I have said in the past that I don’t think that Google+ is ready for primetime for most meeting and event marketers and to be honest, I still feel that way but as the song says, the times may be a changing as new services roll out for the Social Networking giant. Some of the new additions include Google+ Events and others but they are not the reason that we are here. Today, we just want to make Google+ a little easier to use.
I want to be crystal clear about my feelings; Just because I think that Google+ is not relevant, it is the now that I am talking about. I certainly think that it will come into its own at some point, especially since teenagers seem to be leaving Facebook and where they end up just might be Google+ and if this happens, you will be using it a lot more as the masses follow.
I mean it when I say that you should always secure your event’s page on any social network, even if you grab it and let it sit idle.
Why not Google+?
One of the reasons that Google+ is a tough sell for event marketers is the fact that it is hard to share things on Google+ Pages. With you personal profile, you can just hit the plus one button on most websites and with Pages, you have to copy a link, log into your Google+ account, switch to your page and then copy the link and write it up.
What a pain in the ass.
Fixing the Sharing Problem
I am not sure if it is new, but if you use the Google Chrome browser (and you should… get away from Internet Explorer, just back away), there is a simple ChromeExtension called, without humor, Share On Google Plus Page.
This is how to get it up and running and use this little extension to make your marketing job easier.
First, open Chrome and click this link.
You will be here:
Now, you want to add this extension to Chrome and it will show up in your bookmarks toolbar with the little Google+ Logo.
Now it is time to add your page
Your own Google+ account is already added if you are logged in, you have to manually add your Google+ Page(s). This is an easy and straight forward process.
Grab Your Google+ Pages ID
First, you need to get your Page ID. Simply open a new browser tab and visit your Page. This is where you find your ID.
Click on the icon and choose Define Google+ Pages
Enter the name of the page and the Google+ ID number.
Once you enter this information, save and close and off you go.
Now, when you visit a webpage you want to share on your Google+ Page, simply click this icon, write your thoughts and hit the share button. You will be +1 ing as your page, not your profile, saving you bunches of time and perhaps making you actually use your Google+ Page.
The Future
In time, Google+ will be available on services like Buffer, but for now, this little stop gap solution may be just what you need to get you using your page. Rest assured, Google+ use will be become more and more prevalent as time marches on so it will pay to be ready when the time comes to go full tilt.
