All social networking sites are great for creating leads, which is also great for Google Plus. Here are some ways you can get leads through using Google Plus:

Keep posts simple

Keep your Google Plus posts simple and don’t over post. This may irritate your followers and may end up in them unfollowing you. Post at least once a day as you will still be able to get your message across to people. Post on a daily basis, not once every fortnight, as you want to keep refreshing the audience about your business and gaining new leads.

Target your audience 

Google Plus allows you to create circles which means you are able to directly target your audience. Circles allows you to divide your followers and deliver a message that best suits them. For example you could have a circle called clients, and another circle called leads. This means you can target different pieces of information to these different circles, making them more interested in the content you are providing.

Brand recognition 

As you’re using more social networking platforms it allows for more brand recognition. It helps to improve your SEO which means that people can find you easily. Additionally Google also indexes your Google Plus profiles/posts meaning they are stored on search engine results pages. Therefore Google Plus is extremely beneficial in being recognised amongst competitors. Having blog posts featured on Google Plus allows you to direct people to your website, in which you will be able to see any new leads visiting your website

Linking your AdWords account

You can even link in your AdWords account to Google Plus. If people have +1ed your page then they are more likely to click on your ad. People can search for your company and are able to see who has +1ed your company link, which would entice them to click on it too. This works well if your potential leads have +1ed your page as they could be interested in what you have to offer.

The post Getting Leads Through Google+ appeared first on Fluent Communication.

Not only is Google a search engine but there is also a social networking site called Google Plus. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are all the typical social networking tools that businesses expect you to use. But is your business using Google Plus? Did you know that Google Plus was the second most used social networking platform in 2013, the first being Facebook. With Google slowly taking over the world, you still may be in the dark on how to use Google Plus.

What is Google Plus?

Like all the other social networking sites out there, Google Plus allows you to share content that appears in your home feed. For this to occur people need to follow you or add you into their circle, in which this will allow for the content to be featured on the home feed. This can be anything from blog content to images to videos. This is relevant in B2B businesses as this is another way you can promote your website’s content. This is can enable you to see any leads that are looking at your content and website.

How do I use it?

Google Plus is easy to set up, and all you need is a gmail account as this will allow you to set up your Google Plus account instantly. Upload your blog content and make sure this is updated regularly, just like any other social networking site. It enables you to create circles which can range from work to family. This means that the content you are sharing your circles will be able to see.

What does it allow me to do?

When it comes to social networking they all work in different ways. Twitter allows you to retweet and  Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to like. This feature is similar to the like feature you see on Facebook and LinkedIn. However Google Plus  differs from this as it features something called +1. You can also add the +1 button on the posts on your website which means that people can share your content on their Google Plus page. Additionally people can comment on your posts which encourages more interaction with people.

Should I be using it?

It’s free, easy to set up and the second most used social networking site. Therefore yes you should be using it. Not only does it showcase that your using a wide variety of social networking sites but it also gives more people a reason to share your content. Therefore this will enable your content to rank higher and will drive traffic to your website.

The post Is Your Business Using Google+? appeared first on Fluent Communication.

So you may be thinking about creating a Google Plus account, and may have no idea how to start out. Well here are some features you need to know about when using Google Plus in B2B:

Profile – You can create a Google Plus account through any Google email address you have. Your profile will allow you to state key points about yourself, including where you work and where you graduated from. Keep it professional as it is for business purposes, even though you might have friends and family on there too. Additionally your Google Plus profile will be featured on Google search results which makes it easier for people to find you.

Home feed – The home feed consists of updates of the people you follow. This can be blog updates, photos or information regarding a company. Make sure this is continually updated with blog updates as it keeps the the audience engaged in the content you are providing. Anyone who has put you in their circle will be able to see what you post as this will appear on their home feed. From that people are able to +1, share or comment on your content, in which this allows for more engagement with your audience.

Notifications – Like any other social networking sites there will be a notifications tab. The notifications includes when someone adds you to their circle, +1′s your content or even when you get tagged in a photo. This feature appears at the top right hand side of the page, in which a number will appear inside a red box. Whenever you are signed into your Gmail account the box will always be there for you to see.

