Google+ Allows Businesses to Reach Outside of Their Circles

Kristin Lesko - January 29, 2013

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.