Google+ Circles allow businesses to group Google+ users into different Circles, so they can share certain things with particular groups. Once a G+ user has added a business’ page to their own Circle, they will start to see that business’ posts in their stream. Then that business will be able to add them back, group them into a Circle, and post comments on that G+ user’s page.

Recently, however, the rules of engagement in Google+ have changed. Businesses can now interact with G+ users who haven’t circled them on Google+ yet. What does this mean for companies? Well, from a marketing perspective, it means they can now cast a wider net to reach potential customers. For example, if a G+ user writes a post on their personal page raving about a local restaurant, that restaurant can then respond to that comment and it will show up live in the stream.

Conversely, if someone writes a negative comment about a business, that business has the opportunity to respond. While it opens the door for businesses to engage with potential or current customers — whether they like it or not – it also opens the door for spam. But if businesses use it wisely, it could help brands increase their following on Google+ — along with their customer base.

Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has become an invaluable resource for those on the job hunt, from recent graduates to professionals of any age. However, if you think that this social media platform is nothing more than a job board, you’re missing out on the largest professional network on the Internet (a pretty big space to dominate, if you ask us). With 187 million members around the world, including executives from all 2012 Fortune 500 companies, and 2.6 million companies with Company Pages, LinkedIn is no longer riding on the social media bandwagon. It’s driving the car. Read on to find out how your company can capitalize on its momentum.

• Create a Company Page. If you already have a personal profile on LinkedIn, you know how useful the platform can be for networking. When you create a Company Page, it not only allows you to connect with existing colleagues, but it also allows you to promote your business to potential customers. To best leverage your Company Page, write compelling, keyword optimized copy for the “Overview” and “Services” tabs, which are opportunities to “sell” your brand and its service lines to potential customers. And don’t forget to include a call-to-action, such as directing customers to your company website for more information.

• Participate in Group Discussions. Through your personal profile, you can join Groups and participate in discussions. This is the perfect opportunity to get involved in conversations about your industry – and to direct other participants to your company’s white papers, blog posts or articles related to the topic at hand. This “thought leadership” will reinforce your brand’s credibility as an industry expert.

• Respond to Questions in LinkedIn “Answers.” Another way that you can build credibility for your brand on LinkedIn is by answering questions posted by other LinkedIn users. For example, if someone is thinking about switching auto insurance companies, and you work for an auto insurance agency, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump in and let them know about the auto insurance rate comparison tool on your company’s homepage or to offer to email them a quote directly.

• Drive traffic to your website. This past July, LinkedIn released its new design, which, not surprisingly, looks strikingly similar to that of Facebook and Google+. There is also a lot of overlap in regard to the available features, such as wall posts that users can “Like,” “Comment” on or “Share.” These posts allow you to address timely news and events, promote a product or service line you offer or ask an engaging question to your audience.

Already have a Company Page? Contact MoreVisbility to maximize your efforts and create a more effective page that speaks to your target audience.

Although the social media platform Pinterest appears to have been an overnight success in mid-2011, it’s really been four years in the making, according to an article on Yahoo Finance. Ben Silbermann, one of Pinterest’s founders and a former Google employee, was the visionary behind the virtual pinboard that flopped before it flourished. Silbermann’s original vision was an iPhone app called Tote that pulled data from multiple online product catalogs into one, meta catalogue for shoppers. Users could find products from multiple retailers in one place, and search by location. When the app didn’t achieve the success he had hoped, Silbermann observed that the people who were using the app were sending themselves images of the products they liked and collecting them. He eventually realized that people weren’t searching for a specific product by name. They were searching by category. And hence, it evolved into an idea that made $37 million in 2011 alone.

So what does this mean for platforms like Facebook and Twitter that have already carved out a hefty piece of the social media pie? Well, according to research from a Compete Online Shopper Intelligence Survey, one in four consumers report that they are spending less time on other social media sites in favor of Pinterest. It’s becoming more than just a place where people go to show off their MacGyver-like craft skills (although they can do that there, too). It’s a place that’s driving purchasing decisions. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed reported purchasing a product or service after searching for it on Pinterest.

In the last year, Pinterest has grown from 700,000 unique visitors to nearly 20 million, which is about half the number of Twitter’s unique visitors. They’ve even tapped into an audience that wasn’t previously engaged in social media. Fifteen percent of users on Pinterest reported that they do not use any social media sites. It’s become a place where people go to find excursions in Costa Rica, the perfect recipe for a seven-layer cheese dip, inspiration for wedding invitations, the right outfit for a big interview, or step-by-step instructions of how to expand your closet, without bringing your house down with it.

If you can dream it, you can find it. And if you can’t find it, you can pin it.

If you have a company profile page on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or LinkedIn, you’ve taken a step in the right direction by leading the conversation about your brand and engaging with your customers. But what do you do when some of those customers don’t want to play nice? While your first instinct might be to block a customer who writes a negative comment—or worse, write them a huffy response with a few choice words of your own, we’d encourage you to stop for a moment and step away from the keyboard. Although blocking them or retaliating may make you feel better short-term, long-term, you just lost a customer—and you did it in front of your audience. So before you let it all out, take all the information in and read on to find out how you can turn a negative situation into a positive one that will increase your customer’s loyalty to your brand.

