By Jennifer St. James

Yes, I heard your collective sigh of frustration when you read that title. Yes, I know that every day seems to bring another form of Internet marketing that you just “have to” be using. But trust me when I say that this one is different. Who hasn’t heard of Google by now? Probably even people living under rocks have used Google to find out exactly what type of rock that is overhead.  Which is my point, really. Do you remember life before Google? I know, for the younger generation, life before Google didn’t exist, and for those of us above the Millennial age, remembering what we did before Google is more than a little hard to do.

And that’s why I know that Google+ is not just here to stay, it’s also going to start dominating the market. Soon. After all, you don’t see other search engine names being turned into a verb… “I’m going to go Bing that!” Said no one, ever. So, here are more specific reasons why property managers (as well as all business owners) should be on Google+ and using it as the fantastic tool it is:

1. Google+ Is Growing
I usually hear about Facebook in this department, and yes, it has seen some extraordinary growth—from its launch in 2004 to today, it has averaged about 111 million users per year, and now has about 1 billion users. Technically, Google+’s growth rate is four times that of Facebook—it launched in June of 2011, and has over 400 million users. Granted, only 100 million of them are active, but that will change very soon.

2. Google+ Is Linked To A Search Engine
This is no surprise, as Google created the world’s top search engine. But it seems like it’s been hard for people to understand that this is one of Google+’s selling points! Google+ is already affecting search results by identifying which results are posts by Google+ users, which has been proven to influence a searcher’s choice. Google, a trusted source, has qualified these people as trusted individuals, and therefore these results rank higher.

3. Only Users Can Review
Tired of fighting off those indiscriminate rants on Yelp or other review sites? Take solace in the fact that only Google+ users can leave reviews on your Google+ page. These users not only have to create a profile, but also the review they write will show up on their feed for anyone to see, creating an environment for less hysterical and more authentic reviews.

4. Google+ Has Hangouts
Want to talk directly to potential tenants or clients? Create a Hangout, where you can video chat with up to nine people simultaneously and instantly; share documents within that group; watch a YouTube video together and discuss it at the same time; share your screen with the group; and even record sessions or broadcast them. Businesses have been using this to share their expertise on a subject, do a Q&A session, showcase a demonstration and even go behind the scenes. Wouldn’t this be a great way to show off a property?

5. Remember, It’s Google
Which means we’ll all be using it soon, just like they’ve gotten us to use YouTube, Maps, Gmail and so many of their other product offerings. And the fact that they can tag on Google+ users and posts to their search results, which will create more and more prestige to being a Google+ user, and therefore more allure for everyone to jump on board.

6. Location, Location, Location
That’s what property management is all about, right? Property managers need to attract locals to fill the units, and Google’s local search results are linked directly to…a business’ Google Places profile. But guess what? Google Places is now Google+ Local, and now you have to be a user to leave reviews. Not sure how to create your Google+ Local account? Click here for our easy-to-use guide.

Everything Google does is to create more personalized search results, and any smart business owner should be finding out how Google can get them more business. Google+ is a boon if you use it right—heck, right now even using it at all will give you the edge over your competition who are still focused on Facebook. With Google’s proven successes in the past, there’s no time to lose.