I Love Google+

It's been a few weeks since I put up the Google+ page for Saranac Lake ArtWorks, and I love it! I'm sold.

Basically, as we all know, as of late it's getting tougher and tougher to gain exposure with Facebook business pages. Their algorithms are developed for crowd control, which is understandable with the number of businesses on Facebook, and the number of pages people follow. Unfortunately it leaves a lot of smaller businesses and organizations in the dust, particularly with the fact that exposure on Facebook can be bought. You either have to have money, or your audience has to take enough interest in your page or category, for Facebook to give some organic reach.

It's a good idea for brands to use more than one social network, unless that's specifically where your audience is. You can try out emerging platforms if you feel your brand is a shoe-in for them, but it's best to be where your audience is.

Google+ has been a great step in the process for the ArtWorks page. In the nearly three weeks the page has been up, seventeen people and businesses have added the page to their circles. That averages to a little less than one person a day, but for the region ArtWorks is based in, I consider that good starting growth. Especially since the audience is engaged. Looking at engagement in proportion to the number of followers, engagement is higher than it is on the Facebook page. Content is very similar, primarily because news needs to be shared, but engagement on Google+ is definitely higher. Very important when there's emergency announcements, like the film screening that was canceled tonight due to the storm.

The other fun thing about Google+ is that you can look for potential followers. Circles are also nifty because I can keep track of who is following and to what context, whether they're an ArtWorks member, or a potential fan. It not only engages the audience, it engages the maintainer a bit more than Facebook. Again, an experience I feel like I have to pay for to receive.

The Pinterest on the other hand is taking a while to get attention. I've confirmed that I don't have a personal Pinterest because I'd spend all of my time there. It's still an emerging social network for the Saranac Lake area, but I'm happy to say one of the artists in ArtWorks has an account and posts her work there regularly.