

In addition to posting content about your business, you will want to share other relevant content, businesses, brands, or ideas.  By sharing what others have posted, you are showing them that you are listening to what they are posting or tweeting.  Take time to respond to posts or tweets and become involved with your fans or followers by creating conversations.  You will build a stronger connection with your online community if you do.

8. Devote 30 minutes a day to your social media efforts.

As a small business owner, it’s important not to start out devoting a lot of time to social media. You’ll risk getting discouraged.  Instead, devote 30 minutes a day to improving your social media efforts.  Use a kitchen timer or alarm on your cell phone.  When the 30 minutes is up, you are done for the day.  Get up and walk away.

Create a content calendar on Google calendar.  Plan out 1-3 posts per day.  When posting three times a day try this: 1) interest/value, 2) passionate, 3) personal.

9. Give away something of value.

You can become an industry expert online by creating a competitive advantage.  Start by creating a list of the most common questions your customers ask you.  Take that list and create unique content that solves a customer’s issue,  question or create how-to tips that your competitor’s have not written about.

10. Use a Tool.

I highly recommend Hootsuite.  Hootsuite allows you to manage your small business via a web-based dashboard.  Schedule messages, view mentions, favorite tweets, direct messages, add team members, collaborate with your team, and manage multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Google+).

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