Google+ and Online Advertising for Small Businesses

The media has been flooded with buzz about the brand new Google+, but what does it really mean for small businesses and online advertising?

Will Google+ really steal Facebook’s crown and dominate social networking? Maybe not, especially considering the uphill battle they face. However, it is clear that Facebook is definitely nervous about the competition and is using any and all means possible to put them down.

Still Google+ is likely to become a formidable force in the social networking arena and become a must for small businesses to include in their online advertising strategies. People already know, love and trust Google and many small businesses are hard wired into it via the apps that they use every day. For many, Facebook just hasn’t made sense in terms of online advertising where Google definitely will. Perhaps you could expect it to be best described as a hybrid space between LinkedIN and Facebook. Plus, once adapted Google+ will certainly make Google an inseparable part of a huge majority of SMEs.

The launch of Google+ is certainly a major concern for new social startups. Those who perhaps thought they had a chance of promoting themselves as a Facebook alternative now have even more competition to battle with.

For other startups there is no doubt that Google+ will be a huge help and likely a great avenue for expanding online advertising, maybe even more profitable than Facebook and Twitter. It will certainly open the door for many new start up opportunities and apps to be developed. However, non-related small businesses will need to be even more careful about allowing themselves to be distracted and devoting their time and resources to yet another social networking platform for their online advertising.

While social media continues to grow and become further intertwined with our lives at every moment, business owners and entrepreneurs cannot let themselves be pulled in too many different directions, testing out new channels which may or may not be profitable. You should absolutely explore new online advertising options, just don’t abandon tried and true marketing methods and essential tools like toll free numbers if you want to keep money coming in the door.