Brands should not set up Google+ profiles according to Google – yet

Google is leaking hints

We suspected Google would launch an enterprise version of Google+ or offer an alternative for brands, but we wondered when the product release didn’t include any hints as to how they would encourage brands to use the new product. Tonight, Google+ Project Ads Lead, Christian Oestlien updated his personal Google+ profile with a video and notes about Google+ Business, outlining why brand shouldn’t jump into Google+ quite yet.

Oestlien notes that several companies have already began using Google+ but as per the video above, he urges companies to hold off. “How users communicate with each other is different from how they communicate with brands, and we want to create an optimal experience for both. We have a great team of engineers actively building an amazing Google+ experience for businesses, and we will have something to show the world later this year,” he said.

Consumer and brand profiles will look and function differently and at Google, they “are discouraging businesses from using regular profiles to connect with Google+ users. Our policy team will actively work with profile owners to shut down non-user profiles.”

Your brand profile will be removed

In other words, if you input the effort as a brand or brokerage rather than an individual, the profile will be taken down. It makes sense if they are offering Google+ Business later in the year, especially if functionality is different (as it should be). Think of it as Facebook pages versus Facebook personal profiles- user behavior is different when addressing one over the other and willingness to connect or tone chosen differs as well.

Before launching, Google will be “experimenting” with a few select partners as a pilot program to test features for businesses and we suspect they will be watching how each partner uses it, analyzing their feedback, and ultimately we believe they will analyze which revenue streams they will pursue.