Not many social media tools enable a Syrian native living in America with his newborn baby to virtually see his family for the first time in 18 years. It’s now possible using Google+ and its new app “Hangouts,” a powerful way to connect people around the world using live multi-way video chats among up to 10 simultaneous users.
This was the opening story at a Puget Sound American Marketing Association event I recently attended. The presenter, Amit Fulay, product manager for Google+ Hangouts, used his Syrian friend as an example to showcase the powerful impact Hangouts can have. Hangouts allowed Amit’s friend, his friend’s sister in Dubai, his mother and father in Syria, and other family members around the world to virtually congregate for the first time in nearly two decades.
Not only can Google+ Hangouts dramatically impact personal experiences, it also can impact how people engage with brands, businesses and other key audiences. We recently posted a blog on Google+ detailing the benefits of adopting a page and offering guidance on how to get started with Hangouts and Circles. (A Circle allows individuals to group his or her followers.)
While Amit’s presentation reinforced our impression that Google+ is likely to have a big impact on businesses, the most successful users of this new platform are the ones who recognize that different groups care about different things and target their messages accordingly. With Hangouts, Google+ now offers any person or business a great opportunity to make sharing information more targeted, personal and integrated.
Several other success stories Amit shared about Google+ include:
- Dell: Known for technology services, devices and support, Dell has created an impressive presence on Google+. CEO Michael Dell hosts Hangouts to engage with the public and establish a personal connection with Dell’s customers. According to an article published by GigaOM, Dell also is considering hosting customer service through Hangouts as well, moving beyond the traditional call-center environment.
- Dallas Cowboys: This NFL team is considered one of the most successful brand pages on all of Google+. Some 16,300 people have added the Dallas Cowboys to their personal Circles and the team recently had multiple players participate in Hangouts to connect with these fans and answer their questions. Although Hangouts only allows 10 participants at one time, with the Hangouts On Air feature, a Hangout can be broadcast to other viewers who are able to watch the proceedings in real time. The feedback from fans has been very positive.
- Will.i.am: Famed producer, rapper and frontman for the Grammy-winning “Black Eyes Peas” broadcast a concert in Central Park via Hangouts. In between sets during the concert, he shared the behind-the-scenes activities with thousands of fans across the globe. The Hangouts he hosted received an overwhelmingly positive response, and by using the Hangouts On Air feature, it was recorded, archived, edited and pushed to YouTube for further viewing.
- AKB48: This unique 59-women music group sent Google+ viral as the new social media tool in Japan. Google+ has the ability to translate comments, posts and more on AKB48’s brand page into various foreign languages for people around the world who want to know what is happening with the group. Similar to Will.i.am’s efforts, AKB48 hosts Hangouts with fans and broadcasts concerts. In addition, the AKB48 brand page connects to separate Google+ pages for each member of the band, making them more individual, personable and accessible to fans. This makes their overall brand page engaging, unique and exciting for fans around the world.
- Daria Musk: This talented musician is Google+’s first music star. She has an incredible story on her website describing a transformation from hopeful small town musician to world renowned singer/songwriter using Google+. On July 16, 2011, Daria hosted the first ever “pro-level Google+ Hangout Concert” in which she drew thousands of viewers and participants from around the world. On Daria’s website she explained audience members “came up with an etiquette of ‘rotating’ in and out of the 9 ‘front row seats’ inside the Hangout to let other people interact with me where we laughed, marveled at the technology and became friends as I played and sang through the night.” You can read more about Daria’s experience here.
Amit concluded the presentation by highlighting the key ways to achieve success on Google+:
- Make a brand page accessible, personal and engaging
- Segregate your customers for targeted communications
- Focus on organic experiences
- Think social and real time
- Plan for reach
- Broadcast, multicast and unicast
With these closing remarks, Amit intended to give each audience member a leg-up on getting their Google+ brand pages off and running.
Have you interacted with customers on Google+ Hangouts? How do you utilize the app? We would love to hear your comments and opinions about building a brand with Google+ Hangouts.
Katherine Turney