10 Reasons Why Real Estate Professionals Should Be on Google+

Google+ continues to establish itself as one of the top social media platforms, especially in the world of real estate. In fact, according to Forbes magazine, Google+ is the second largest social network with 343 million active users. While you may be saturated with social media strategies and recommendations, Homes.com has outlined five compelling reasons why agents and brokers should use Google+ and get ahead of your competition to reach more prospects.

1. Google+ Circles - In an effort to eliminate the noise that has become overwhelming on other social channels, Google+ allows you to organize your contacts into groups ("circles") so that you can manage and share the content that is relevant to their interests. Organize your clients into circles with titles like First Time Homebuyers, Investors, Empty-Nesters, Prospects and others. So rather than scrolling through endless pictures of cats and home cooked meals, real estate professionals can save time by viewing and sharing only the content pertinent to them.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Benefits - While Google's social media platform was somewhat late to the social game, it's safe to say that Google is the leading search engine. This is a top reason why agents and brokers should be flocking to Google+. Unlike other social media posts, public posts on Google+ are indexed for Google searches and some could even rank at the top of search results and stay there for long periods of time. That alone is a big deal especially in terms of local marketing.

3. Google+ Communities – Join Communities relevant to your field and become a valued contributor there. Communities are the best way on Google+ for people who like discussing the same topic to discover each other. Extend your online presence as a real estate professional by joining communities like Real Estate Marketing, Real Estate Technology, and REALTORS® to keep up on and add your perspective to the latest news and trends.

4. Google+ Hangouts – give real estate professionals the opportunity to stay connected with their community from anywhere in the world. Make your busy schedule more manageable by hosting virtual property tours, setup meetings with clients or prospects, and host discussions all in real time and directly from your mobile device or desktop. Further, if someone missed the Hangout or if you want to use it for promotional purposes, you can publish the previously recorded Hangout to your personal or company page and your YouTube channel.

5. Google+ and YouTube – Video based content has become the new hype in marketing, especially in the real estate industry. According to a joint survey by the National Association of REALTORS® and Google, 86 percent of home shoppers research videos to find out more about a specific community and YouTube is their top video research destination. This is why the integration of Google+ and YouTube is such a valuable tool for real estate professionals. Since YouTube now requires its users to have a Google+ account in order to share and view videos, take advantage of this by providing your clients and prospects with the digital assets they're looking for!

6. Google+ Local and Reviews – Establish yourself in the local community with Google+ Local for brokerages and the Reviews tab on personal profiles for agents. Use these tools as a means of collecting reviews and feedback from clients to use in agent and broker promotions and in building your reputation as a local expert.

7. Google Analytics – Measure the activity on your page and identify the types of content that your followers are engaging with the most or the least. This data will illustrate what they're most interested in and can be used to provide more value in the future as to what you should and should not post to get attention.

8. Google+ Ripples – In addition to measuring the return on your content, Google+ Ripples provides a detailed visual map of how and where your public content has penetrated the web. Ripples is a unique way to view your content in real time as people engage with it. This makes it easy to follow key influencers and learn what content is most compelling to your audience.

9. Google+ Mobile – Life in the real estate industry is fast paced and usually requires a lot of work to be done on the go, which is why Google+ Mobile is such a valuable asset for real estate professionals. Using Google+ Mobile allows you to host Hangouts to make those across town meetings with clients and prospects, post pictures of your listings, and even edit previously published posts right from your mobile device.

10. HomesPro on Google+ – And lastly, what top 10 list wouldn't be complete without inviting you to follow our own Google+ page? As a dedicated resource for connecting real estate professionals with homebuyers and sellers, come and see for yourselves how HomesPro is using Google+ to provide value to you!

To view the original article, visit RISMedia.