Create Google+ Page For Your Brand & Use Direct Connect

Google has now started letting businesses create their own Google+ pages. An obvious competitor to Facebook Pages, Google+ Page works on the lines of this old Facebook feature, but with some difference. First of all, setting up a Google+ page is darn easy. All that you have to do is go to #-Link-Snipped-#. Pick the category of your business/organization/area, then proceed through the 3-4 steps that follow it and you have got the page up and running. In the steps of creating a Google+ page, you will find an "age selector option" that can be used by page admins to limit features to those over the age of 18.



Here's an official Google Video about Google+ pages -



A lot of well known companies have already set up their pages. For instance, you have, Pepsi, Angry Birds, Vodafone, Toyota, WWE among others available on Google+. These Google+ pages are indexed in google search results. Another more interesting feature about Google+ Page is that, users can find the brand names that they want to follow or add in circles by typing +on Google Search. This is called as 'Direct Connect'
So, now you can't use the traditional '+' operator in google searches that was useful for highlighting one or more keywords for getting exact search results for the words as they are typed.

See how 'Direct Connect' works -



Knowing the superiority of Google in search domain, the 'Direct Connect' feature is a cherry on the cake for Page admins.
You might ask want to know the difference between a Google+ Profile and a Google+ Page. There are subtle differences like, Google+ pages can't +1 other pages and unlike Facebook, don't support notifications. Google+ Page admins can't add people to circles until the page is added first or mentioned.

A cool feature of Google+ Pages is that, you can create your own circles which can then be selected as the viewers of a particular post. Presently Google+ provides readymade circles with the names “VIPs”, “Customers”, and “Team members”. Since, we have a direct comparison to Facebook pages, you will notice some stark shortcomings.

1. Followers can’t post directly to the wall of a Google+ Page.
2. If a follower mentions a page in his/her update, it wont be updated on the Google+ page.
3. Followers can not start discussions, the way they do on Facebook pages
4. Google+ Page has no facility right now for a separate landing page that appeals users to add them to their circles.

I have set up a page for CrazyEngineers, check here:
#-Link-Snipped-#
Google+ has promised to add more features to the social networking site in near future. What should these features be? Any guesses?