Google+: Using it in the Non-Profit World

Post by Kevin Volz, WI Media Manager & Writer

Google sites attract more than 1 billion visitors worldwide each month. Google hopes that their new social network, Google+, will become the core of all Google pages. Google+ offers context, content, and convenience for all its users. For instance, if you already use Gmail, the toolbar at the top of your inbox will show a +Name tab, which will easily take you to your Google+ page. No more logging in, no more having to navigate to a separate site. All of your social media content is available with one simple click.?

Google+ is growing fast. The early adopter numbers for Google+ in its beta period have eclipsed that of both Facebook and Twitter. Google+?s ?+1? button is already on pace to replace Facebook?s ?Like? button.

Google+: What?s the Difference?

One major benefit to Google+ that turns many businesses away from Facebook is that it has a very clean and uncluttered user interface. While it does still require some training to get used to it, Google+ is very easy to use, especially if the user has never used Facebook (our brains are currently trained to think through the clutter on Facebook?in turn, we don?t know how to react to the simplicity of Google+).

Google+ features asymmetric sharing, which is different from both Facebook and Twitter. In Facebook, when you friend someone, you can see their information and they can see yours (unless you create strict privacy settings). In Twitter, when you send out a tweet, everyone who is following you can see it. Google+ is different. In Google+, you pick who you want to see your updates using Circles.

Circles: Divide and Conquer

Circles are Google?s latest segmentation and collaboration tool. Much like Twitter, you can add someone to your Circles without them having to accept or add you back. You also have unlimited Circles that you can custom name yourself, allowing you to place other Google+ users in a Circle (or even multiple Circles). When you type a status or share anything on Google+, you choose which of your circles gets to see the update. This is a great privacy and collaboration tool.

Where Do We Start?

On the non-profit business side, the trail is still yet to be blazed. Google+ will eventually offer business-only pages, but that is still in the very early beta testing stages (not even Nationwide Insurance could secure a page). The best advice I can give is to experiment. Start by assigning one member of your team to be the Google+ ambassador for your company. This person will set up their own Google+ account and update it with work-related topics. While not a business page per se, if this person is a figurehead in your organization, people looking to add to their Circles will know the purpose of the page.

Keep in mind that for your figurehead creating the Google+ page, they will be able to use the page as a personal page and as a business page by using Circles. Always remember to put customers in their own Circle and hide any updates from them that you don?t want them to see.

Consider This

Some questions to think about as your business considers a Google+ page:

• Are a lot of your customers on Google+ already?
• Can your staff be trained to utilize Google+ effectively?
• Until business pages are made available, who do we want to be the figurehead for our Google+ endeavor?

In the non-profit world, being an early adopter of new technology can have its pluses and minuses. The first thing to consider is brand fit. Does being forward-thinking with technology fit your non-profit brand? For instance, if you quickly created a Facebook business page when they were introduced, it may be a good idea to create a Google+ page. If you were hesitant to put your business on Facebook, do not feel the pressure to jump right into Google+. Think of Google+ in the context of your overall business strategy.

Be Social Media Smart

When using Google+, along with all other social media outlets, remember that people feel like businesses are crashing the party. Most people don?t like following businesses on Facebook because they don?t want their news feeds being interrupted by an advertisement. Always remember that you should be trying to add value to your followers? social media experience. Think of your target audience and craft messages that they want to see or read or click.

Stay Ahead of the Pack

Look at your competition. Chances are if they?re on Google+, you should be too. Even in the non-profit world where ?competition? is meaningless, look at those with organizations similar to yours. Keeping up with the Joneses is important in the digital world. Once you fall behind, it may be too hard to catch up.

The future of Google+ is developing as we speak. Recently, Google+ updates now appear in regular Google searches. The search engine optimization potentials are out of this world for Google+. Also, Google plans to utilize Google+ for webinars, video conferencing and screen sharing in the future. These tools will truly make Google+ a hub for any organization.

Are you on Google+ yet? What do you like? What do you dislike?

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Source: http://www.writtenimpact.com/blog/2011/08/google-using-it-in-the-non-profit-world/

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