Infographic: Google+ or Facebook for your Business?

Facebook vs. Google+ It is a debate that has been going on for years, which is better for business, Facebook or Google+? In past blogs the answer had always come down to one thing … audience. And in that specific competition Facebook wins hands down. It is true, as the most popular social network, Facebook, has held the ace card when it comes to reaching the largest audience. But things are slowly starting to change.

Once known as the ghost town of social networks, Google+ has started to finally find its footing in the online community. This year it has become the second most popular social network, with its monthly active users reaching 540 million worldwide.

It’s undoubtedly tailored towards businesses and the sharing of information; most notably because of its Sparks feature, which enables users to search for subjects they are interested in. Facebook’s search bar being more tailored to find specific businesses, Google+ allows people to find your business by searching for what your company specializes in, rather than your name.

Circle on G+

Circle on Google+ Circles, the buzzword you would have undoubtedly heard when discussing Google+, at first might sound too complicated. It is in fact the complete opposite. The circle feature allows you to group potential customers in terms of age bracket or interests; anything that links them together. By doing this you’re able to create marketing content that will suit that specific target audience, making the time and effort spent on marketing far more effective.

A feature known as ‘Streams’, allows you to select what circles you want to see on your stream, saving you the time of searching through posts for relevant information. This is something Facebook has considered especially important; and in December of 2013 it launched a new algorithm known as Edgerank. The algorithm’s purpose was to prevent Facebook’s users being bombarded with content they considered boring. Unfortunately users can’t control this; instead Facebook, which analyzes the type of posts you interacted with in the past, sorts the information for you.

Reach on Facebook

This means that if you, as a business, were to post a status or image on Facebook it would have to reach a certain level of likes in a set amount of time; if you were successful your post would be accessible to the masses. But if your post failed to produce the required interest it would be visible to very few. If the latter happens, don’t fear, all is not lost. Facebook will offer you the opportunity to “boost your views” for a set fee. It states that $150 will get you between 38,000 and 100,000 views, whereas $1,000 will see your post reaching up to 500,000. Not all that expensive if you consider the alternative cost of producing and distributing 50,000 flyers.

But is Facebook starting to lose sight of why businesses join social networks? Largely, they do it because it is an inexpensive way to reach and grow their audiences. Granted many companies will pay to have their post reach more potential customers, but it’s the small businesses that may struggle to attract clients that will have to pay.

Engage your Audience

Looking at Facebook’s algorithm in a positive light, it will make companies consider what they are posting. Instead of a simple statement post, ask a question. Try and get people commenting and sharing posts by promoting interaction. It will not only ensure you maintain a high volume of views, but will also make potential customers feel that businesses are listening and interested in what they have to say.

It’s undeniable that Facebook have lost favor with many users, especially over the recent “emotion experiment” that has created much negative discussion. Let’s not disregard Facebook completely though, since it does still offer businesses free services that are unavailable on other social networks. Competitions, for example are an excellent way to get potential customers interacting with you, and creating a buzz around your page. Yet, Google+ does not allow competitions on its site.

We must also consider that, as the most popular social network, Facebook has 1.32 billion monthly active users worldwide. These are undeniably staggering numbers and not something a business should disregard.

Quality over Quantity?

Saying this, we should also consider quality over quantity. Reaching 1,000 people is all very well and good, but if only 6% go on to buy a product then it might be worth considering targeting your product to the right people. Google+ offers a resource that lets businesses communicate with customers directly. You can invite a group to a Google ‘Hangout’, which allows video conference calls between up to ten people. This is a great resource for discussing ideas with potential customers or clients. It’s a feature businesses can utilize in order to discover what their customers want, or as a way to promote new products through online displays.

SEO and analytics is a subject that all businesses need to consider and just remember that Google is the go-to search engine. As both Google and Google+ are one and the same, linking your websites and online presence to Google+ will undoubtedly make your business optimized in this specific search engine.

And the Winner is?

Google+ may be heading in front as Facebook loses favor, but as we know all too well, internet trends change from week to week. Ultimately a business should be using every avenue possible to reach potential customers. Of course you can’t spend all of your time on social networks; otherwise you may end up with thousands of followers but nothing to offer them. The best way to utilize your time is to find what social network works best for you. It’s simple enough to do this. Try experimenting by putting the same posts on several platforms and wait to see which one gives you the best response, and reaches the largest number of people.

Once you have found the ‘best fit’, focus your time and energy promoting your business through that avenue, but do not disregard the others. Comprehensive social media coverage will mean that more people can find your business.

Do you agree with us? Let us know your opinions and experiences below. And please, share our infographic!