What is Google+?

Google+ is Google’s foray into social networking, but it’s more than that.  It’s Google’s attempt to figure out sharing and why people go to different sites. And, oh yeah, it’s also indexed by the No. 1 search engine in the world.  Google+ is already integrated with YouTube, Blogger, Gmail, Picasa Web, Reader, and Google Music, so it’s worth paying attention to.

Who’s On It?

Google+ already has more than 62 million people signed up and an estimated 625,000 people are added each day.  If Google+ continues to grow at this rate, the social media platform will have 100 million users by the end of February.  While not nearly that many people are active users yet, there’s a collective feeling that users are “waiting for the party to start.”  If you want to see who’s on the social network, search for individuals on FindPeopleOnPlus.com.  Some brands already using Google+ include Diet Coke, Volkswagen and Intel.

Where Do Brands Fit In?

Because public posts go quickly to Google search results and more people are joining everyday, it’s worth considering setting up a Google+ page for your business.  If you do, don’t forget to add a Google+ button to your website too because not only will the content posted your page end up in Google’s search results, Google also adds up all the “+1” clicks your brand receives on Google+, on your company website and in search results to determine your brand’s relevancy.

Therefore, Google+ could be beneficial to increasing a brand’s visibility and providing an audience that is likely to share the content.  For example, it could be a good place to direct people to watch video content (since it’s shareable) or you can use your account to search for people asking questions related to your business.  You can even conduct a Hangout (video chat) with up to 10 people for meetings.

How Will People Find Your Brand’s Page?

Google has released Google Plus Direct Connect that allows Google users who add a “+” after the name of a company to be sent directly to the business’ page for Google+. Your company will be added to the directory once you create the Google+ button for your brand page and company website.  Be aware, however, that, just like Facebook brand pages, Google+ won’t allow you to add people – your fans must find you first.  A brand cannot add a person to its page’s circles unless the person has added the brand to his or her circles first.

Of course you’ll want to make sure Google+ (and social media in general) is an appropriate tactic to support your marketing, communications and branding strategies, and you’ll want to ensure you have the resources to properly build and manage the page.  For example, did you know Google+ doesn’t currently allow contests and promotions on Google+ pages?  The platform is brand new so it’s important to stay current on the latest information.  See what others are doing, stay up-to date on social media changes and trends by reading the NST Blog and sites like Mashable, and then begin brainstorming ways you could use Google+ to build your business.

How Do You Use It?

Once you determine you have the resources to manage a page, it’s time to determine who will be a part of that team.  As of Monday morning, Google announced you can now delegate up to 50 managers as administrators for your page, but you’ll want to make sure those able to access your page can communicate within your company’s guidelines.  Also, a new notification flow will ensure that these managers stay in the loop on all the activity that takes place on a page, giving managers the ability to stay involved in page conversations.  Google+ will also show an aggregated count of users that have engaged with your brand page, either by +1’ing it or by adding it to a Circle.  This way, both you and your brand page’s visitors can get an at-a-glance summary of who is interacting with your page. For more details, check out the Google blog.

Google has launched a pilot program that has granted a few companies early access to third-party apps like HootSuite, Involved and Buddy Media to manage their Google+ brand pages, but until these apps are rolled out to all companies and personal users, you’ll have to regularly spend time within the program (which we’d recommend doing anyway).

If you have questions about Google+, would like help drafting your company’s social media guidelines, or want to determine if Google+ should be a part of your marketing plan, please let us know and we’d be happy to help.

It is hard to believe 2011 has almost come to a close and we are about to ring in a brand new year. Take a look at some of the many things the NST team did this year (hint: for some of us it involved Disney, jumping out of a plane or “tying the knot”).

How NST Spent 2011 from NSTPR on Vimeo.

