For Marketers, Google+ Brand Pages Are Not There Yet

The universe is chock full of buzz about Google+ brand pages right now. They’re the best! They’re the pits. It’s confusing! It’s so intuitive. I swear, if I read one more article that is some standpoint on a Google+ brand page, I just might vomit.

Yet, here I am, about to write my own.

Why? Well, because just like each and every one of us run around like chickens with our heads cut off whenever a major Facebook change occurs, it’s obligatory that we all also do so with Google+ (and all “big” social media changes for that matter, which typically are only on our radars for a couple weeks before they fade into comfortable utility, inutility, or worst, apathy).

I have some pretty big beefs with it, and I’m wondering if our marketing readers, who in a morning meeting earlier this week were told to “get going on that Google+ brand page” share my frustrations.

Here they are:

I’m not able to add individual people to my circles unless they add our brand page first: Fine. I get it. Google doesn’t want me spamming helpless people from my desk here in the Innovation District. Our Facebook page is similar – I can’t force people to “like” us (not for lack of trying, though). But adding our community of writers and even team members to our circles isn’t easy or made visible in any helpful way. It’s tough to get the ball rolling.

It’s a burden that one team member must shoulder alone: We can’t have multiple people sharing from our BostInnovation Google+ account? Silly to say the least, when even in our startup stature we produce enough content and have enough social media interactions to need almost every team member pitching in on some channel, in some way. If I’m not answering your calls or emails over the next few weeks, you’ll know why. (I’m also terrified I’m going to post something by accident, in which case, this piece here will prevent me from being able to blame it on anyone else here at BostInno).

I. Cannot. Easily. Share: I understand this is new, but someone please tell me there is a browser extension or application that allows me to post to our brand page without having to go to our Google+ profile! I scoured the internet yesterday to find one – yet every social share button I find that recognizes Google+ automatically posts to my personal profile, not BostInno’s I know it’s a pretty silly complaint to make, and we’re still early in the game with brand pages, but trust me, it’s annoying.

So there you have it. Yet another opinion on Google+ in the ether. I’m dying to hear some other marketers’ experiences. Yay? Nay? Let me know what you’ve found.

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