Google is well known for providing small business owners and entrepreneurs with a variety of useful tools to help them improve productivity and efficiency in their daily tasks.
From Google Drive to Google Docs and everything in between, the complete suite of Google apps is definitely at the top of the list of useful business tools and resources.
Google Hangout is no exception, and while many still aren’t aware of what exactly Google Hangout is and how it can help your business, its popularity is quickly growing as more and more business owners realize its potential and see the benefits of using it.
Google Hangout: What can you use it for?
This new addition to the Google suite of apps is essentially a limited social network, but designed with intentions towards businesses, (though anyone can use it if they so desire.) Its main focus is for video chats with friends, colleagues, and clients.
The potential for new methods of online marketing created by Google Hangouts is large. It is also easy to use, and meetings can be set up within seconds on any mobile devices.
How to use Google Hangout for marketing
Google Hangout’s most practical use if for setting up meetings with colleagues, clients, vendors, and others. Meetings can include up to nine people. If you require larger meetings, then you might want to use another web meeting app like UberConference for that purpose.
For expanded marketing reach, Google Hangout is a great way to converse with customers, introduce them to new products and services, and instruct them on product use or let them know about additional features and benefits. Not to mention, a customer with an issue will likely appreciate such a personal and attentive response.
Marketing videos
You can also use Google Hangout to record a meeting or presentation, and then post the video to YouTube.
It’s a great way to expand upon your marketing, as well as add videos to your company blog or website. You can also use it to promote items such as books, films, art gallery openings and shows, nightclubs, restaurants, and many other types of businesses.
It’s also a great way to post videos announcing new products or services, or generally anything related to your business that your customers and potentially many others might be interested in.
This is beneficial because a recording that can be viewed by many at their leisure has a much larger reach than a meeting with only nine people at a pre-determined time.
Improve communication
Just as you might have followers on Facebook, you can build a Google Hangout community and chat with them about industry news, or let them know about special promotions and offers.
You can also host informal interviews, and record the proceedings for later posting so that others can see it as well.
Service calls
Google Hangout can also be used to handle online service calls and technical support, or even coaching and mentoring.
Some examples of brands using Google Hangouts for their marketing promotion
1) New York Times
The famous Newspaper of New York, the New York Times uses Google Hangouts since a long time for promoting their marketing efforts, however one of the most remarkable Google Hangout conducted by them was in the year 2012, when they hosted their hangouts for the Olympics athletes.
Besides discussing about the main events with the Hangouts, the New York Times has also offered the users to use the Google hangouts for submitting their queries to the athletes, which has tremendously enhanced the user engagement rate for the New York Times.
2) Coca-Cola
One of the most renowned beverage companies of the world, Coca-Cola uses the Google Hangouts for posting its clips from fans across the globe for better user engagement and brand promotion.
It keeps on hosting hangouts with its brand ambassadors for offering the users a great opportunity to interact with them and ask questions related to the brand.
A few months back, Coca-Cola has hosted Google hangouts with its Coke racing team member and singer, Jason Derulo for offering its fans the unique chance to engage with the brand’s ambassador. This is a great way to interact with the brand ambassadors of Coca-Cola.
We’re pretty sure that once you start using Google Hangout, you’ll discover many other possibilities for marketing and promotion, as well as generally keeping in touch with your contacts and followers to improve brand recognition.
From new and improved ways to provide excellent customer support, to videos that really showcase exactly what it is your company or a product can do, Google Hangout is another excellent marketing tool from the ever-growing suite of useful tools and resources offered by Google for business owners and entrepreneurs.
Just remember to make sure that your Google+ profile is also up to date and completed, so that others can easily find you and connect with you.