This document discusses how Google+ can help companies get closer to their customers by addressing some common problems in marketing and customer connections. It outlines issues like impersonal messages, lack of true conversations in comments, recommendations that don't last, and fragmented marketing efforts. Then it presents Google+ solutions like Circles for targeted messaging, Hangouts for real conversations, the +1 button for recommendations when needed, and Google+ Pages to connect all engagements across websites, search, video and mobile to consolidate marketing efforts. Data shows the benefits brands saw in the early adoption of Google+ like increased search performance and over 50% of top brands joining in the first few weeks.
4. The party is only getting bigger 48 hours
of video is
uploaded
to YouTube
every minute
Internal YouTube data 2011
5. And, it’s getting shorter 56%
of DVR owners fast
forward through
commercials
Nielsen 2010
6. But…
Payoff for connecting 77% 90%
has never been greater of brand content trust
is created by recommendations
consumers from people
they know
360i 2009 Nielsen 2009
19. +1 Button
Stand out on Google search with recommendations when you need them
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Intro My name is __________, and I work on _______ for Google. As we’ve looked at how brands connect to people, we’ve realized that there are many parallels with how we connect as people.
It’s hard to connect I started thinking after I went to a party on Friday night. I spoke to 10 different people for 2 minutes each. I didn’t really connect with anyone at it. It’s really difficult to really connect. There are so many people talking; too quickly, too loudly and too often. We get so caught up in the excitement then often forget to really connect. Today's marketing world is no different: As consumers, we are bombarded with so much information that comes too quickly and often the content we receive isn't relevant enough for us to care or share. There are some big lessons for us, as brands if we really want to cut through
The Party is only getting bigger First let’s recognize that the party is only getting bigger. The number of people we engage with is increasing along with the amount of information we’re sharing with them. Each day there is an ever increasing amount of information online. On YouTube alone there are now 48 hours of new video uploaded every minute. It's information overload and its increasing. The party isn’t going to quiet down any time soon.
And, it’s getting shorter. Second, the party is only getting shorter. We have less time to connect. The ubiquity and ease of access to quick communication only fed our need for speed. And as result users have more choice. They can fast forward through your commercials, skip your online ads, and chose whether to click. Only the immediate, the relevant and the valuable cut through.
BUT,If you do connect, the benefits have never been greater Winning isn’t about talking louder or more often. That will never be enough. You need to really connect with your customers. Think about the best conversations you’ve had recently. They are the ones that are two-sided, where people are really listening to each other and excitedto share new experiences and valuable content. Being social savvy in today’s market is about creating the same type of value for your customers. When you do cut through, you have the power to influence the world in ways that you never had before. Think about this. 77% of brand content is created by consumers. This just shows that when people feel connected to brands they love, they are more than happy to join the conversation and share. And this advocacy drives your bottom line. Personal recommendations are the most trusted source of product info - 90% of people trust them. We all know this is true. We trust our friends. And, people are increasingly looking for these recommendations online.
It takes all the Google products that you use and allows you to add the power of identity, relationships and sharing. You give Google the ability to make everything that you do with us even better.
What we’ve heard When building Google+, we identified 4 pain points that prevent people from making these lasting connections.
What we’ve heard Social posts are impersonal Comments aren't conversations Recommendations lack staying power Marketing is fragmented Let’s dive deeper into each of these.
Problem: Messages are impersonal Social interactions online have been, well, awkward. We think sharing on the web can be better. People’s offline relationships are nuanced - we share different parts of ourselves with different people. For brands, social is just a new broadcast medium. Posts are sent to all of a brand’s followers, not the ones most interested. This isn’t the targeted, personalized sharing that digital promises.
Sharing on the web right now is awkward. Sharing on the web is awkward because it doesn’t capture the nuances of people’s relationships - we share different parts of ourselves with different people. For example, I just got back from San Francisco. My answer to “How was my trip?” is going to change based on who is asking. For my mom, I’ll talk about the great dinner I had with my friend Jon. With my friends, I’ll talk about the night out with one too many cocktails. And, with Larry - it will all be about the great presentation I had. Circles brings this same nuanced sharing to the web, so I can share exactly how I want to. And, people are using them - people are sharing 2 - 3x more with Circles than they are publically.
