Google recently announced it will be shutting down the consumer version of Google Plus over the next ten months. It will be turned off permanently for consumers in August 2019, while a repurposed version will remain for the sake of corporate communications.
This announcement comes on the heels of a previously undisclosed data breach – Google just recently revealed that user profile data on up to 500,000 profiles had been exposed. Further, 438 applications were found to be exploiting the security flaw.
In a blog post announcing the decision, Google said that engagement with the platform was low. In fact, they said that 90% of Google Plus sessions were under 5 seconds. This number speaks not only to the very low number of users, but also the limited amount of quality content and potential audience for marketers.
While engagement was low, there are still a number of things marketers should be doing to prepare for the shutdown of Google Plus.
5 Things Marketers Need to Do Before Google Plus Shuts Down
Marketers have 10 months to ensure the shutdown of Google Plus doesn’t negatively impact them in any way. There are 5 things you should be doing before Google Plus shuts down:
Nurture Existing Followers into Other Social Channels
Some followers on Google Plus may only be following your business on that channel. It will be wise to post the handles of your other social media accounts and explain to Google Plus followers that they can find the same great content there after the platform shuts down. This will help avoid any loss in engagement or reach.
Remove Website Links That Point to Google Plus Accounts
It’s common practice to link to all social media accounts on a corporate website. However, before Google Plus shuts down, the links to this account should be removed. Broken links can negatively affect SEO for the entire website, so making sure these links are removed can help avoid a loss in ranking.
Manage Social Post Scheduling Preferences
A lot of companies use marketing automation software to schedule social media posts far in advance. This is a convenient way to ensure posts go out on time. However, marketers should make sure they’re pulling back on their Google Plus posts now, and eventually taking it out of their scheduling entirely.
Review Analytics While They’re Still Available to Replicate Successes
Over the course of your marketing efforts on Google Plus, it’s possible there were a few campaigns that were particularly successful. While the platform’s still available, it makes sense to go through historical analytics to find any past successes and see if they can be replicated on other channels in the future.
Keep an Eye Out for the Next Rising Platform
While Google Plus was never a major social media platform, it does leave some room for the next rising channel to fill its shoes and potentially grow into something even bigger. The social media landscape is always changing – keeping an eye out for the next promising channel can keep you ahead of the trends and ahead of your competitors.
Google Plus never lived up to its potential. Engagement was always low, and marketers weren’t likely to see much results from this platform. However, its shutdown is still important and marketers have to prepare.
Completing the five tasks above will ensure that the shutdown of Google Plus has no negative impacts on your marketing efforts.