Google+ may be No. 2 to the almighty Facebook, but there are still notable reasons for agents to consider using for their real estate business.
Facebook is the most widely used social medium on the planet, and we’ve written numerous times about the benefits of using it for your real estate business.
But what about Google+, the younger, more hip kid on the social media block? What are the benefits to using that for real estate? Though it may lack the Hollywood movies and name recognition, Google+ is still a very valid consideration for your social media needs. Here are five reasons why:
1. Google+ is still quite popular – Sure, Facebook is No. 1, but there are 343 million active users on Google+ right now, and last time we checked, that’s still a pretty big number! Therefore, from a simple mathematical perspective, it makes sense to at least dabble in Google+.
2. Google+ is very SEO ready – Facebook may be No. 1 in social media, but Google is the most used website on the planet, and its most recognizable search engine. And, by sheer coincidence, Google+ is designed to work more effectively with Google searches! Every public post on Google+ is indexed for SEO, so you’ll have an immediate leg-up on Facebook posts for Google searches.
3. Google+ and YouTube are simpatico – Google also owns YouTube, and the mighty video site now requires all its users to have a Google+ account. Though that may seem inconvenient, it’s golden if you use YouTube effectively (as we repeatedly write) and upload videos, because they will now seamlessly blend with your Google+ account.
4. Google+ Hangouts are great – “Hangouts” is a unique feature to Google+ that allows users to host free Web conferences with fellow users, and it can be easily incorporated into any real estate business. From virtual tours of new listings, to weekly conferences on staging tips and the appraisal process, Hangouts can be a great way for you to interact with clients.
5. Google+ features reviews – We’ve written before about the necessity of online reviews for agents, and every Google+ account actually features a “Reviews” tab, where real estate agents can collect testimonials from past clients; it’s so perfect for agents, in fact, that it’s as if Google had them in mind when adding the feature!