Google+’s new +Post ads – which were introduced in Beta to some huge brands at the end of 2013 and yesterday were opened up to all brands with 1000 or more Google+ followers – are something of a revolution, combining social media advertising and native advertising together into one. This innovative approach allows Pay-Per-Engagement which could be a game changer when it comes to extending your reach and growing your following.
It was only a matter of time before social media newbie Google+ followed in the footsteps of more established networks like Facebook and Twitter and launched advertising opportunities, but that’s about where the similarities end. Google+’s new +Post ads – which were introduced in Beta to some huge brands at the end of 2013 and yesterday were opened up to all brands with 1000 or more Google+ followers – are something of a revolution, combining social media advertising and native advertising together into one.
So, how do they work? +Post ads are available through Google’s AdWords service and utilise their existing Display Network, which encompasses millions of websites from around the globe. Instead of embedding text or a banner into the advertising slots on these sites, with +Post ads you can embed your Google+ page’s updates, complete with +1ing, commenting and sharing functionality.
Why +Post Ads Are Awesome for Google
Aside from the obvious (money!), Google+ also stands to benefit from engagement with the network. They have been criticised repeatedly in the past for skewing statistics to make it seem like they have more active users than they really do, so increasing engagement is surely high on Google+’s list of priorities.
With +Post ads, even if a user doesn’t visit their Google+ news feed regularly, they will now still see Google+ content all over the web. And because they can engage with the post then and there, without having to click through to Google+, they’re more likely to do so.
In addition, by requiring brands to have 1000+ followers to use +Post ads, Google+ are giving brands with fewer followers yet another reason to up their engagement with the network in a bid to boost their follower count.
Why +Post Ads Are Awesome for You
With almost every blog, online magazine and news site now littered with advertisements, brands have fallen victim to consumer ‘banner blindness’ – meaning that many of them simply ignore anything that looks like an advert.
+Post ads offer brands a solution – rather than sharing an advert, you’re sharing content. If you craft your Google+ post well and target it at the right sites, it will enhance the content already on the page and it won’t look like advertising either, so people are more likely to take notice of it.
As I’ve mentioned above, +Post ads are fully interactive so users won’t even have to leave the website they’re on in order to leave a comment or share the post with their network, meaning you’ll see increased levels of engagement.
You’ll also likely gain new Google+ followers as people notice your content that don’t regularly go to Google+, or would never have searched for your brand on there otherwise.
Why +Post Ads Are Awesome for Consumers
Consumers don’t want to read your self-promotional advertisements; they want to read great content. They go to blogs, magazines and news sites to be informed or entertained, and if you’re doing +Post ads the right way your update is going to be doing just that. The consumer will get genuine additional value from reading it.
Plus of course, we all like fun, interactive things and an advert that you can ‘like’ or comment on is something of a novelty right now – all the more reason for your brand to jump on +Post ads early!
How Can You Make the Most of This Opportunity?
+Post ads are a fantastic opportunity for every brand already running PPC advertisements, and even those who’ve never used them before but are willing to give them a go. Here’s what you should be doing to maximise the benefit +Post ads can offer you:
- Start early – first things first, don’t delay getting started. If +Post ads are as successful as I’m predicting they will be, it may not be long until websites everywhere are flooded with these interactive ads and the novelty wears off with consumers. Get in there quick before your competitors do!
- Increase engagement – if you’ve only dabbled with Google+ to date (or you’re yet to even set up a page) you’ll need to step up your efforts on the network to hit that 1000-follower threshold and unlock access to +Post ads. If you’re struggling to build engagement and followers on Google+, we can help.
- Create some great content – in order to maximise potential engagement, you don’t want to share just any old update in a +Post ad. For the highest interaction and website traffic, make sure you have some fantastic on-site content that you can share in the Google+ post you’ll be embedding. We can help you to create this content too.
To find out more about Google+ +Post ads, check out Google’s own guide or Eran Arkin’s announcement on the roll out yesterday.