When it comes to advertising and business growth, Google Plus comes to mind. But since the time this social media platform started closing its doors, consumers are heading towards another option. They are on a hunt for an option that matches the features, traffic, and other SEO benefits.
Well, the good news is, there are a lot of replacements for Google Plus.
So if you are really looking for alternatives to Google Plus or what we generally called G+ to grow your business, just go through this resolute dossier on the same.
What was Google Plus and what was the reason for its Shut Down?
Google Plus was basically the 4th attempt by Google to build a social media network. Some of its predecessors are Google Buzz, Google Friend Connect, and Orkut.
During the initial phase, this platform got massive success with 395 million active accounts in the year 2016. This was the time when Facebook started seeing this network as a threat. But within a short span of time, it lost its importance.
This was due to the reason that you have to use a Google Plus account for a longer period of time to use features like Google Photos, Hangouts, YouTube, etc. This makes most of the users use Google Plus only for the purpose of accessing Google photos, YouTube, or so on.
Another reason for its shutdown was a data breach. There was a big glitch that allowed even 3rd party apps to access the private information of about 500,000 Google Plus users.
5 Social Media Platforms are capable enough to replace Google Plus when it comes to the Local Businesses
When it comes to a replacement, there is no perfect match to Google Plus but yes, depending upon your business requirement you can go with either a single platform or all that are listed below.
- Google My Business:
Google My Business (GMB) provides you with information about your business’ operating information, reviews, and much more. This will help you appear as a business profile and on Google Maps. It doesn’t matter whether someone is using a mobile or desktop you will be visible. It means when the user will search for a brand like yours, the business profile will appear like the one shown in the image.
On Google Maps the business profile will be like
Business profile on Mobile will be like
Although this information will be on your website, GMB will help you index the content. It also shares it with a broader audience. This will boost search result rankings, revenue, and other valuable insights related to consumers.
Why is Google My Business considered a better replacement for Google Plus?
This is so because it is more than just an online local business directory. It is loaded with various social features.
The audience can tap “+ Follow” under listing on mobile-first and receive updates from your business. You can also use this feature to send a “Welcome Offer”.
Moreover, it is loaded with other features like Reviews and a Q&A section. This will help you in building a stronger trust factor with your audience.
How to Use Google My Business?
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- Highlight the information related to your business. It includes opening hours, closing hours, website, products, menus, location, etc.
- You can use the GMB dashboard to see the queries that your audience is using to find your business. You can also see a breakdown of actions and what is the performance of your profile as compared to others in the same category.
- You can boost your local SEO by going through an optimization process. The keywords will make you rank higher in local search results.
2. Facebook for Local Business
Facebook is one of the biggest social media networks in the world with 2.7 billion monthly active users. It is also one of the biggest business tools.
Why has Facebook emerged as a Good Replacement for Google Plus?
When it comes to building an online community for the success of your brand there is no match to Facebook.
You can use various options presented by Facebook like Groups and Business Pages to your advantage.
Haven’t you seen various Facebook ads about Magento eCommerce store, Shopify Apps, oncoming sales and discounts on various eCommerce platforms, and so on? This is what certified Shopify experts or Magento experts do and this is what draws sales.
This is so because more than 1.4 billion people are using Facebook Groups every month. On the other hand, you can use Facebook Business Pages to get some advanced features like reviews, instant messaging, automated replies, analytics, and so on. You can also go with paid Facebook ads to improve your results.
How to Use Facebook?
- Create a Facebook group and share exclusive offers on the Facebook page.
- Share information like your location, contact details, websites, and much more.
- Go for regular events.
- Provide 24X7 instant customer care support.
- Use reviews in your favor.
- Go for Feedback, directly.
3. LinkedIn for Local Businesses
When it comes to professionalism, there is no match for LinkedIn. It is one of the best alternatives to Google Plus. With more than 722 million users, LinkedIn has become one of the top social media sites.
Although there are some who are using LinkedIn actively. When used correctly it helps to generate leads and carries the power to establish you as an industry thought leader.
Why LinkedIn Is a Good Replacement for Google+?
Circles, yes we are talking about “Circles” which are one of the best features on Google Plus. You can easily create different Circles and add people to them. This will aid you in the segmentation during updates and will help you to keep your professional life separate from your business life.