+1 – This feature is similar to the ‘like’ button on Facebook and LinkedIn. When people do +1 your content it increases your SEO results. This makes it easier for the audience to discuss your content. When you do +1, you’re letting people know that they should have a look at it too. It also lets you +1 websites and enables you to feature the +1 button on your website if you currently don’t use it. The more +1′s you receive on your content the more traffic you receive to your website.

Google Plus Circles – Google allows you to create circles which can include friends, family, work and acquaintances. This means you will be able to separate your work friends to your family, in which you will be able to share different content to your different circles. Circles are simple to create, as all you need to do is ‘create circle’ as this allows you to change the name of the circle to what you want, and start adding people into the circle.

Google Plus Hangout – This allows you to video chat people including clients, leads and employees. If you are unable to make it to a meeting at work you can use hangout to be video chatted into the meeting itself. The Google Plus app can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices, which means you are able to hangout whilst on the go. So if you’re working from home there’s no excuse to why you can’t attend a meeting.

The post Using Google+ Features in B2B appeared first on Fluent Communication.

Raja says it can be very easy to be successful online.

1. Optimise your website

You should be able to see what your business is about at a glance. Keep your website as simple and clear as possible. Start with the customer and think about their user experience and what they see. Each page should have a call to action and think about social validation buttons and promote the idea of sharing your content with social sharing and ‘liking’ widgets. Test different variations of your website to see which is most popular. (See our blog Top Changes to Make to Your Website in 2013)

2. Search

People today rely on search. When you search you are very intent driven. You have a question or problem and are looking for a solution and answer. Get yourself in front of those searchers! Google AdWords are very advanced now and you can have click to call or social extensions on them.  (See our free E-books – The Ultimate Guide to Seo and Google Ad Campaigns That Work)

3. Think Mobile

17% of free time is spent on your mobile phone, 73% of that time is spent searching and 66% is spent on social networking. Optimise your site for mobile! (See our blog B2B Mobile Marketing) Have an easy to read site with a clear call to action, that’s ‘thumb friendly’ and has a great use of white space.

4. Content

Having good content is the most important thing you can do. Ingrate your social media with content. Video content is watchable and easy (See our blog Guide to B2B Video Marketing). Use your content to educate your prospective customers before you make a sale!

5. Use Landing Pages

Using landing pages is a perfect way to measure your marketing activity! For each campaign you do – direct your social media or E-shots to a landing page with a call to action and data capture form. You can also do A/B split testing to see your results.

The post 5 Easy Ways to Online Success appeared first on Fluent Communication.

How it works: the map is colour-coded to represent different affiliations or groups from your professional career, such as your previous employer, college classmates, or industries you have worked in.

Bigger names represent people who are most connected within that specific cluster or group. When you click on a contact within a circle you’ll see their profile pop up on the right, as well as lines highlighting how they’re connected to your connections.

You can use these map insights to measure your own impact or influence within your network, or create opportunities for someone else, through introducing them to other connections.

To access your InMap, go to http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com.

We’ve written a free E-book about using LinkedIn to sell - Download it here

The post LinkedIn Maps! appeared first on Fluent Communication.

What happens when the second largest search engine site combines with a cool microblogging social networking site?

You get Yahoo acquiring Tumbrl for $1.1 billion. The promise from Yahoo is ‘not to screw it up,’ but can a not so cool search engine really run an edgy social networking site? Tumblr was once known as the fastest growing social media site in the world, will this continue with Yahoo acquiring the brand?

What are they doing together? 

Together, Yahoo will create ads for Tumblr to increase user interaction, which will be featured on the dashboard and on popular blogs. Tumblr has found it difficult to make money, in which the collaboration will help to increase revenue for the company. Other than that everything is going to be kept the same.

How will this affect Yahoo?

Yahoo will certainly benefit from the integration. With it currently having over 700 million users, Yahoo’s is expected to grow its audience by 50% and grow traffic by 20%. This means Yahoo will receive more traffic to the website through this. But with people favouring Google, will this really persuade people to switch search engines. Additionally Tumblr and Yahoo do not hold the same target audience, therefore Yahoo are helping to bring a new set of demographics to the social networking site.

How will this affect Tumblr?

