Google+ is taking off like wildfire.  Within just a few weeks, it has amassed over 10 million users.  What is even more important for you to know as a business owner, is the level of engagement on Google+.  People are not just liking and commenting on pictures.  Users on Google+ are having real conversations and engaging in incredible numbers.

Google is taking a fresh look at the way it plans on delivering value to businesses that sign up for Google+.  The big issue with Facebook is unless you have over 500 fans on your page, you really aren’t getting a lot of bang for your investment.  Very low engagement, users don’t feel they need to come back to see what’s new, and for the most part the pages are there to show you have a presence on Facebook.  From everything I have seen to date on Google+, small to medium sized business will see great engagement and massive benefits from being on Google+.

Google recently released a sample of what a Google+ for Business page may look like.  The design is fresh, the ideas are unique, and the power is definitely going to be there.  Remember, some businesses owners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for Search Engine Optimization Experts to help them achieve better rankings on Google.  This is a chance for you as a business owner to let Google know exactly who you are, who works with you, and who your customers are.

Google Plus Business Page

Looking at the numbers

Lets look a little deeper at the hard numbers.  Google+ has 10 Million users after only a few weeks.  It is still an invite only system and not open to the general public and not available in all locations that Facebook is available.  Google+ now has over One Billion items shared and received every single day.  That’s a lot of people sharing things they like with each other, and engaging in conversations.  Lastly, the Google+1 button is now being served over 2.3 Billion times per day.  When you add the fact that Larry Page recently reported that Google’s Android is now seeing over half-a-million smartphones per day, you start to see where my predication of Google+ Reaching 1 Billion Users faster than anything we have ever seen.

A massive opportunity

Google started the online advertising phenomena.  After Google, nearly every other platform, including facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and many others, have tried to copy their methods and algorithms. You can bet Google+ will become an advertisers dream.  Marketers will be all over how they can leverage their business pages, and target their ads to get higher quality clicks and visitors to their pages.  Microsoft understands the importance of understanding the user end-to-end.  This is why they have partnered with Facebook since the beginning.  Facebook has shut Google out.  Google’s only option left was to try and create their own Social Platform and succeed.  And succeed they have.

A new world

In the new world of transparency, instant communication, and the age of the consumer, it has never been more important for businesses to embrace change and become Socially Naked.  Those that do will flourish in the new economy.