Google+ is Google's foray into the social media realm. It comes as no surprise that Google would want a piece of the pie - one filled with revenue potential of obscene proportions. And Google's entry into the market is a seamless transition considering how well they built their infrastructure to add on a limitless amount of components. They certainly knew that longevity would come by adapting and capitalizing on trends.

In fact, Google is now more the "trend setter" due to their visionary philosophy and top of the line recruiting over the years. I confess that my views on Google can be much more objective, as I have been a huge fan since Day One. Google's line of products is immensely robust and the interaction between their core products well planned and at times simply ingenious.

I'll try not to get too technical and offer some simple insight into Google+ and social media. One thing seems clear; Google+ and its eye on the social media pie has been in the forefront of their strategy for a long time.

What's Google+ and why should I care?

Google+ is the second largest social networking site in the world. It is second only to Facebook, with 1.1 billion users.

Google+ focuses on targeted sharing within subsets of your social group called "Circles." Circles are simply small groups of people that you can share to. Google also has created a section specifically for viewing, managing and editing multimedia.

Another feature that's widely discussed is "Hangouts," Google's new group chat feature. Hangouts also differs quite a bit from chatting in Facebook, but I will skip the details and let you find out for yourself.

Google+ for business is like a hybrid of Facebook and LinkedIn. They've incorporated the advantages of each platform to combine it into one program. Aesthetically, I have read some compelling reviews describing it as Google's "most beautiful" product to date. I admit that it is among the most attractive and engaging applications I've used.

Throughout Google+, the level of visual integrity is high, with pixel-perfect design and subtle, classy animations. Overall user navigation is superb, and now it auto-hashtags items. It figures out a hashtag based on words in your post, and in some cases, it can also analyze a photo to determine a relevant hashtag. For more info, here is a great link:

https://support.google.com/plus/answer/3120322?hl=en

(or just search "hashtags google")

Facebook should be worried - very worried

Overall, Google+ doesn't yet do as many things as Facebook, but what it does, it does better, and what it lacks are mostly time wasters. Yes, we've all invested countless precious hours on Facebook that torture us with regret. Just when Facebook begins to seem dull and stagnant, the push for Google+ comes with impeccable timing, and as you will see, it's really fun to use. And by now, I think I have emphasized the importance of user experience enough.

There is a common misperception among "experts" - that even if it's great, Google+ or any other social platform is not going to displace Facebook as the world's primary social network.

With over 500 million users, Google+ isn't going anywhere, but currently it's perceived to have little influence among everyday folks. But I believe that's outright wrong, and that the evidence will emerge. Most would disagree with me adamantly. I just read - "Unless Facebook implodes, Google's service might never be more than what it is now: a beautiful disappointment."

Critics against the future of Google+ are the same predictive bloggers who would never in a million years have guessed that a small college-only database that was "fun to use" would become one of the biggest success stories of our time.

OK, so what do I do next?

Before you can create a Google+ Page for your business, you need a Google+ Profile. The 'You+' link on your Gmail dashboard will direct you to the profile creation page.

Choose a category for your business. This is pretty self-explanatory. Personalize your page with a photo/logo and tagline. You can continue with an introduction, contact information, and finish with a photo strip of five different photos. Remember, this is Branding 101. Take your time and give all these details some thought.

Engage with the Google+ community. For your business page, create Circles and start posting information and news through your feed. You can also add your Google+ Page details to your existing website and share it via other networks.

I've written about blogs before and encourage all our clients to blog regularly. Google+ makes things a lot simpler. Again, there are many details I'd like to cover here but will save for later.

I saved the most important and simple feature of Google+ for last. Because Google+ is directly connected to other products, mainly their search engine business, creating a Google+ account for your business can almost instantly give you higher search rankings. Even a minuscule amount of activity and participation on your part can give you unparalleled results.

Do a little research online to find out exactly how this can be done. You can also contact us at WSI Media One for a full assessment and recommendations at no cost.

Jacob Myong is a WSI Internet Consultant with The Coeur d'Alene Press. He has worked in Digital Media for over 15 years. Email him at Jacob@cdapress.com or call 208.416.5173. Visit www.cdainternetmarketing.com