What the New Google+ Mobile App Additions Mean to Small Business Owners

Google+ just won’t sit still. If you haven’t taken advantage of the platform yet, now is definitely a good time to start. With today’s relaunch of the Google+ mobile apps for iPhone and Android, it’s gotten even easier to let customers and clients keep tabs on your day to day, and give them a glimpse of the faces that make your company work.

While the redesigned apps actually cover a lot of ground, there are four updates in particular that Google wants to you know about. Here’s what they mean for you.

Photo editing within the Google+ app itself just got a lot easier. With instagram style options, plus basic crop, rotate and contrast tools, it’s easy to turn a quick snapshot into something worth sharing.

New photo editing options
So what?

Encourage your employees to ‘brag’ in pictures about their accomplishments, even if it takes a minute out of the workflow. If your electricians replace an electrical panel, turn it into a before & after. If your chef comes up with an awesome special of the day, get a picture online. If you take pride in your work, let it show.

Better interactivity for posts

Regular user posts will now show more text content on the feed, attached media just became easier to access, and comment/reshare options are now more prominent.
So what?

The real goal of this, for Google, was to get each post in front of more people. That means that any special offers will also go that much further. Because the line between companies and people is thinner on Google+ than Facebook, you can even experiment with posting directly from your personal account.

New Current Location features

Users now have the option to broadcast their current, live location to their circles of choice.
So what?

It’s unclear just how much potential this one has, since people tend to be paranoid about giving out this kind of information, but it’s a great opportunity for high-impact conversions. If you’re in a brick and mortar business, try reaching out to fans who are in the neighborhood with personalized, one-to-one offers. Those kinds of experiences can earn lifelong customers.

Mobile Community Controls

Community managers now have the ability to invite people to communities from their mobile devices, reshare items, and a whole lot more.
So what?

While there are definitely ways of creating fan communities around your business and products, this one has all sorts of potential for marketing abuse. Expect to see plumbing companies setting up fan communities that repost plumbing-related articles nonstop, and never get more than a dozen followers.

Instead, consider creating and using Google+ communities for your own interests and hobbies, even if they have nothing to do with your business. There is nothing wrong with an insurance broker connecting with other fans of charcoal grilling, or an interior designer setting up a group for winery hoppers. Worst case scenario, you’ll make a few new connections, maybe meet a few potential clients, and perhaps even find a few good friends.

To learn more about the new Google+ mobile additions, see the Oringal Post.