It may not come as a big surprise to you that Google is trying to beat Facebook. And Twitter is trying to figure out how to monetize. And it’s been a big week for both with Google +1 and Twitter follow launching.
Sean McGinnis wrote an introductory piece on +1 and the future of search here a couple of weeks ago, before it was launched to most English-speaking websites. It’s here now!
The thing I like about both is you don’t have to direct people to leave your site in order to follow you on Twitter. Likewise a person can like your website or blog, just like they would for Facebook, but this time it hits their Google profile.
One of the scary things about social media is it’s constantly changing and technology companies race to beat one another to be the new, shiny penny.
So, if you focus less on the new tools, and more on how to drive people to something you own (e.g. your website or blog), you won’t lose customers and prospects when a tool dies. Nor will you have to transfer all of those people to a new technology.
They’re already in a place that you own and you can try the new technologies without losing them. Hence, Twitter follow and +1.
It’s easy to install them both on your site right now.
Twitter Follow
1. Go to their site (link here) and follow the three-step process.
2. Preview your button.
3. Copy the HTML code.
4. Paste the code in your website or blog, where you’d like it to appear.
+1
1. Go to their site (link here) and follow the four-step process. You’ll want to make sure you’re logged into Google. It won’t work if you use your corporate/work account.
2. Go to Google and search for your website or blog. Make sure you search for it; don’t type the URL.
3. When you find what you searched for, you’ll see a +1 button next to the URL (in the search results).
4. Make sure your popups aren’t blocked.
5. Click the +1 button.
6. Viola! Your website and/or blog now are made visible in your individual or the company’s profile.
In less than 15 minutes you can be using these new tools, driving customers and prospects to something you own, and begin to collect data in order to better serve their needs.