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Google+ Has Staying Power: New features, including business pages, fuel growth

Google+ Has Staying Power

By Drew Goettemoeller

In tech spheres, the advent of Google+ has been a divided conversation from the start. Will it be successful? Will it be useful? How will it affect the marketplace?

Only time will tell. Since June, Google+ has seen explosive growth with over 43 million users to date. While still in its infancy, we are already beginning to see Google+ features roll out across the web via Google Search and +1 button integration, to name a few. Some of the newest features are centered on helping you and your business get in on the action.

Ripples

Google has recently introduced Ripples, a visualization tool for public shares and comments which will allow users to “re-live” conversations, comments and sharing. This means that you can now see who shared your comments and how your message has spread and grown across the network. Pretty cool, huh?

Creative Kit

Google+ already has a stellar photography atmosphere. With 3.4 billion photos uploaded to their platform, it is by far one of the most loved features among users. To enhance and create a one-stop photography studio, “Creative Kit” offers basic photo-editing capabilities to users, including color filters, effects, text and more. This addition creates a seamless package which enables you to flow quickly from snap to share. It might be the most elegant, easy-to-use photography package I have come across.

Google + for Business?

It has begun and isn’t going anywhere soon. This is why Google+ has the potential to be a true game-changer.

Many pundits move quickly to say that Google+ won’t last because all of its features are easy to duplicate. However, what many don’t understand is that the power of Google+ will truly be realized when Google begins integrating all of their services and really fusing them together. This process is already beginning, and we can see some of the initial groundwork of what will likely be the evolution of business pages.

For now, the integration has begun with GoogleApps. Because more than 4 million businesses use Google Apps, this is a great first step from which to grow and perfect these features. Google is also currently developing a migration tool which will allow Apps users to migrate seamlessly from their personal Google+ account over to an Apps organization account. Once your organization is converted, you are able to share posts directly to others in their organization/university/workgroup. Think of all those internal emails and messages that can be solved with a simple two-word answer. Perfect!

Hangouts with Extras

Hangouts are one of my favorite features from the original Google+ platform, as they allow you to video chat or watch Youtube videos with friends.

But now it has extras, and they’re great! For Google Apps users, video chat teams up with Google Docs and screen sharing to create one incomparable collaboration tool. Whether you’re across the room or across the globe, you can now discuss and work simultaneously on documents, spreadsheets or presentations in real time. Personally I’m thinking of putting on a pair of sweatpants and spending the rest of the week week working from my couch!

These are just a few of the great new features. More are soon to come, and it’ll be great to see how Google+ continues to impact the social landscape.

What do you think? Would Google+ be useful in your business?

Let us know! Leave your comments and questions on our Facebookpage!

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Google+ Has Staying Power: New features, including business pages, fuel growth

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