Tumblr currently accounts for over 100 million users and 90 million posts per day. Founder, David Karp, will continue to serve as SEO. Tumblr can exploit Yahoo’s search engine techniques to help discover more people. But not everyone is happy with the two joining together. Some feel that the ads will drive people away from Tumblr. A majority of people access Tumblr through their mobile, and the last thing they want to see is the site featuring numerous ads.

What are your thoughts on this acquisition?

The post Tumblr + Yahoo = ? appeared first on Fluent Communication.

Fluents CEO Jonathan Edgeley accepting the ‘Best Newcomer’ DMA award.

We’ve been anticipating the DMA awards for months since we entered for best newcomer. We were thrilled to be shortlisted and invited to a dinner ball in Manchester and anxious to hear the results! We were over the moon to hear that we are the winners of the DMA awards ‘Best Newcomer’ trophy.

It was a great feeling to win, but we also had a good time meeting other marketers from around the north and meeting the DMA staff themselves. Thanks to the DMA for organising the event!

The post DMA Award – Best Newcomer appeared first on Fluent Communication.

Here are useful tips for B2B marketers who are running the company Twitter account. 
If you are just starting out, these are good things to know. 
Sharing these tips could be a good way to add some value to your Twitter followers:

• Use industry keywords in your Twitter ’about’ section. This helps people find you when searching for your type of business and is good for SEO!
• Create unique landing pages to track clicks for Twitter bio links instead of displaying short URLs. This will help you track exactly what leads come from your twitter bio and will introduce people to your brand in a clear and concise way.
• Find and follow industry leaders through directories, lists and other users. Following people relevant to your industry helps you make your mark in the community and expands your audience to potential customers.
• Follow general news sources, trade publications and associations for the latest information to share.
• Share content from people, blogs and news sources that provides value to your followers.
• Post links to company blog posts more than once. Test and track different tweets.
• Pay attention to the time of day your audience is most engaged by tracking clicks and retweets.
• Tweet offers and links to your landing pages to generate leads. It’s okay. You are a business. 
• Don’t overuse hashtags, especially ones that are abused with spam or never used.

What will your company be tweeting now?

The post 9 Tweetable Twitter Tips for B2B Marketing appeared first on Fluent Communication.

With over 140 million users, and with it being the most popular favoured platform in B2B, Twitter is growing on a daily basis. With its 140 character limit, Twitter allows you to target your audience through the following:

The post How To Use Twitter In B2B appeared first on Fluent Communication.

How will it help you?

By using ‘Google Now’ you can do what you do on a daily basis, with the app running in the background and not disturbing your everyday routine. Finding breaking news isn’t difficult for you to find yourself and you can locate this  information yourself by searching in a news website. However the whole point of ‘Google Now’ is that it is less time consuming, and the information is right in front of you. In some sense it’s like having a mobile phone personal assistant, who is doing all the work for you.

Here are some of our favourite features from a user perspective:

- Know the weather and traffic reports before you get out of bed.

- Pull up your boarding pass before you reach the gate.

- See a summary of how far you’ve walked or cycled in the past month.

- Be reminded of your next appointment, and know how long it takes for you to get there (with a notification of when you should set off!)

- Get developing stories and breaking news based on what Google knows you’re interested in.

- Get suggestions for interesting web pages to explore, based on research you’ve already begun.

You might be asking how does ‘Google Now’ know all this information? Well it does this by collecting the information about you through your search engine history, your calendar and your emails. This enables ‘Google Now’ to know what you are doing and where you are going to be.

It also responds to voice commands, similar to Siri. However some may argue that going through your personal information may be seen as intrusive and invasive.

What does it mean for your business?

Google is now more than ever aimed at improving user experience and providing helpful and relevant content for their searchers. We’ve also noted the strong emphasis on Smart Phones. We recommend making your website focused on user experience and contributing useful content for your web visitors to read and share (if you haven’t already).

- Make your website easy to navigate around.

- Make your web content interesting and have value for your reader.

- Produce regular content so that visitors return to your site again and again.

- Make your website mobile friendly.

It is available of Android devices and now running on iOS platforms. So if don’t currently have Google Now, we suggest getting it NOW! 

The post How can ‘Google Now’ help me and what does it mean for my business? appeared first on Fluent Communication.