It also lets you connect with your co-workers and share content to boost your brand.
How to Use LinkedIn?
- Join industry or niche LinkedIn groups to connect with people. This will help you in establishing your brand.
- Start sharing updates and opinions related to your brand or business.
- Take the help of your 1st-degree connections to connect with 2nd or 3rd-degree connections.
- Do not forget to publish articles on the LinkedIn pulse with actionable content.
4. Pinterest for Local Businesses
If you own a visually appealing eCommerce brand then you can go with Pinterest. This is so because Pinterest is having more than 367 million users.
This means you are going to bring your brand in front of those audiences who are sitting down there and are ready to spend anytime you show them the product of their interest.
Why Pinterest is seen in the form of better Replacement to Google Plus
When it comes to boosting sales, Pinterest leads Google Plus which was most commonly known for sharing updates and creating a community.
Pinterest first rolls out buyable pins followed by promoted pins. Thus it encourages the audience to take action on feeds’ inspirational content. It is one of the favorite platforms for females and youngsters.
One thing you need to take care of is, as the site is a visual search engine, so your brand must have that element to shine. If your brand fails to match niche interests and demographics, it might not prove to be a replacement that you are actually looking for.
How to Use Pinterest?
- Use SEO to optimize your profile, boards, Pins, etc. This will boost your brand’s visibility.
- Go with visually appealing pins to get more users to click-through.
- Activate those pins that are rich and make them shoppable. This will help you with conversions.
- Use tools like Tailwind. This will help you to pin at the best times and will bring more engagement
- Do not forget to invest in Pinterest ads.
5. Instagram for Local Businesses
When it comes to trending social media platforms the name of Instagram can’t be ignored.
With more than 1158 million active users Instagram has emerged as one of the top platforms for building relations and bonding. It is also one of the effective platforms for expanding business. It is capable enough to give a boom to your business as it has more of a young generation on its platform.
Why is Instagram a better replacement to Google Plus?
If we generally made a comparison between Google Plus and Instagram then Instagram has a lot more to offer in addition to Google Plus.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s about uploading photos, multi-person instant messaging, Video calls, location tagging, and so on, Instagram has it all.
In addition to this, Instagram has more added Shoppable Features and ads that can help you in the growth of your business. Moreover features like Reels and Instagram IG makes it more favorable. It is a boon for eCommerce. This is the reason why Magento Certified Developers, Shopify experts, and other experts from different eCommerce platforms are in favor of Instagram.
How to Use Instagram?
- Begin with creating a content calendar for your feed posts, IG Lives, IGTV, Reels, etc.
- Add stories on a daily basis to stay on top.
- Go for hashtag research to find terms that your ideal customers are using.
- Go with targeted ads to boost sales.
- Collaboration with brands is the key to increasing sales.
- Use storytelling techniques to the fullest in your captions.
- Photography is the key. The quality of the photo matters a lot.
- It is good to go with highly shareable pieces of content.
How these alternatives to Google Plus can aid you in your Local Business?
Do you still carry some doubts in your mind regarding these alternatives? No worries here are some benefits of using these alternatives.
Create Brand Awareness and Get Recognition
You can easily spread words about your business using social media networks. It’s all about showing up online. The more you do it, the more benefit you will earn.
Increase Local Business Traffic
You can use social media platforms to promote your blogs. This is so because content marketing is all about attracting the audience. You can even go with YouTube videos to remain in front of your audience all the time.
Use analytics to Improve your Marketing
You can take the help of some platforms that offer you some analytics. You can use analytics to increase both your customers and sales.
For this, you can take the help of Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Provide Unique Customer Service
If you really want to grow your business, you have to provide a rich user experience. The more care you take of your customers and the more quickly you solve their problems, the more interest they will show in your platform.
For this, you can go with Facebook to solve complaints on an early basis. This will help you to build a solid relationship with your customers.
Conclusion:
You must have realized by now that there is no exact duplicate to Google Plus. But there are many options available that you can use to your advantage. The alternatives that have been provided to you over here will not only help you to achieve the results that you are looking for but they come with additional features.
The additional features will not only help you to do your task easily and rapidly but will also aid you in getting better results.