Take a look at some quick stats: Facebook has over 1 billion users; You Tube has over 1 billion active users; and Google+ now has over 1 billion accounts with 359 million active users - Twitter has over 550 million accounts with 215 million active users. Just reviewing these numbers can give you a spot-on idea of where Google Plus stands in the social media slipstream - they are right in there with the heavy hitters and no longer on the sidelines. While the numbers for active audience might not be in the stratosphere for Google Plus, the number of people who use products and interact socially during a given month is in excess of 500 million - that is significant.
This is really important to know and understand because leaving individual platforms out of the equation in your social media marketing campaign stands to leave you with a big gap. One of the differences with Google Plus is that is helps visitors interact with more touch points available. Things like You Tube are available, and even how things show up in Google search results. When you perform a Google search while also logged in to your Google Plus account, you will see significant differences in the results including how your content is ranked. You might have posted blog content today, and you know that it usually take a little while for that new content to post toward the top of the search results, but marketing with Google Plus is different. It connects the dots between a search and your presence as a Google Plus member then displays content that makes the connection - it is shared by an account that is followed.
The more followers you get on Google Plus, the more easily your content will show up in their search results. Suddenly marketing is far easier than ever before. Your content can rank right up at the top quicker the more followers you have or the more people logged into any Google account connecting via Gmail or other apps. Of course, you need to have viewers doing some rating as well - generally known as +1'ing, but also included are shares and comments. Viewers have to be engaged with your content on some level regularly to have it ranked consistently higher in their feeds. And here is where it gets really interesting - the more viewers are tweeting about you or liking your Facebook page, or sharing posts, the more likely it will be that your content ranks higher for marketing as well.
It is all about combination - putting together the elements that work together seamlessly and boost your business. The way Google Plus works is significantly different enough that you should definitely pay attention and get encircled.