Now as skeptical as I was about Google Plus at first, I have to say I’m really starting to love it. Google finally seems to get social. This platform- while very easy to use- offers countless opportunities to make this social media platform unique and spectacular. In fact, the innovation is already starting to happen.
Earlier this week, KOMU News, the NBC affiliate in mid-Missouri, did a live Google Hangout, which is the live group video chat feature on Google Plus, on-air. The segment showcased what Google Plus was, and allowed the ten people, who were on Google Hangout, to talk about their experiences to all of KOMU’s TV viewers. It’s social TV at its core. People online on Google+ explaining what they thought about it to people watching the newscasts on TV or on their Web-enabled mobile device, tablet or computer.
Now, this is a simple concept, but it opens up a world of opportunities. For journalists, the possibilities of using Google Hangout to reach out and create dialogue with sources is limitless. I am going to venture off and say more stations will be harnessing this power in the very near future.
But, I want to take Google Hangout’s endless potential a step further. This could potentially be the next game-changing marketing tool. Here’s a few possibilities.
1. Instant Focus Group
Now, focus groups are expensive and time-consuming. With Google Hangout, this provides marketers an unprecedented (and cheap!) opportunity to find out what their consumers think about their company, products, etc. in real-time and for free. Every time, you start a hangout you have the potential to connect with 10 people and get their likes, dislikes and suggested improvements. You do that 10 times. You have now connected with 100 people. Imagine how much you can extract from that, and what that could mean for your business?
2. Improved Customer Service
Live chat is nothing new, when it comes to IM. A lot of places are using that in addition to their regular call centers. That’s great. There are also brands responding to inquiries on Facebook and Twitter. The brands that take advantage of this are already reeling in the rewards in terms of increased sales, customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Now imagine if those community managers running their company’s brands on Facebook and Twitter hopped on Google Hangout everyday. Think about how much of a difference that seeing a person and making eye contact (via a webcam) could help when solving customer complaints.
3. Enhancing Brand Advocacy
Right now, Google hangouts are limited to 10 people. That offers instant exclusivity. Why not use this as a way to honor your most loyal customers and brand advocates? Use it to talk to them, listen to their ideas and offer exclusive deals.
In addition, as Google Hangout and the rest of the Google+ features mature, the opportunities for marketers and journalists to use the features for innovative purposes will only grow exponentially. I can see a world where concerts are broadcasted here. News breaks here and so on.
What do you think? Will Google+ Hangout breed innovative marketing and/or journalism practices? Please leave your comments below.
*Disclaimer: KOMU-TV is owned by the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I worked there as a student journalist. Go Tigers!*
[…] best practices for G+, while also starting dialogue about a host of other issues. For instance, she, along with Sarah Hill, led the first ever live Google+ Hangout on KOMU-TV. They now host live hangouts routinely during their 5 p.m. newscast. This allows a small […]