Be Prepared
Has the perfect comeback ever come to you about three hours after you actually needed it? We know the feeling. No one likes being caught off-guard, especially when it comes to confrontation. That’s why we advise companies to plan ahead. Based on your industry, think of five to 10 of the most common issues customers might complain about, such as the amount of time a service takes to be completed. You may even want to ask other team members who work with customers on a daily basis to weigh in on complaints that they hear. From there, write a response to each of the criticisms that addresses the concern in a professional manner and offers a next step or plan of action to resolve the problem. Be very cautious about offering free services, products or discounts in your public responses to an unhappy customer, as it may invite unwarranted complaints from other customers just looking for something for free. And you don’t want to be giving out complementary dinners to everyone just because they say their soda was flat the last time they ate at your restaurant.

Respond in a Timely Manner
There is nothing more embarrassing then a negative comment left up on a company’s profile page for days, with no response. Not only does that make it appear like the company doesn’t care about its customers’ concerns, it also may lead a potential customer to believe that the negative statement is valid, and it may not be. In addition, if an outdated negative comment is the first thing a potential customer sees when looking at your company profile page, they might be discouraged from using your services or products in the first place. If possible, a response time of less than 24 hours is ideal, which means that someone must regularly monitor your social media platforms for new activity. On the same token, don’t limit your responses to negative comments only. Reward the positive comments by “Liking” them or responding with a positive comment of your own. Sometimes simply thanking them for their business in response will suffice.

Handle Public Grievances Privately
When someone airs their grievances on a public platform, such as Facebook or Twitter, it’s good to respond to their post or comment once publically so that customers can see that your company did address the issue and try to resolve it. In your response, always give the customer a phone number or email where they can reach someone on your team who can discuss their issues and concerns with them further to reach a resolution. Don’t try to hash it out in back and forth posts on your profile page, always take it behind the scenes after your initial public response. If you’ve responded to the unhappy customer and they still proceed to post negative comments regularly or they use inappropriate language, then you can delete the comments or take it to the next level and block them as a user with a clear conscious.

The most important message to convey with your responses to negative feedback on social media is that your brand handles conflict professionally, addresses the actual problem, tries to resolve it, and is still the best choice for that particular product or service at the end of the day.

There comes a time in every relationship when you have to ask yourself the defining question: “Where is this going?” The same is true when you’re trying to turn Facebook “Likes,” LinkedIn “Connections” and Twitter “Follows” into concrete sales. While you already know the user “Likes” you, what you really want to know is if they’re going to buy what you’re selling. Here are four ways to turn Social Media connections into real-life customers … without getting stuck in the dreaded “Friend” zone.

Brand Your Platforms
Whether you’re on one Social Media platform or eight, it’s important to utilize the opportunity to brand every company profile page with your own signature look/feel. On Facebook, you can upload your company logo as the profile picture or design a custom banner advertising your company’s services for the cover photo. If you’re on Twitter, you can take things a step further and design a “skin” that will then become the background of your Twitter page. While customization options are limited to the functionality capabilities of each Social Media platform, there are still many great ways you can set your page apart from the competition, and point potential customers to your brand.

Balance Self-Promotion with Audience Relevancy
If you’re using Social Media as a marketing tool, you already know the advantages it carries for self-promotion. But if you’re hitting current or potential customers with promotion after promotion, it’s going to come across loud and clear that you have an agenda—and it’s not the same as theirs. Be selective with what you share and make sure it’s relevant to the end-user. “Pin” a great recipe on Pinterest for a party dip, and include your company’s salsa as the main ingredient. Host a “Hangout” on Google+ where you show viewers “How to Make 10 Different Outfits From the Same Five Core Pieces,” all sold at your clothing boutique. The key is to use Social Media as a way to engage with the end-user, not to send them content that’s the equivalent of a print mail piece addressed to “Current Resident.” Get to know them and, in turn, they’ll want to know more about you—and the services your company can provide.

Don’t Stand Them Up
Once you have a captivated audience, pat yourself on the back, but don’t leave them hanging. If you do, they’ll just leave—period. If you suddenly stop posting Tweets on your stock broking company’s Twitter page and potential customers were following you for investment insights, they’ll bring their business elsewhere when they decide to buy. Social Media engagement isn’t a destination, it’s an ongoing activity. So once you achieve your Social Media goal of hitting a certain amount of viewers on your YouTube channel or “Likes” for your Facebook page, don’t rush out to buy a bottle of bubbly (unless you’re going to share). You’ve still got work to do.

Include a Call to Action
Although you don’t want to include “Call Us Today” verbiage in all your posts, you do want to display contact information prominently on your Social Media pages. If I’m watching a video on your yoga studio’s YouTube channel about how to properly execute that tricky “Crow” move and I decide I want to try it out at your studio next Saturday, I’m going to look around that page for contact information. If I can’t find any, I’m probably going to lose interest and move on. And while I may go on to become the best Crow I can be, you just lost a sale that you had in the bag. For maximum ROI, use your Social Media pages to get their attention, keep it and then direct them to the right place to seal the deal.