Google+ is a social network that allows users to connect with others through asymmetric relationships, where one can follow others without being followed back. Launched in 2011, it offers features such as profile creation, circles for organizing contacts, and video chat through Hangouts, making it appealing for social selling. While it has benefits like targeted marketing through Sparks and easy consolidation of followers, there are concerns about existing competition and the potential for low engagement if the platform doesn't gain traction.

1. Google+ for Social SellingBy Social Selling University

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3. Google+ is a Social NetworkRelationships on Google+ are asymmetric, which means you can follow people who don’t have to follow you back. Users get a profile, a news stream, the ability to follow topics they are interested in (Sparks), create groups of friends (Circles), interact with them through video chat (Hangouts). What is Google+?

4. Released on July 7, 2011Already, more than 1 billion items are shared and received per day Over 10 million active (took FourSquare 2 years to reach)The Skinny on Google+The Rising Tide of Social Media: 1 out of every 6 minutes spent online is spent on social networks

5. Praise“Decided to forward kevinrose.com to Google+. G+ gives me more (real time) feedback and engagement than my blog ever did.” –Kevin Rose; Founder of Digg“There’s a reason why Google calls this a “project” rather than a “product” – they don’t want people to think of this as the final product, but as a constantly-evolving entity that permeates every corner of the Google empire.” –MashableWorries"You introduce Google+, where am I going to spend that next minute or hour of my discretionary time? I have no more time.” –Jeff Weiner; CEO of LinkedInWhen it comes to social networking, Google finds itself in an unusual position, one that its competitors in Web search know all too well: playing catch-up with a service that dominates the market.” – New York TimesThe Skinny on Google+

6. Google+ can be accessed through http://m.google.com/plusStep 1: Setup a Google ProfileIf you haven’t been invited, you won’t be able to use it yetIf you have, use your Gmail address to create a profileInput all of the necessary informationGetting Started

7. Step 2: Upload PhotosYou will then be asked to integrate your Picasa photo albums into your Google+ profile The same security settings will apply where only your friends will have access to view it (might want to still go through it)Getting Started

8. Step 3: Add Friends and CirclesAdd everyone you know and potential sales leads as well.Google+ only allows you to import Hotmail or Yahoo! contacts. Your Gmail contacts will already be listedConsolidate friends, sales leads, targeted audiences into the Circles tabGetting Started

9. Step 4: PROMOTE!You can do this several waysMake posts on Google+ to get people familiar with your businessAdd Google+ button to your website - Google has actually added Google Plus stats in your Webmaster Tools account so you can see the the analytics to your buttonEngage in conversations with other Google+ members and drop your business name and what it’s all aboutGetting Started

10. What can your business profile look like?Example PagesGoogle+ Asks Businesses to Wait…“The business experience we are creating should far exceed the consumer profile in terms of its usefulness to business. We just ask for your patience while we build it.” Christian Oestlien, Google+ Product Manager

11. The Pros and Cons of Google+for Social Selling

12. Pros: Easy to Consolidate FollowersOne of the biggest headaches of Facebook is arranging followers into specific groups to reach out to Google+’sCircles is a the easiest system on the market to share posts with specific targeted groupsGreat way to keep in touch with clients and share relevant information with them instantly and privately through Circles

13. Pros: Video Chat Best rated feature of Google+Hangouts lets up to 10 users simultaneously video chat with each otherVideo chat options provide a great opportunity for businesses to connect directly with customersGroup video chats offer great opportunities to conduct exclusive workshops or to roll out exclusive promotions to VIP customers

14. Pros: SparksPerhaps the most useful of all Google+’sfeatures is SparksAllows users to suggest news stories, videos, photos, and more to specific users or Circles rather than automatically posting it to everyone This allows for targeted marketing opportunities by focusing on those users who would find your content most useful

15. Cons: Too Many Social Network StreamsAlready a huge amount of people on other social media networks and it could be a potential waste of effort if Google+ does not catch onYou would need to completely rebuild your social network from scratch – not all of potential sales may be on Google+

16. If you’re trying to get maximum exposure for your product, Google+ may not be the right way to go due to:Too much noise - Top of the stream gets jammed with too much informationPosts are pushed to the top whenever there’s a new commentCollapsing posts with long comment threads– your post may disappear quicklyCons: Too much Noise

17. Unlike Facebook, Google+ does not have a feature that allows you to “blast messages”Cons: Tough Reaching Your Targeted AudienceIt is also still early in the developments and unclear on how easy it is to find people you don’t knowWould cause an exceptional amount of effort to find people and reach out to them one at a time

18. DMention people in your posts by adding + or @in front of their name. Clicking the +1 button on a post is the same as “like” on Facebook.Send Private messages to people by only sharing your post with them, disable reshare. You can add photos, videos, or links to your posts by dragging links directly to the share box. aAdd Some Flare Google+ Tips and Tricks*Word* = Word_Word_ = Word-Word- = WordHotkeys:Space = Scroll down StreamShift Space= Scroll up StreamJ = Single post down scrollK = Single post up scrollQ = jump to chatReturn = Start CommentTab, Return = End Comment

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