Have you started planning your marketing strategy for 2012? What will likely be the next big thing to effectively promote your business?

My bets are on Google+ and Linkedin to give business a boost in 2012. Along with your traditional marketing plans, I would suggest getting your Google+ account now and getting familiar with the similarities and differences compared to Facebook. Start inviting friends to be part of your circles and set up your business page. Get a Free Guide at Hub Spot

The cool thing (or not) about Google+ is you can’t hide here, you actually have to be a “person” first then create your business page. Of course I am sure there will be ways around it, like so many set up their personal page as a business in Facebook.  But on Google+ profiles can only be made for People while the Pages , can be made for a variety of entities. Google+ also features a video chat application for your circles, this will be very useful for business, family and groups.

Another unique feature on Google+ is that Pages have a +1 button where profiles can click if they like you. You can add the code to your web site, blog and of course the more +1’s the better for Google searches. According to Hub Spot, Websites using the Google+1  button gets 3.5X more Google+ visits.

Linkedin created a new Company feature this fall which many smaller businesses have still not taken advantage of yet. You can create a company profile, add employees and post business information for really effective networking results. More ideas here for Linkedin company profiles. Linkedin is a great resource when searching for a contact with a new potential customer and networking possibilities and revenue potentials are vast on this social media site. Make sure to get your fair market share on Linkedin!

As with anything, the more you plan, the more you take the guess work out of how your business will fare in the New Year’s economy. My best wishes to you and your business success for many years to come!

Happy New Year Planning!

Kathy Kane

Market Insights, LLC