{"id":440,"date":"2014-06-24T18:12:58","date_gmt":"2014-06-25T02:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nexthop.ca\/?p=440"},"modified":"2014-06-24T18:12:58","modified_gmt":"2014-06-25T02:12:58","slug":"is-google-viable-now-and-in-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nexthop.ca\/it-news\/is-google-viable-now-and-in-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Google+ Viable Now and In the Future?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What the Real Deal About Google+?<\/b><\/p>\n

Has Google+ turn into an afterthought in your social media marketing plan? When is the last time you took a look over there? You may be asking yourself if Google+ is now or ever will be a viable tool for your business. You\u2019re not alone as many are still divided as to whether to even spend any time or effort on Google+.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why we believe it\u2019s useful both now and in the foreseeable future!<\/b><\/p>\n

One startling undeniable fact that really doesn\u2019t ring true (yet) is that Google+ is now larger in terms of reach than Twitter. This is certainly due to the proliferation of Gmail and the convenience of having Google\u2019s entire suite of web services at your fingertips. Since Google Plus Local Listings already incorporate such small business services as Zagat, StreetView and Google+ User ratings, it has essentially replaced Yelp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also, Google Hangouts has a direct influence on where Google+ is headed as well. The convenience of using a Hangout, instead of perhaps Skype, to do video conferencing is a major plus (no pun intended). Yes, we understand that Hangouts is still somewhat clunky and a pain to figure out, but once you do, it\u2019s by far the leader of the pack. Just the integration and automation that Hangouts shares with YouTube is worth the price of admission. (Which of course is free!)<\/p>\n

So what are some ways businesses are using Google+?<\/b><\/p>\n

There are a number of uses of Google+ in your small business. Here is just a few:<\/p>\n