In December, many publications, analysts, reporters and columnists rush to put together their “top 10,” “best of” or “worst of” lists recapping events in the past year and making predictions for the next. We’re all about lists (Come on, we’re PR people. We can’t help but love concise delivery of a message.), but instead of creating our own, we thought we’d share some of the lists that resonated with us, as well as some views on what to expect in 2012:

The Top 10 Best and Worst Communicators of 2011

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/44113.aspx

Social Networking Lessons of 2011
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222413

Top 10 Viral Videos of 2011

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/09/the-top-10-viral-videos-of-2011/

Top 7 PR Disasters of 2011

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/Top_7_PR_disasters_of_2011_44046.aspx

Marketing’s Biggest Social Media Blunders of 2011
http://adage.com/article/special-report-book-of-tens-2011/marketing-s-biggest-social-media-blunders-2011/231503/

#PRin2012: 12 Trends That Will Change Public Relations

http://prsay.prsa.org/index.php/2011/12/19/12-trends-for-public-relations-in-2012/

8 Social Media Trends for 2012
http://spinsucks.com/social-media/eight-social-media-trends-for-2012/

5 Things PR Pros can expect in 2012

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10255.aspx

We’d love to hear your comments/additions to this list.

As a public relations firm, we’re inherently creative in the work we do. Whether creating a unique brochure, brainstorming new tactical recommendations or developing an unorthodox problem-solving strategy, we all play a part in developing fresh and innovative solutions for our clients.

As Teresa mentioned in a recent blog post, NST recently added a new core value to the way we do business – to not accept the status quo and focus on constant learning and exploration – and creativity is a big part of that.

But, being creative is easier said than done. It’s not necessarily an inherent trait that we do or do not possess, but instead a skill that we can sharpen. I recently stumbled upon an article from Psychology Today that explored this notion of creative thinking. Here are some of my favorite bits and pieces:

•  Believe in your creativity – “Creative people believe they are creative. People who believe they are not creative, are not.”
•  “Creative thinking is work.” And sometimes the results aren’t perfect, or even (gasp) down right bad.
•  “There is no one right answer … Nothing kills creativity faster than self-censorship of ideas…”
• “Expect the experts to be negative.” Beware of the been-there-tried-that mentality.
• “Always approach a problem on its own terms.” Not yours. Leave your own bias off the table.
•  “Don’t get discouraged.”
•  “There’s no such thing as failure,” as long as you learned something from it.

Take a look at the full article, which contains some great anecdotes on how some of the greatest minds in history exhibit these traits.

Creativity, embracing risk, questioning, systems thinking, collaboration, communication and worldview – these are among the skills needed for the 21^st century, according to Grant Lichtman, chief operating officer at the Francis Parker School.

Lichtman – who was a guest speaker at LEAD San Diego’s IMPACT session dedicated to K-12 education – advocated that there is a disconnect between what we teach and what we want students to learn. The day was filled with discussions related to facts and figures on the educational system and potential solutions from various speakers, including Lichtman who says the world is changing at a dramatic rate, yet our educational system is not.

While his presentation was focused mainly on how we develop current and future students into individuals who possess the needed 21^st century skills, I couldn’t help but also think about how we – as business leaders – instill and foster these skill sets among our current workforce.  I viewed the discussion through the eyes of someone who works in a field in which these skills are not only desirable, but necessary to survive.

The industry in which I work – like many other industries – can no longer get by on a set-in-stone knowledge or skill set. We must evolve. We must think critically. We can’t rely upon knowledge “professed” to us in college. We must come up with new solutions – and not be afraid to fail every once in a while. We also need to know not only how to “play nice in the sandbox,” but also how to engage in real collaboration for sustainable solutions to business challenges … and today, that often happens across borders and among different cultures.  It’s from this perspective that innovation and creativity is born.

How we instill these 21^st century skills in children is therefore an important task. Also critical is how we nurture these skill sets for those who are currently in the workforce.  Programs, like those offered through LEAD San Diego, do just that.

At NST, we recently completed our annual retreat in which we reviewed our mission, vision and values and I’m proud to say that we adopted a new value this year, one that – while we’ve been practicing it, we’ve never put it on paper – focuses on the notion that we push ourselves and each other. It’s about not accepting the status quo. It’s about continual learning and exploration. It’s about feeding our sense of curiosity – and to not do it is no longer an option.

Teresa Siles (@tsiles) is vice president and director of social media at Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, a full-service public relations firm in San Diego focused on creating conversations and building relationships to help clients succeed.