When you first set up your Google+ page, you might not want to do too much, and just focus on having this new tool in place.  But once you begin to see how things work, your design can help you get noticed in your field. 

The Right Words

Just as when you're writing a blog post or some other piece of writing that will be online, you will need to think about keywords.  Even though you may want to talk about what you want to talk about, Google cares about how you say it.

You need to stop and think about the main keywords that are related to the market in which you find yourself.  This might be anything from the products or services you provide to the ways in which you provide them.

For example, if you're selling paper products, then you might talk about the kinds of paper products you might be selling.  This will help to boost your keyword effectiveness so your Google+ page comes up in search engine results.

Think also about the sorts of words that people might have in mind when they are thinking about what you do.  Try to put yourself in the shoes of your audience so you can address their concerns immediately and with the right writing. 

Since you do have the ability to have pictures in your Google+ profile, you need to think about what might connect well with your audience.  There are a few different ways in which you might approach this:

• A logo – If you have a striking logo that you want to include in your Google+ profile, you should include this.  This will allow you to have the best possible congruency among your other interactions with your audience.  Use this logo in your website, your newsletters, etc.  People will begin to associate that image with what you do.

• Your website image – If you have a website that's up and running, then you might want to use the header from your website.  Like the logo, it creates a more consistent brand, so you're more easily identifiable.

• Your picture – One of the things to consider about social media is about how it allows people to connect with people. You might want to use a picture of yourself, so others can see you're a real person and not just a website or a name.  Use an attractive picture of yourself and make sure you use something that will be easy to see and to review.  No fuzzy pictures, please.

• Your product picture(s) – When you're focusing on one product or one type of product, it can help to use your product as the main image on the profile.  This will ensure people know what you have to offer immediately.

• Your location picture – If you have a location that your business operates out of, then this might be an ideal image to include in your Google+ profile.  People will feel as though they're coming to your store, and that can feel welcoming.

With all of this in mind, realize that it's quite simple to add and to take away the pictures that you have posted. You can always update things and make them more exciting if you change your mind.

Or your audience might have something to say about the pictures you've chosen, and then you may choose to change based on that feedback. 

No matter what you do on your Google+ profile, you need to keep one thing in mind – the first impression is the one that others will remember.  Before you start creating any sort of profile or maybe before you start sharing your page with others, think about what you want others to see.

Think about what you want people to find on your page and what they might think of you after they see your profile.

Just like preparing for a first date, you need to make sure your page is clean, neat, and that it shows you spent some time thinking about what you designed.

The audience wants to know you care about them, and when you create a strong profile, they will come back to see what else you have to offer. 

When you create your Google+ account, you will start to add people and then you will see it: Circles.  You have the power to create specific groups into which you place people in your life and your business network.

But how do you use these Circles?  What are some strategies for arranging people? 

Think about Your Circles Now

What you need to know right now about Google+ Circles is that you can add as many of these as you like to your account.  And with that sort of freedom, it can seem a little overwhelming.  Instead of worrying about it, start thinking about how you want to use your account.

• Who is your audience?

• Will you talk with people you know?

• Can you have targeted groups?

• Who do you want to follow?

To utilize Circles well, think about all of the different business contacts you might have to market to (we'll talk about people you know later).

• Potential clients

• Current clients

• Loyal clients

You can probably come up with more categories than this, but these will serve as a starting point.  At some point, everyone in your business audience began as a prospect.  They decided they were interested in what you had to say, but they didn't necessarily buy in at the start.

Over time, you created a connection with them, and that connection then turned them into a current client.

If the client really liked you, then they might stay on for the long haul.

Each of the different points of the sales process require and should receive different forms of attention.  For example, the loyal client doesn't need to be wooed into buying from you. Instead, they want to know what else you have to offer them or how you can further help them.

But the new client needs more explanations and more interaction before they can trust what you have to say enough to start spending money.

Think about how you can create Circles in this way, and your clients will always get the message they need to hear, and they will feel more engaged as a result. 

If you're just starting out on Google+, it can help to put your friends and family and non-work acquaintances into separate Circles.  In doing so, you can make sure each group doesn't hear about something that you don't want another group to learn about.

Setting up the first few connections with people you know will also allow you the chance to make a few mistakes before you start broadcasting your business to the whole Internet.

If you want to use Google+ for a lot of friend chatter, it might be best to keep it to a minimum, since you want to make sure you can still dedicate your time to your business marketing efforts. 

Following

When you have people follow you or add you to their Circles, it's good to add them back and to follow them.  This will help you see whether they are good business prospects, or if they might be better as just people who are interesting to read.

You might have opportunities here to connect with others in your market to see what they have to say to their audiences, and how you might take their lead in terms of your engagement strategies.

It never hurts to have more people that you follow, as you will begin to find more people to whom you might be able to market your ideas and your business. 

Other Circles

In Google+, you can create other circles that can help you with your business goals.  Some ideas for these circles are:

• Someday customers

• Right now customers

• Dissatisfied customers

• Competition

• Inspirational folks

• Market experts

The other categories include those customers who haven't been happy in the past.  To talk to them, you might want to share ways in which you have made amends for past mistakes or ways in which you have improved your overall business plan.  This can help to restore trust and bring them back to being right now customers.  (Or they might be someday customers again.)

You also want to follow and keep tabs on your competition.  You might then be able to create conversations with them about what you've been doing and ask questions about why they're choosing certain ideas.

You can also follow people who you find to be experts or inspirations to you, allowing you to stay motivated in your journey to marketing success.

What you need to remember is that Google+ isn't just about you talking at people, but it's also about you talking with others.  You want to create conversations that benefit everyone.

This is not about trying to tell everyone what you know and how you're better than they are.  Instead, this is a place to have conversations and to learn more about what the market might do next.