Before I offer some Google+ strategies for specific businesses, let’s talk about why your fans are getting sick of your Facebook and Twitter Pages. There is a big difference between an incredible brand and incredible social media. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because a page has a massive following that their social media is all that exciting to their followers.
Initially, social media was an opportunity for brands to show a little personality and interact directly with their customers. But just like anything else, brands went from not having a clue how to do that to perfecting it to the point that everyone follows the same formula and posts are starting to look remarkably similar. Don’t believe me? Take a look at posts about the 2012 Olympics by some top brands.
Olympics Facebook Posts
Don’t get me wrong, some brands still feature a unique social media persona. Applebee’s Lunch Decoy is pretty darn clever and show’s a sense of humor you don’t always see on brand pages. But just for fun, visit a handful of Facebook pages and count how many times you see the following posts from the past week: Caption Contest, Fill in the Blank, Open-Ended (but mundane) question, sweepstakes, or the celebration of a weird holidays like National Cheesecake, Chocolate, or Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Retailers are especially guilty of falling into a routine of formulaic posts that get plenty of Likes and Comments, but more so because the brand itself is so beloved – not because the content itself is all that interesting. As you read through brand posts, start asking yourself, “If this was a small no name brand, would anyone respond to this content?”
In a weird sort of way, these are the types of posts that fans have come to expect on Facebook. They’re easy to Like and comment on and there’s an unending stream of sweepstakes and contests. Unfortunately, they’re also easy to tune out after a while when you see the same repetitive content in your News Feed.
Google+ is an opportunity to return to the foundation of what draws your clients and customers into Social Media Marketing in the first place – Authenticity and transparency. In my opinion, exclusivity is key to Google+ strategy. Offer an experience that fans and potential followers can’t get on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or your website. One strategy is to remove the veil to reveal a behind-the-scenes look at your business, your products, your employees, and more.
Tomorrow’s blog will offer some industry specific strategies and content ideas that you can start implementing on your G+ Page right away.
This blog is part of a week long Google+ series. To read more about G+, choose any of the blogs below:
Teresa Zazenski 