• http://www.nathanielbailey.co.uk/ Nathaniel Bailey

    So now google want’s people to advertise G+ instead of their own websites?!

    The big question in my mind is… how much will google expect people to pay them to advertise their social network? I know your be advertising your own posts, but why not just cut the middle man (G+) and carry on advertising the content directly on your own site if you got to pay for it?

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for social networking and advertising your social posts etc to gain more followers and clicks to your site, but I would personally rather just advertise my own sites content then what I post on G+ (not that I post much on social so maybe that’s why I’m a little biased to it lol)

  • http://www.nathanielbailey.co.uk/ Nathaniel Bailey

    So now google want’s people to advertise G+ instead of their own websites?!

    The big question in my mind is… how much will google expect people to pay them to advertise their social network? I know your be advertising your own posts, but why not just cut the middle man (G+) and carry on advertising the content directly on your own site if you got to pay for it?

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for social networking and advertising your social posts etc to gain more followers and clicks to your site, but I would personally rather just advertise my own sites content then what I post on G+ (not that I post much on social so maybe that’s why I’m a little biased to it lol)

  • Bilc Vlad Calin

    “I know your be advertising your own posts, but why not just cut the middle man (G+) and carry on advertising the content directly on your own site if you got to pay for it?”

    For the same reason you promote a tweet or a facebook post. It tends to bring more relevant traffic to your website (assuming it’s gonna work like the other two services I mentioned above).

    As always this is a matter of what works for the product you’re trying to promote. If social is the way to go for your business, then this might turn out to be worth it.

  • Salman Merchant

    Here are my 2 cents, and I’m completely open to the possibility I may be very wrong:

    1) The thing that makes Facebook/Twitter appealing as places to advertise on is that they are places where conversations are occurring. The platform, by way of having a large number of people who engage the platform, becomes an appealing place to create content and advertisements. In short, your paying to advertise in a space where your customer spends a lot of their time.

    2) Google isn’t using these ads on a unique platform, but rather on an existing channel that’s already accessible via Google Display Network. What’s the benefit of creating ads using a Google+ post if I can do the same thing via GDN?

  • Salman Merchant

    For Google the benefit seems to be increasing the saturation of their Display Network. Perhaps this shortens the barrier for companies who don’t participate in Display (but do on Social) to actively participate in the Display Network

  • http://headred.net/ Sukh Singh

    I think they rolled monetized content out way too soon, google+ hasn’t got enough buzz or authority yet with people, apart from the authority it’s placed on the platform itself by pushing it in SERPs. Aside from professionals, and “a few” friends in the UK, I don’t know anyone who spends time on G+ yet!

  • http://www.nathanielbailey.co.uk/ Nathaniel Bailey

    Don’t get me wrong, I already said I agree that promoting your social accounts can be good and important for some campaigns, but…

    I just see this as another attempt for google to get more people using its social network at a cost to those already on it. In other works, your paying google when google should be paying you to bring them traffic and more users!

  • Ronnie’s Mustache

    I’ll pass.

    Don’t really don’t want to direct customers and potentials to the G+ usability landfill.

  • Shane Hopkins

    Wow, a bit surprised about the confusion regarding this business model. Social engagement, inbound marketing, brand awareness, etc are all
    entirely different things. You do not have to hard-sell all the time to
    build a successful brand/business. You don’t always have to send traffic directly to YOUR website to become an authority figure, or to become socially excepted. Paying to be a part of a specific
    social discussion, or social group makes sense and is absolutely valuable no matter who owns the platform or what domain the discussion takes place. If #Ritz
    wants to pay to have a (Google+) picture of its new cracker displayed
    all over the web, and the ad links to the Ritz Google+ page, where there
    are many people discussing the cracker…..this is strengthening the
    community of like-minded people who like Ritz by joining them together
    in a virtual environment. This is no different than a bunch of people
    hanging out at a Monster Energy Drink Booth at an #xgames event. Does the XGames pay Monster to sponsor the event? NO. Don’t over-think it too much. Those of you who are wanting to “cut out the middle man” and send traffic directly to your own site are missing the point of Social Engagement. – Moneymakerspy.com

  • Shane Hopkins

    The lack of pros and friends spending time on Google+ should trigger a big flag in your marketing brain that says: “This space is easy to dominate”.

  • Shane Hopkins

    Wow Ronnie, your profile pic, username, comment, and pessimistic point of view, will ensure that your “DCs & Potentials” also take a “pass”, and go to a more optimistic competitor. I am amazed by the amount of business people who expect so much and contribute so little. Moneymakerspy.com

  • http://headred.net/ Sukh Singh

    I was actually saying lack of friends on there really Shane, and I suppose you could dominate in terms of having a lot of content on there, but re engagement and referrals…who’s going to +1, share and click through to the content if the mainstream aren’t even down with this platform yet?

  • Ronnie’s Mustache

    Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop the clock!

    I owe much of my fame, fortune, treasures and well-being to Google’s services. But G+, just isn’t something I’m on-board with yet. …in spite of what Guy Kawasaki predicts/preaches.

  • Shane Hopkins

    Understood, but don’t most of us market in niches that are not mainstream anyway. You do not have to market on a mainstream platform to be successful. I’ll take 3 loyal customers over 15,000 Facebook likes any day. Brand awareness can be built in laser-targeted sub-cultures. just sayin!

  • Shane Hopkins

    Understood, but don’t most of us market in niches that are not mainstream anyway. You do not have to market on a mainstream platform to be successful. I’ll take 3 loyal customers over 15,000 Facebook likes any day. Brand awareness can be built in laser-targeted sub-cultures. just sayin!

  • http://headred.net/ Sukh Singh

    Good point Shane, I suppose I was thinking more generally and not looking too much at the benefits of gaining those re-occurring leads from a niche, mostly through frustration of google’s biased authority placed on the platform that I have to use! Well I’m always a student, thanks for the input!

  • Shane Hopkins

    Sukh – Thank you, AND – I totally share your frustration with Google! In fact I tend to spend a lot more time now optimizing for Bing, Yahoo, and specific social networks only because it makes me a happier person. When I was solely focused my marketing & SEO efforts with Google, I was not a pleasant person to be around and was loosing friends on a consistent basis! That said, we have to acknowledge the fact that there are still very good opportunities most everywhere we look, even if they take us outside of our comfort zone.

  • Shane Hopkins

    Right on Ronnie, I was jerking your chain a bit… Sometimes we all need a little dose of overly-optimistic input. -Moneymakerspy.com

  • disqus_25uLCTdQEl

    Since Google is trying to get people to use G+ I wanted to find out if the domain speculators were trying to acquire the PostAds.com name. With G+ announcement about + Post Ads for G+ Content, the rumors were all over about the purchase of the name, or possible teaming up to use PostAds.com rich GUI classifieds that uses features of the new browsers. At least at the moment the site is free to use, but not sure if that will continue, and with Google’s deep pockets it might just me matter of time.

  • Ken Moore

    As the C.E.O. of PostAds .com I can assure everyone that no one has contacted me about the acquisition or partnering with Postads.