learner’s permit
What You
Need to
Know About…
Creating a
Google+
Business Page
AT FIRST GLANCE, Google+ might just
look like a fun way to share links
and photos and to video chat with
friends. But the Google+ business
page feature can be an important
marketing tool for your company.
The Google+ business pages,
which look similar to Facebook
pages, are easily searchable. Through
Google+ Direct Connect, clients and
prospects can immediately visit your
Google+ business page by typing
the name of your business into the
Google search bar and putting the
“+” before your company name. For
example, typing +MyBusinessName
in the search box would take you
directly to the MyBusinessName
Google+ page.
Here we outline how to create a
business page on Google+. As with all
social media, it is important to check
with your compliance department
before using Google+ for your
business.
Getting Started
Visit www.google.com/+/business/
10 | planadviser Illustration by Nathan Huang
and click the blue button “Create your
Google+ page” to begin creating your
page. In order to create this page,
you must have an individual Google+
account, which you can sign up for at
http://plus.google.com.
If you do not have an individual
profile, your next step is to create one.
You will be prompted to link your
Google+ business page to a Gmail
account. It is recommended to link
the profile to a business-controlled
Gmail account, rather than a personal
account.
Next, pick an appropriate category
and start adding your information.
The categories are Local Business or
Place; Product or Brand; Company,
Institution or Organization; Arts,
Entertainment or Sports; and Other.
This function allows businesses to
distinguish themselves and enables
users to search faster by categories.
After choosing a general category,
you can fill in your company name
and website address, as well as
your industry. You will also see a
section notifying you that “Your page
will be publicly visible. Its content
is appropriate for…” Select the
appropriate category (e.g., any Google+
user, users 18 and older). You will also
be asked if you want to be informed
of future Pages releases and other
relevant information.
Customizing Your Business Profile
Click “Create” and you will be
prompted to customize your business
profile. You can add a tagline or
upload a profile photo (from your
computer or Picasa Web albums).
Once you complete this, Google+ will
prompt you to share your business
page with your various Google+
circles.
Remaining Active on Your Page
A Google+ page provides a highly
public face for your company, which
is why it is important to regularly
share fresh and interesting content,
and to quickly respond to comments
on your page. Treat your Google+
business page the way you would
treat your company’s website or any
social networking site—by remaining
active and engaged. —Corie Russell
