Take a look at the image with this post. After only two weeks, Google+ is the number two traffic source for JimRaffel.com. In that same two weeks, I have about the same number of connections on Google+ as it took me several years to reach on Facebook. If you don’t want to miss out on traffic to your blog, you need to get on Google+ today if you aren’t already.
Oh my gosh! Another social network?
Yes, another social network and the reality is that none of the others are probably going away any time soon. As best I can tell by reviewing older analytical data, most of the traffic going from plus.google.com is new traffic at JimRaffel.com. It’s a new network and at the moment it’s where the thought leaders and early adopters are hanging out.
There is less clutter on Plus then I see on either Facebook or Twitter at the moment. This is bound to change quickly as Google rolls out games and company profiles. This is your chance to be an early mover and cash in big for nothing more than a relatively minimal time investment. I’ve just decided to spend less time on Facebook and Twitter while I learn the ins and outs of Google+.
Sharing and engagement are driving Plus right now
For now, there seems to be no automatic way to schedule sharing of posts on Google+ like you can do on Twitter and Facebook. As a result most folks are sharing real time and adding comments to what they are sharing. When I see a friend post an interesting like, I can go read the post and then come back and comment. Often, my friend will then comment back because it’s only been a few minutes since he or she read the article and posted it.
So the conversations on Plus can be real time, but they can also span several days and still make sense. Try doing that on Twitter. One of my threads had many comments, then went quiet for a few days. Out of the blue, a new friend commented and the thread came alive again. It’s a phenomenon similar to a blog post that is several months old picking up a new comment that reignites the entire conversation.
There’s no downside to giving Google+ a try
If you’re not yet on Plus or are but haven’t been active, what’s stopping you? There is virtually no downside, with the exception of the time you need to invest. If you’re well established on Twitter and Facebook, steal some time from those two channels for Google+. Right now, Google+ is a great source of new traffic for you blog, don’t miss this opportunity.
Head on over to my Google Profile and add me to one of your circles if you haven’t already. If you need an invite to Google+, just leave a comment below and make sure to use the email address to which you want the invite sent. Please don’t put your email in the comment. Use the correct email to identify who is sending the comment.
Jim,
Hard to argue with the numbers. And, as you said, “there is virtually no downside.” So, if you can send an invite to craig@gagnonpartnership.com, I’d be most grateful. Cheers. – C
Done, check your email my friend.
I agree with you that G+ is absolutely driving traffic! I’ve only been on G+ now for almost a month and it’s ranking #2 for most traffic to my web site at bernixiong.com followed by Facebook, which I’ve been on for YEARS to get the level of engagement I have thus far.
I will say this, though, most of my business has come from LinkedIn or Google search (for clients that found me online) so I am still monitoring my metrics to determine which activity will generate the most return. I am convinced it’s a little bit of ALL of them that help influence my prospects’ decisions so the greatest thing I want to be focused on is “consistency and persistence.”
Thank you for the post!
Sure thing, none of these networks are going away anytime soon and all have value on some level. The key is to understand the value each brings to your business or personal life and prioritize accordingly.
You get it Berni, just keep digging and eventually they all make sense (or not).
Ok, I am sold and want to start looking at this. Would you mind sending an invite?