A Boucher + Co. Publication

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a nyc-based digital strategy agency

A Boucher + Co. Publication

Where Your Business Stands

By Gerard Boucher Inbound Marketing Expert

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Google+ vs Pinterest


With two more social networking sites, Google Plus and Pinterest, it is hard to determine which social network you should put your effort into. A comparison of Google Plus and Pinterest should give you an idea of which social network you want to pursue with your online marketing strategy by comparing the benefits and drawbacks of each social network.

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“Advantage of using Google Plus is the feature of using Circles.”

Google Plus is a social network where users can share images, links, status updates, and videos. Google Plus also has a “+1” feature similar to the Facebook “Likes,” which show support for the interactions. The advantage of using Google Plus is the feature of using Circles. This feature allows for more precise targeting because Circles allow you to segment the group of users. By dividing the users into these different groups, it would allow specific messages to target only that group.


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“When you add the +1 button, you allow people to easily share content.”

Another awesome factor of Google Plus is the +1 feature. The Google +1 button is integrated into the search engine, Google.com, which allows for a greater chance of appearing as a search result just by having that button on your website. When you add the +1 button, you allow people to easily share content with others while benefitting from increased traffic.


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“Most people are still confused about what Google Plus really is.”

Although Google Plus has some nice advantages, it has some drawbacks as well. Although Google Plus makes it easy to target and segment your audience, most people are still confused about what Google Plus really is. This is one major problem because if people don’t understand what it is, they won’t use it. A big drawback, if not bigger than the first one, is that although Google Plus boasts its 100+ million users, on average, people only spend 3.3 minutes on Google Plus compared to 8 hours on Facebook and around 100 minutes on Pinterest. With activity lasting only about 3 minutes long, there is only so much you can do. So now another question is whether you want to market to a social networking site where people are not willing to spend over a few minutes on. Until Google Plus can find other ways to differentiate itself from other social networks, people will not be willing to make the switch.


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“Pinterest has 10.4 million users and these users spend an average of 97.8 minutes on the site.”

The rise of Pinterest since 2011 has also been covered by the mainstream audience. This is a visual social networking site where you can “pin” images or videos to your pinboard or others’ pinboards. Here is why Pinterest works. As of February 2012, Pinterest has 10.4 million users and these users spend an average of 97.8 minutes on the site. Why is this good news? It shows that people are willing to spend a good portion of their time on Pinterest.


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“The best part of Pinterest is the visuals they can offer for your business.”

Pinterest makes it real easy to share content. By downloading and installing a pinmarklet, which is a tool on your bookmarks, it allows you to directly pin any content without having to tab between browsers and copying and pasting links! The best part of Pinterest is the visuals they can offer for your business. If you are a product-driven business, Pinterest allows you to share images on the pinboard. It allows the leverage you need by sharing remarkable images of your products.


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“Cross-promotion will help build a strong Google+ community.”

Aside from all these benefits Pinterest has to offer your business, it poses some challenges as well. The best feature of Pinterest can also be your worst. If you are not a business to consumer or product-related business, it seems a little difficult to use Pinterest. With that being said, it isn’t impossible to have a Pinterest if you aren’t a product-oriented business. It will just be a bit more difficult. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and even Google Plus, Pinterest does not have a dedicated business page. This is a challenge because it is hard to pin a picture without having people think you are marketing your products. How can you make it so that people won’t mind clicking a link that goes to your website?


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“Google Plus has a main user base of college students and software developers.”

So, to summarize when it is right to market in either Google Plus or Pinterest, here are the main points. Google Plus has a main user base of college students and software developers. Also, 63% of users on Google Plus are males who tend to post technology related things. Pinterest, on the other hand, is based on fashion, designs, and home decorations. 83% of Pinterest users are females ranging from the age of 18-34. It is better to use Google Plus when you do not have a lot of time to spend on social networking sites. The Pinterest community is more aware when you post on multiple sites because of the visual factors. If you only have time to posts links to already written content, use Google Plus.


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“Integrate other marketing strategies along with social media marketing to best optimize your results.”

If your business is catering to a largely male demographic, Google Plus is the way to go. With most of its users being male, you will have a greater chance of reaching your audience through Google Plus. If you also care about organic search results, make your presence on Google Plus as it is incorporated with the Google search engine. If your business is catering to a largely male demographic, Google Plus is the way to go. With most of its users being male, you will have a greater chance of reaching your audience through Google Plus. If you also care about organic search results, make your presence on Google Plus as it is incorporated with the Google search engine. So whether you choose Google Plus or Pinterest, make sure to integrate other marketing strategies along with social media marketing to best optimize your results!
