How to Increase Your Plus Ones on Google Plus
- By: Taryn
- Categories: Google
- Comments: 0
When Google Plus was launched, it became clear that it was a virtual blend of Facebook and Twitter, but with better features. With things like Circles and Hangouts, Google Plus has become an increasingly strong force in the social media world. In order to get the best results from Google Plus, you’ll want to take advantage of the connections it offers. Here are more ways in increase your Google Plus followers and your influence.
1) Search for People
Possibly the easiest way to increase your presence on Google Plus is simply by searching for people in your industry. It’s important to have a network of contacts who share relevant interests and contacts. You can also import your contacts from other services such as Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, Outlook or Gmail.
2) Follow back
Once someone has added you to their circle, be sure you follow them back. This will keep them interested in your product and information, and will help you stay connected. However, do this wisely, and follow people you’re truly interested in. Your page is considered more influential if more people follow you than you’ve chosen to follow.
3) Share interesting content
It’s important to note that the Google Plus community is predominantly web, entertainment, technology and marketing people. Submit and share content that is relevant and interesting, and your followers will be more likely to share it on their own channels.
4) Make your profile public
Google Plus success is all about reach. If your profile is private, you’ll be reaching less people than you otherwise might. If you can, make your profile public. It also wouldn’t hurt to add your LinkedIn profile to Google Plus, as well as any other social media sites you may want to promote. This will extend your reach across the web.
5) Add widgets to your blog or website
The Google Plus widgets will connect your site or blog to your Google Plus page, which will not only help your search engine optimization, but will also encourage your visitors and readers to follow up with your Google Plus page.
6) Encourage your fans to share your content
Posting interesting and relevant content on your page is only half the battle. The other half is making sure that it gets shared across the Internet. When your posts show up in your friends’ Google Plus stream, their friends will see it, which will increase your visibility and the potential to have your content shared.
7) Share posts from other people
Google Plus isn’t just about posting your own content; sharing content from other users encourages interaction between you and your followers, and will encourage them to share your original content as well.
8) Vary your content
Sometimes writing new content so often can get time consuming and tedious. Don’t forget to be adding videos and pictures as well. The variety in your content will help your fans stay interested in your product or page.
9) Email signatures
Linking your page in the signature of your emails not only increases your reach, but it increases your potential clients as well. Especially with business emails, it will encourage the recipient to engage with your social media presence through Google Plus.
10) Blog commenting
Commenting on different blogs and forums will raise your chances of bringing people to your profile, especially if you can slip in a link to your profile in the comments. It can be time consuming, but certainly worth the effort.
11) Connect with LinkedIn
Since LinkedIn is primarily for business entrepreneurs and corporate employees, inviting your LinkedIn contacts to connect with you on Google Plus can be very effective for your business, since they’re already probably in the same niche that you are.
12) Allow commenting on your posts
If people want to comment on one of your posts, let them! It’s an easy way to encourage engagement within your followers and stimulate a good conversation. The more comments your posts receive, the more traffic you’ll get since their comments may be shown in different news feeds.
13) Include links in your articles
Linking to your profile in your articles will encourage people who are interested in your article’s content to follow the link to your profile page in order to find similar content. Add this in the author’s bio box.
14) Share content with extended circles
When you share content, you have the option to share content with the people in a circle you choose, as well as their friends. This allows you to not only reach out to your network, but the people connected to the people in your network.
15) Take advantage of the features
Google Plus offers a lot of features, one of which is Hangouts. Host a hangout and tell your followers about it so you can get to know them better.
16) Make yourself eligible for Direct Connect
While only certain businesses are granted Direct connect right now, it’s a good idea to be prepared for when Google releases this feature to all businesses. It allows your business to become eligible for various search capabilities such as being easily searchable using +[Page Name] and increasing the chance of your Google Plus pages pulled into organic results. This doesn’t work with personal accounts (yet), but some business accounts may be eligible.
17) Newsletter promotion
As long as your newsletters don’t irritate your readers, promoting your Google Plus site is another great option to encourage people to connect with you.
18) Use a placard or a business card
If you’re running a physical business, you can encourage your customers to connect with you online by either using a placard or business cards with your Google Plus profile.
19) Blog about your profile
Especially if you already have a dedicated blog readership, this is a great way to get the news out that you’re a prolific presence on Google Plus. Be sure to include a link to your profile in the post.
20) Link in your forum signature
If you’re active in any forums, adding the link to your profile will introduce any reader to your profile whenever you post.
21) Message your friends
This is another tactic that can be time consuming, but extremely effective. Sending a private message to your friends asking them to join you on Google Plus can really add to your followers.
22) Social Bookmarking
Once you’ve added all your friends, ask them to Stumble, Digg, and bookmark your profile.
23) Facebook Group members
If your business has a Facebook Group, send a message to all the group members to tell them about your Google Plus profile.
24) Promote your profile on social networking sites
This may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but adding links to your existing social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can have a profound impact on your Google Plus page.
25) Share via email
Even if your friends haven’t signed up for Google Plus yet, you can still share your content with them via email. This system is unique to Google Plus, so use it to your advantage.
26) Comment on other users’ status updates
This may not seem like a big deal, but keeping up with the chatter in your circles is important and helps you stay connected with the people you’re following.
27) Buy followers
While it’s not always the most ideal way to gain organic followers, it is an option. There are companies who will provide followers for a fee, and usually have many different options depending on your budget. It’s easy and fast, but you’ll need to watch out for scams. It’s also common to gain followers with this system that are non-existent or remain dormant. Since this isn’t exactly the point of Google Plus, you may want to think twice before pursuing this option.
28) Entice your followers
You can also use your business to your advantage, and use incentives for people who share your content. You can use things like free software, free downloads, or other free products. Get creative. This can not only help drive traffic to your site, but will also get your customers engaged with your product and will hopefully have them coming back for more.
29) Share your circles
With Google Plus, you can share your circle with your followers, who can then add the rest of the circle to their circle. Encourage your followers to do the same, and you will automatically be presented to more people within the same social sphere.
30) Host a Hangout
Hangouts are Google’s response to video chatting and conferencing. You can interact with your friends, family, and followers. Up to 10 people can join the Hangout, and if you check the box that says “Enable Hangouts on Air”, your hangout will be broadcast live to the rest of your followers.
Google Plus can be a great tool for business and personal use. Hopefully you’ve found some good tips here that you can use to increase your own presence on Google Plus!