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Only two months ago, we reported that Google+ was growing but not yet expected to be a major contender against Facebook.  In that short amount of time, Google+ traffic has increased 55% and some estimate they will have 400 million users by the end of 2012.  That certainly seems like game-changing information.

As we mentioned in our last post, two of the best reasons to use Google+ are: Circles (allowing you to pick and choose who sees certain content) and Hangouts (video chat between you and certain customers or friends).  In addition, Google+ allows you to create saved keyword searches so that you can easily search for users who may be talking about your industry.  You can also use their “View Ripple” tool to see how your content is being shared or talked about.  Using Google+ can also give your website an SEO boost.  If you place +1 buttons on your product pages and blog, it allows people to easily promote your website and products for you. 

There are a few things of which to be aware if you decide to enter the Google+ ring.  First off, Brand Pages are tied to one single individual Google+ account.  You cannot add admins to pages at this point.  This means that if you are not administering your page yourself, you will need to give your employees your log-in information in order for them to manage the page.  Second, although Google+ is growing, Facebook and Twitter are still King and Queen.  At this point, you may not see the benefit of managing an additional social media site if everyone on Google+ is also on either Facebook or Twitter already.  Finally, at this time, Business Pages can only add other Business Pages to their circles.  Until they can add individuals, growth for those pages remains somewhat small.

Again, while Google+ may be growing as a social media site, it does not yet appear to be a requirement for social business.  We will continue to monitor its growth and let you know if our opinion changes. 

In the meantime, have you used Google+?  Do you use it for personal or business purposes?  If you are not yet there, are you considering it?  We would love to hear your opinion!