An Astronomer’s Advice: How to Be a Star on Google+

It’s a whole new world of Internet Marketing out there now that social media sites have become the big thing and that means we’ve got to change. SEO Service now involves getting links from all sorts of sources, whether you are promoting a local business or building a brand that you want to achieve nation or even global recognition. A lot still remains the same, but if you want to achieve those longterm results we focus on here at Top Marketing Strategies, then you will need to make sure social media is a strong part of your promotional efforts.


As regular readers will note, we have already given some great advice on optimizing your Facebook presence, but Facebook isn’t the only game in town. Google+ is closing in rapidly and despite some naysayers out there, we do believe this social media platform is one that has a bright future. Once you hear some of the tips from a recent interview with Fraiser Cain by Eric Siu of Search Engine Watch, you are going to see that the sky’s not the limit on Google+, for some of us it is just the start. 

Cain happens to be in a niche that many of us might never have thought of: astronomy. He publishes Universe Today, a space and astronomy news site. Now, while this might be what you would think is a small and super geeky niche, Cain thought otherwise and he set out to prove what he believed, that a lot of people actually are interested in the stars and planets around us. Turns out he was right and not only did he gain an actively engaged Google+ following, his site now gets 3 million visitors a month – up from zero. That’s pretty impressive in terms of top content marketing strategies and you have to tip your hat to Cain because he’s managed to build an impressive enterprise based on his passion, something many of us can certainly envy.


Spread That Google+ Profile Link All Over 


Cain has been with Google+ since it was first opened to the public and he wasted no time putting the site to use, finding followers and connecting in any way he could. One of the ways he did this was to leverage his main Universe Today site, which already had a decent audience prior to his signing up for Google+, to bring in more people.


As you can see, the strategy here is pretty simple. All he did was make sure that link was visible and then use good content to attract people and continually mention that they could connect with Universe Today over Google+. A lot of times, it is this repetition of the offer to connect that will help bring in new followers and this is true on most social networks. Many people do have unique preferences when it comes to how they consume content and they may appreciate options, perhaps using Facebook while on their phone and Google+ when at home on their primary PC, for example. The goal of spreading your Google+ profile link around as far and wide as you can is to give them one more way to stay up to date on your brand. 


We also want to note that Cain is doing personal branding, not just promoting Universe today. What is impressive about his efforts in that arena is that he has nearly 10 times the following of Universe Today: over 140,000 people. A lot of times, members of social media sites will be more inclined to follow people rather than brands or companies. This is why, whenever you can, it is a good idea to be promoting your brand yourself on the social media web as well as bringing in your employees who want to help out. That can do big things for your brand and add a human touch people often really enjoy.


Focus on Improving the Google+ Network Yourself


As an astronomer, Cain had a lot to offer his audience. He obviously has a solid education on a subject that a lot of people are not highly educated about, but are fascinated by. While we might be quick to claim this is why he succeeded, think about it this way: there are tons of other sources of high quality astronomy content online right now. All you have to do is run a search and you will come back with lots of different sites, including respected universities, scientific institutes, NASA and so forth. Cain didn’t let that slow him down and he did not sit back and complain that he wasn’t a .gov or .edu domain owner. Instead, he used what he knew to take things to the next level. 

Mentioned in a press release by NASA? If something on that level is not every Internet Marketer’s dream, I don’t know what is. Obviously, Cain has done something right and he has won over respected members of his community with the content he shares and the way he has marketed, as well. What is also inspiring is that as much as Cain relies on well written articles as core content for his marketing efforts, he didn’t stop there, either. Instead, he pioneered something really new and exciting that plugged right into his niche and the content he serves up.

Is this brilliant or what? Cain fearlessly plunges ahead and decides he is going to do something for Google+ instead of merely using the network for his own advantages. He is benefiting people in a big way by providing something they would not otherwise be able to experience and he’s educating them at the same time. The beauty is that with Google Hangouts, anyone could do this for their own niche and bring something to the table that really improves the lives of the target audience. There are few ways to win goodwill for yourself and your enterprise that are quite as potent as coming up with an idea like this. Consider, too, that Cain is not footing the expense for trying to do all of this the way he would be if he insisted on hosting the parties on his own network or tried to box in his market to extract more profits from them. Plus, it’s making him famous!


Bring in Important People to Speak to Your Audience 

Instead of trying to do all of the talking, Cain shares his social media presence with others by bringing in experts who can talk about subjects his audience is interested in. He taps other noted experts and journalists in his niche to make sure that his audience is getting what they want from those they can respect and trust. By doing this, he proves himself even more legitimate and trustworthy, also making sure that there is always something fresh and exciting for his audience to learn about.

So Cain is all about his audience, putting them first in his efforts and people have very clearly responded to that approach. Plus, what we see here is a content marketing strategy that helps build a following that goes beyond just Google+ or Pinterest or whatever social network you participate in. This is top-level brand building and contributing to a community you are involved in. It has massive benefits and it is something those of us in the Internet Marketing world can definitely benefit from understanding. We can become powerful entrepreneurs even outside of the web when we take the kind of progressive, dynamic approach that an innovator like Cain takes.


Keep the Flow Going a Little Each Day

The secret to updating your Google+ profile, according to Cain, is providing fresh and relevant content on a continual basis. He and his staff schedule regular updates so that there is a trickle of great stuff going out in his social media stream almost all day long. This helps make sure that avid readers get a good deal of content to consume (and spread) and that those who only check once in a while will still be reminded to come take a look at what his page is offering. People appreciate consistency and this is a good way to help build your following on Google+ or any other network out there.

Cain doesn’t do all the work himself, also having a Senior Editor he works with to curate good content and also to create it. This, along with announcements on his Star Parties and other events help keep his online presence a truly dynamic one. There are options out there that can help you with scheduling posts if you run your social media profiles on your own and these are worth considering because proper scheduling can vastly improve the number of people who end up seeing what you post.


Is Google+ Working for Your Business? 

Cain suggests to those who want to get started on Google+ that the secret is circling (the term for adding followers on the network) 200 or so people and then to begin interacting regularly. He’s seen great results and believes that the Author Rank concept is going to bring good results to those creating and sharing content in the years to come.

Some people still believe that Google+ is a sprawl with very few regular users, but other people are finding real success with it. We do use it and enjoy it, but what do you think about it? Has Google+ been a good way for you to market your brand? Have you seen a noticeable increase in traffic or are you still waiting on results? We want to hear your comments, suggestions and questions so we’re opening it up to you now. Leave us a comment below and we will get back to you as quickly as we can