Bringing Events to Google’s social network is one of the most powerful feature a business or brand can utilise as part of their Google Plus marketing (Google+) effort.
This is because brands who embrace many of the features available on Google’s platform – as opposed to Facebook’s, for example – stand to make more visible gains in terms of getting their information listed in Google’s search engine results page (SERP).
Naturally a company as big as Google, which is keen to impress with its young social network, is more likely to promote events or broadcasts which showcase the company’s other assets – like its Shopping or Docs functionalities – rather than sending users away to its competitor’s offerings, like Facebook’s.
However, because it’s a relatively new update, not everyone will be as au fair with Google+’s new Events pages. If that’s you, then this is how you set up your Google+ Event.
Creating the Google+ event: Basics
Firstly, to use Google+, you’ve got to be a Google+ user! Once you’ve registered your account, sign in a click “Events” on the left-hand pane followed by the “Create Event” button at the top-right of the screen.
Fill in the following basic details about your event, which includes such information as the Event Title, Date and Location. After this, you’ll be offered to either invite your attendees by Name, Circle (your customised groups of Google+ users) or email.
Giving even more details for your Google+ Event
Under “Event Options”, you’ll be able to offer array of other helpful bits of information to complement your so-far basic event. For example, do you want to give your guests the option to invite others or add their own photos to the event?
Some events can be online-only too. If yours is the case, perhaps playing a video together, then make it a “Google+ Hangout” now.
You’re also offered at this point to give additional information, such as a website URL to back your event, a field denoting where people can buy tickets (if applicable), a YouTube link, or offer parking and travel information. This last option is handy for somewhere unfamiliar to your guests.
Get ready to publish your Google+ Event
Make sure you provide a meaningful image to your event page before publishing. This way everyone knows what its about instantly. You could even choose one of Google+’s themes, which include pictures to represent events such as birthdays.
Confirm it and share!
Hit “invite” to create your page and then make sure you “Share” the link in relevant places for your guests. Feel free to add photos or comment in the run up to the event at any time, as this will surely get the excitement flowing for your guests!
Now it is time for your guests to get involved. Let us see how it works.
You may have scheduled a dinner party at your favourite restaurant in Hampshire. You have 10 attendees in total. All of them have got the notification (on Google+ event) of this invitation on time. Now your guests can simply look at the event calendar for the date, time, venue and then decide whether to join or not. If they are available for the party they can simply click on “I’ll be there” button and confirm their participation. Thus you will come to know the actual number of your guests turning up. There is no need to call them up for confirmation.
Moreover, if the guests are not sure about the landmark of the restaurant, there is a Google map for help. They can simply browse the map to know exact location along with road directions. The advantage for you is that you don’t need to guide them individually on the addresses or road maps. It is like getting real-time updates on the event you have organised.
Thus Google+ event can really help you create, manage and update multiple events in a calendar year. You can also create an event via SMS. Just send a text message (with your event details) to the shortcode “GEVENT” (48368) and Google calendar will display it in your event calendar.
Isn’t it something we should be proud of Google for?
I would like to hear you all on this. Let Google knows what your expectations are.
