Make use of the image space that Google has given you
Too many businesses opt to retain the bubbly, non-descript banner that sits at the head the page. However, this is the first visual encounter the customer will have your brand on this page and it’s important to make the most of it. Most companies opt for a static banner but here, unlike a Facebook fan page you have the option of producing an animated banner.To gif or not to gif?
Now, these can be amazing and a showcase for the kind of innovation your company prides itself upon, or it can look incredibly behind-the-times and cheesy. The best way to judge what kind of banner you should utilise is the same advice you should follow whenever you’re making something new for your business – ask yourself is this representative of my brand? Don’t try and be something you’re not for the sake of novelty – if your brand is classic and austere, you’re not going to want to throw a gif party all over your Google+ page. It’s also worth remembering that although gifs work amazingly well on somewhere like Tumblr, the nature of Tumblr means that it is ever-scrolling, constantly renewing. A Google+ is a more static entity and so you have to think about whether you want to watch the same 3 second animation on an infinite loop, especially if the cut back to the beginning is visually jarring. Think slow, subtle movements, things that won’t confuse or irritate the eye.Optimise EVERYTHING
Ah, SEO, our old friend. Although Google+ is a powerful tool when it comes to directing traffic to your business, it’s still important to follow the basic principles of search optimisation. Make sure you write your ‘About’ text with the keywords that a customer might use to search for your business in mind. A good way to ascertain this is to check the analytics of your business’s main website and see how people have found you in the past. Of course, Google is even censoring keywords so that other analytics sites cannot reveal how users used google to get to you. For this reason, it’s worth using Google Analytics as well, although the extent to which Google is forcing its users into accepting its monopoly is rather troubling. However that is a post for another time. It’s also worth remembering that Google privileges all the text in the title and first sentence of any given post on Google+, so even if you’re writing the most inconsequential update, be sure to think carefully about the wording of the first thought.Update little and often, using the 80/20 rule
To maintain a presence on Google+, it’s important to actually use the thing. Make your updates sparing, highly visual and make sure wherever possible to directly address interested parties, even those that don’t yet follow you – a Google notification that you’ve been mentioned is often all that some people need to check your business out and add you to their circle. The 80/20 rule is 80% on message, on-brand posting and 20% silliness, spontaneity and things that don’t pertain directly to the brand. Keeping this ratio keeps your followers engaged, surprised and shows the human face of your business. Having fun is key in this and indeed all things. Good luck.Kelly Clay in site-reference.com
How to Spruce Up and Optimise Your Company’s Google+ Profile: a Guide for Beginners