Social marketers and mobile marketers alike have reason to pay attention to Google+. Today, Apple released an app for the iPhone that lets social enthusiasts connect to Google+ on the go.
Apple emphasizes that the Google+ app (like Google+ itself) is designed to help users share content with the right people. “Google+ for mobile makes sharing the right things with the right people a lot simpler,” says the iTunes store description of the free app.
Indeed, content marketing efforts that achieve social shares might arguably be rewarded by Google’s social network more than other social channels. In addition to being shared on Google+ profiles, content that users +1 will be denoted on the Google SERPs, adding a layer of social advocacy to search results.
The development of Google+ for iPhones now brings a new level of marketing potential to the social channel with respect to this mobile audience. Apple explains that “no matter where you are, the stream lets you stay in the loop about what your friends are sharing and where they’re checking in.” The “checking-in” features might be especially of interest to local businesses that are hoping to catch foot traffic from nearby shoppers.
Extending Google+ to iPhone users also helps marketers who are able to create shareable content (and eventually branded Google+ Pages for businesses) reach a growing audience. A recent survey from ChangeWave indicates that 46 percent of consumers planning to buy a new smartphone in the next 90 days will opt for an iOS device.
