Google+ Finally Launches Business Pages

The day we've all been waiting for in anticipation is finally here (kind of). Earlier today, Google announced the launch of Google+ Pages, or business pages for Google+. While Pages have only been released to a select few businesses, Google+ indicates that organizations will be able to create their own pages at http://plus.google.com/pages/create soon. (Visit HubSpot's Google+ Page and add it to your Circles here !)

Google+ Pages have a similar look and feel to Facebook Pages, allowing businesses to leverage the social network to connect with their audience, spread their messages, promote their content, and generate leads. Here's a quick video overview from Google.

Google+ Page Features

While Google hasn't revealed a ton of detail around the capabilities of its new Google+ Pages, they have mentioned the following features:

• Fans can recommend your business page with a +1.
• Fans can add your page to a circle, which enables them to subscribe to your page's updates (similar to Liking a page on Facebook) in the long-term.
• Fans can actually spend time with your team, face-to-face-to-face via Google+ Hangouts, or video chat/livestreaming capabilities.

Here's a quick peek into what a Google+ Page looks like, a la Angry Birds:

2 Ways to Add Pages to Your Google + Circles

Furthermore, Google+ is rolling out two ways that users can add pages to their Circles from Google search. The first is by including Google+ pages in search results, and the second is via Google+'s new feature, Direct Connect.

1. Including Google+ Pages in Search Results: Google+ will now display 'People and pages' at the top of search results pages in Google+. These results will also include an easy option to add the Page to one of your Circles.

2. Direct Connect: Users can easily locate and add a Google+ Page to their circles with a Google.com search by simply searching for [+] followed by the page they're interested in (e.g. +Angry Birds). (Note: Direct Connect only works for a limited number of pages today, but Google indicates that more are coming.)

Marketing Takeaway

Google+ Pages will soon be available to all! While Google gives us no indication of exactly when, marketers should be on their toes knowing they're coming soon. Marketers should create their business page as soon as it's available to them in order to start leveraging the power of a network with over 40 million users.

To determine if your account is enabled, visit http://plus.google.com/pages/create. And don't forget to add HubSpot's Google+ Page to your Circles here!

Will you use Google+ Pages as another tool in your social media arsenal? Are you excited for the launch?