Display Ads: Another Reason to Use Google+

It seems social media is becoming a lot less social and a lot more sponsored. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have pay-to-promote options and it appears Google+ will join them shortly with its +Post ads.

I know what you’re thinking. Finally! A solution to all of your marketing problems. Display ads on a social network that nobody uses.

Alright. That was harsh. For the record, Google+ has 300 million monthly active users, according to Google’s head of social. But that actually doesn’t matter, because Google+ is not the only place that these +Post ads will be displayed.

Are you ready for this?

+Post ads can be run across the 2 million Google Display Network sites.

Why Use +Post Ads?

According to Google, new +Post ads allow brands to think of the entire Web as their social stream.

A lot of companies we work with are in the need-based home services industry and have modest social media followings at best. Sharing the valuable content we create on their social media sites, therefore, has a limited impact simply from a visibility standpoint. How many people you reach is limited by the size of your following, unless you are willing to pay to expand it.

With +Post ads, you aren’t limited to the size of your following or even the scope of the social network itself. By opening up its +Post ads to its Google Display Network sites, Google allows you to pick your target audience—just as you would with a retargeted ad.

Chances are, the people who follow your social profiles are already familiar with your brand. While posting to these people helps you maintain top of mind brand awareness and potentially increases your chance for repeat business, you also want to attract new business—the people out there who need your products or services but who aren’t already aware of your brand.

That’s where the idea of promoted posts in general helps when marketing via social—and Google+ really takes this to the next level by offering social promotion outside of its social platform.

Don’t Get Too Excited Just Yet

Google’s +Post ads are currently in beta and only offered to select brands. For example, Toyota is currently testing out the new advertisements to help not only reach more customers, but also “the right ones at the right time.” According to Google,

“+Post ads amplify your brand’s content by easily turning Google+ posts into display ads that run across the web. The live, social ad format allows you to go beyond clicks to live conversations with your audience. People can join a Hangout On Air, add a comment, follow your brand or give a +1, right from an ad.”

I’m sure you’re wetting your Joe Boxers just thinking about the extended reach and engagement of your social ads, but unless you’re Toyota, you’ll probably have to wait like the rest of us.

Nonetheless, you can be sure that Blue Corona looks forward to testing out the ads once they’re out of beta and sharing the results with you. Until then, if you need help with your other social media management strategies, give us a call.

You might also be interested in…

• Does Google+ Direct Help SEO?
• Should SEO and Social Media Be Separate? 
• Is Social Media Marketing Worth It?