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AN MWW GROUP WHITE PAPER WINTER 2012
GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Google has recently launched a new social
product called Google+.
Initially touted as a “Facebook killer,”
more recent comparisons place it in
competition with services including
LinkedIn and Twitter. While the jury is still
out on its place in the market, we wanted
to make sure that we shared the latest
news about this new social network along
with our thoughts and recommendations.

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
STREAM
The Newsfeed
SPARKS
Recommendation Engine
HANGOUTS
Video Chat Service
GOOGLE+ CONSISTS OF A HANDFUL OF SOCIAL “PRODUCTS” INCLUDING:

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
GOOGLE+ CONSISTS OF A HANDFUL OF SOCIAL “PRODUCTS” INCLUDING:
MESSENGER
Group Texting Service
CIRCLES
A friend management service which
allows easy management of various
personas with different audiences.
PHOTOS

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5
Google+ is similar to other social
networks in that users and businesses
have profiles, are friends with people,
share content and follow other
people’s content through a newsfeed.
One primary differentiator is the ease
of being able to sort your contacts into
different “circles” such as “family,”
“friends,” “work friends,” etc.
While the platform’s initial buzz
indicated that it was a potential rival
to Facebook, the hype and user
activity on the platform has since
subsided and Facebook still remains
vastly ahead in terms of users and
usage. (Facebook boasts about 750
million users, while Google+ has
approximately 45 million, and even
though exact usage statistics aren’t
public, every indication is that users
spend significantly more time on
Facebook.) As the platform continues
to develop, it also positions itself as
competition to LinkedIn and Twitter in
terms of functionality and intent
of use.
MWW believes that the initial buzz
about the platform was due largely
to an early adopter/tech/influencer
echo chamber that caused a level of
chatter disproportionate to its actual
level of general user interest and
penetration. This is backed by the fact
that the amount of public posts has
dropped approximately 41% from July
to September.
WHAT IT IS:

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6
We believe Google+’s unique “Circles” functionality will
be instrumental in how brands target certain messages
to specific audiences…This is a great way to speak
in an appropriate voice to different segmentsofyour
customerbase.
Google has just released Google+
pages for businesses and brands.
This gives consumers an opportunity
to build relationships with the things
they care about, not just the people.
We believe Google+’s unique “Circles”
functionality will be instrumental in
how brands target certain messages
to specific audiences. A brand can
create one circle for highly engaged
fans and another for fans who are less
likely to engage. Thus, the tone of each
message can be customized to target
various Circles, while still remaining
on brand. This is a great way to speak
in an appropriate voice to different
segments of your customer base.
“Hangouts” also have the potential
to be instrumental on brand pages.
Brands can use the video chat feature
to connect with customers on varying
topics. Everything from announcing
new products to live tutorials to online
Q&As with senior executives can be
accomplished.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR BUSINESSES:

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GOOGLE+ OVERVIEW AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION
© MWW GROUP, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7
Given the 45 million sign-ups, the
unique functionality, and the fact that
it’s Google, MWW recommends that
brands devote adequate resources
to building a presence on Google+.
While this requires fresh content and
continued community management,
it is another opportunity to reach
a base of consumers and engage
them around your brand. MWW will
continue to monitor news and provide
counsel as it becomes clearer how
brands and consumers engage with
one another on the platform. The
expectation of consumers is t o find
their most beloved brands on social
platforms, especially on Google+ in
light of the business/ brand page
announcement.
As Google accounts for more than
80% of all search generated traffic
on the internet, Google+ will be
extremely important when it comes
to search engine optimization.
In regards to Google+, there is a
significant search algorithm trust
factor in what is being shared within
the network because of its inherent
anti-spam quality. Google’s access
to information on users based on
their connections, what they share
and what they discuss build a level
of authenticity and authority that
is difficult to measure outside of
the Google ecosystem. Google
tackles this problem through the
development of the +1 share button
which ranks the popularity of online
content but also ties it back to a
Google+ account. Using both Google+
and the +1 button, Google is expected
to rely more on this authentic sharing
and voting on content and factor into
how websites are ranked for any given
key phrase. Ensuring our client web
properties are optimized for Google+
sharing through the +1 button
should be the immediate next step.
A Google+ profile will be essential
in allowing consumers to bucket the
company into appropriate “Circles”
where the brand is most relevant to
their lives and help position clients on
related search keywords.
Early-adopter brands that were quick to use platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
were able to gain valuable learnings and build their fan bases. While there are mixed
indicators as to how successful Google+ will prove to be in becoming a primary
social network, it’s far too early to count Google out.

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We look forward to continuing to work with our clients to
navigate the ever-changing world of social media and, as
always, we will keep our clients posted on new updates as
soon as we receive them.
MWW is excited about the changes
that are coming and see this as a
tremendous opportunity to increase
visibility for brands across the
platform. Google+’s continued changes
will give brands new opportunities
to cultivate real and engaging
relationships with consumer for many
years to come.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
David Herrick
Chief Operating Officer
212.704.9727 | dherrick@mww.com
Mitzi Emrich
Chief Social Media Strategist
646.837.9418 | memrich@mww.com
MWW Group
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