With Circles, you can segment your audience Brands can take advantage of the power of Circles as well. Circles help make sure you getthe right message in front of the right people by breaking your followers into smaller groups to send more customized messages. All of your other marketing programs are very targeted. Why shouldn’t your social posts be?Let’s take an example of a bank that has two audiences - those preparing for retirement and the ones looking for their first mortgage.
So you get the right message in front of the right people I can then post different messages to each audience, making sure the right message gets in front of the right people. For my retirees, I can share retirement saving tips. While for my new homeowners, I can share a mortgage calculator.
Brands are using Circles in cool ways For example, Intel has asked their followers which Circles they want to be into, so their more technical followers can get advanced tips, while press can be kept up-to-date in their Newsroom Circle. go/+pagegallery
Problem: Comments aren’t conversations Another thing we’ve heard is that today’s social engagement still lacks a more personal touch. Comments aren’t real conversations. They can’t capture true emotion the way a wink, smile or frown does in a face to face communication. We’re convinced we can move beyond emoticons and let technology enable true interpersonal connections.
Brands are using Hangouts in really interesting ways We are seeing brands use this in really exciting ways. For example, Macy’s had a hangout where they invited customers to ask questions to fashion bloggers. And, Samsung has been using Hangouts as a customer service tool.
Problem: Recommendations Lack Staying Power Last night I had a buddy in town and wanted to go to this Italian restaurant that my friend Ryan had recommended last week. But, for the life of me I couldn’t remember it. How many times has that happened to you? It’s hard to find recommendations when you need them most.
+1 button, recommendations when you need them Enter +1 button, which shows recommendations when people need them most. For example, wouldn’t it be great if I could have searched on Google for Italian restaurants in NYC and seen my friends recommendations there. In that sense, the +1 button really works for you. We launched the +1 button in March, taking our core competency, search, and made it personal.
These recommendations can drive an increase in ad performance By linking all of your +1’s with your page, you increase the chance that people will have a friend that recommends you, which is one way to increase performance of the ads you already have with Google. We are seeing meaningful increases in click-through-rates across the board on search ads with +1’s. And, clicks represent consumer interest, driving customers back to your site and to your stores. We’re working hard to create case studies that we can publicly share on how +1 increases CTR. For now, we are using seller ratings as a proxy. Seller ratings, the start recommendation system that you can see under certain retailers typically show a 20% increase in CTR. Imagine what adding your friends’ faces would do.
The +1 button has become the fastest growing social sharing widget in history. As a result, the +1 button is being used by brands and businesses across the globe. The button now appears over 5B times per day across over 1M sites across the web. Nexus, Dell, Nordstrom, Best Buy, Pepsi, and many more have already begun earning +1s.
Problem: Marketing is fragmented Social is a core human behavior, not a destination, yet social marketing is treated as a separate channel that is not connected to the rest of your online marketing. Less than 25% of marketers integrate social into their search or display campaigns. This limits the power of what you are doing in social
Google+ Page: Your Brand’s Identity on GoogleAt the heart of Google+ for your business is your Google+ page. This is your brand’s identity on Google.
Connect all your +1’s across the webBeforethe introduction of Pages, users were only able to recommend your individual web pages or ads. There was no way to recommend your brand as a whole. But today, we are beginning the process of centralizing all the recommendations -- which we call +1’s -- your business receives with Google. All your +1’s -- on your ads, search results, web pages, and Google+ Page - will be combined into one number. This mean that +1’s live beyond any one campaign. Your Page is an extension of your brand’s identity on the web. This allows you to extend the reach of your brand’s recommendations to all of the people come to Google everyday.
In summary So, we’ve identified five key ways brands connecting today can be improved: Circles let you target your messages to the right peopleHangouts helps you move from comments to real conversations with your customers The +1 button helps your business be recommended when it matters most, which can improve the performance of your ads. Your Google+ Page helps you have a single identity for your brand that unifies your online marketing.
Google+ Has Momentum Google+ is off to a great start. Google+ is the fastest growing site ever with over 90M users. Billions of items are shared everyday. Over 50% of the top 100 brands got on the platform in the first few weeks. We hope that you will join them.