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In what looks to be the last major feature push before the Christmas period, the Google team has today announced a number of new updates for Google+, delivering multi-admin controls, new notifications and +1 analytics.

After listening to user feedback after the public launch of Pages (which saw us reinstate our The Next Web account), Google now allows brands and businesses to nominate up to 50 named managers as administrators for a page — perfect for companies with large marketing and social media teams that previously needed to share login credentials.

Also dropping is a new notification flow that delivers all of the activity on a page, giving admins the chance to keep an eye on conversations, messages and shares of their content.

In an effort to provide managers with a better idea of how Google+ users are interacting with page content, Google has combined counts of users that have engaged with a page, whether it be a +1 or the addition of a page to a circle.

To demonstrate the new features, Google has posted a new video which describes each of the new features and how to add them:

With additional page controls, Google has taken a step closer to providing users with access to features similar to Facebook Pages. Google says this is just the start of its page updates, we will of course notify you of them as they roll out.

this will help more businesses and organizations use g+

ClickZ News

Facebook Killing 'Become A Fan,' Embracing 'Like'

By Christopher Heine, ClickZ, Mar 29, 2010

Facebook is scaling back on the word "Fan" and ramping up usage of "Like" on brand pages. According to a confidential e-mail sent to ad agencies today, the social media site will change the "Become A Fan" button to read "Like" within the next few weeks.

When asked about the change, Annie Ta, spokesperson for the Palo Alto, CA-based company, confirmed via e-mail that the words on the button would be changed. But she wasn't able to offer other specifics about whether "Like" would replace "Fan" in other places on Facebook. "We're still working on some of the details, but brand Pages can still be referred to as 'Fan' Pages after the change," Ta replied.

Facebook, in the note to ad agencies, said it wanted to give the agencies advance notice about the change that could affect upcoming advertising campaigns or Facebook strategy.

Part of the confidential e-mail read: "Over time, as users adapt to the language change, we recommend that you invite people to connect to your Page by saying 'Find us on Facebook' or 'Like us on Facebook'. You may also choose to put more emphasis on your custom URL than you used to."

The e-mail also explained how the new "Like" button will be differentiated from the "Like" feature already seen in user updates.

How it may affect ads was also addressed in the e-mail to ad agencies. "Users will understand the distinction through explicit social context, messaging and aesthetic differences. An Engagement ad unit, capable of making connections, will feature the 'Like' button and show social context above it such as, 'John Doe and 3 of your friends like [Page Name].' Standard ad units, not capable of making connections, will simply feature the word 'Like' by itself, and may show social context above it that says 'John Doe and 3 of your friends like this ad.'"

 

Facebook users have been clicking the current "Like" feature nearly twice as often as the "Become A Fan" button, according to the memo. And the social site appears convinced using "Like" more often will increase engagement between consumers and brands.

The e-mail read: "'Like' offers a simple, consistent way for people to connect with the things they are interested in. These lighter-weight actions mean people will make more connections across the site, including with your branded Facebook Pages. We believe this will result in brands gaining more connections to pages since our research has shown that some users would be more comfortable with the term 'Like'. The goal is to get the most user connections so that you can have ongoing conversations in the news feeds of as many users as possible."

Scott Kleper, CTO for the San Francisco-based social marketing firm Context Optional, suggested that the change could indeed create greater engagement as Facebook intends. "Becoming a fan of a brand is perceived as a large commitment and is an important measurement metric... 'Liking' can be another great driver of awareness and an opportunity for users to show an additional form of affinity," he said.

Scores of brands, such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Skittles, have cultivated online communities on Facebook.

You can follow Christopher Heine on Twitter at @ChrisClickZ.

Customers are no longer just customers. They not longer sit in front of the tube and absorb messages from self declared authorities or people who play doctors on TV. At the very least, even with the traditionally no-brains medium of television, viewers are encouraged to call in, ask questions or vote on the most talented singer. At a more advanced level, people are providing the content, commentary via comments, technological infrastructure, design, acting, video production and everything else involved in producing, consuming and interpreting content. By the time that someone has participated, even in the most rudimentary level in this process, they are more media and business savvy. This creates a more critical consumer who can see past hype, misdirection and has the resources to independently vet claims.

this is the shift I describe to clients, to friends and family, passersby: marketing has to change with the consumer!

Are there differences between B2B and B2C marketing strategies? Sure. However, regardless of industry, there is always something to learn from a company that has developed and executed a marketing campaign successfully. Today, we are going to look at some B2C social media marketing efforts and determine what lessons can be applied to B2B organizations.

Lesson 1: Leverage traditional media to support social media marketing activities.

Vitamin Water, the popular consumer beverage brand, has for many months now used its traditional advertising budget to help drive engagement on the brand’s Facebook page. As you can see in the ad below, now they have even begun running spots dedicated to promoting their new flavor creator Facebook applications.

While I know that most B2B companies don’t run paid media on TV, most have some type of paid media budget for trade publications and online advertising. The lesson from Vitamin Water is simply that if you are trying to support online engagement, whether on a blog, Facebook page, or something else, then make sure all of your communications drive customers there.

Lesson 2: Anything can be interesting when you focus away from the product and toward how customers use it.

If the folks at King Arthur Flour can make flour interesting and compelling I would argue that any B2B company out there can do the same with their product or service. For years now King Arthur has brought flour to life on its corporate blog, and developing a community of supporters who regularly leave comments and feedback. They did this not by telling people how great their flour was, instead they showcased all the great thing flour can make and through that process built trust. Too often, B2B organizations focus on the product and what makes it so great, but on the social web it is how the product makes customers great that it is the defining success factor.

Lesson 3: Bridging online and offline communications generates successful engagement

Believe it or not beer and B2B marketing are related, maybe just not in the way you are thinking. One of my favorite marketing campaigns recently was from Molson, The Canadian Beer producer whose Association of Party Pros campaign connected real-word partying with online contests and rewards.

Sure it is a cool idea, but the overall theme here is that B2B social media marketing isn’t about building a Facebook or Twitter page. It is about connecting customers with your brand online and offline by giving them authentic engagement. How can you create this for your customers?

What else do you think that B2B could learn from B2C?

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b2b marketing has always been more about relationships than promotion, so it is not surprising that b2b marketing works so well in a social context. the learning curve is on the tools, not the concept.