Google+ introduced +Post ads to a limited number of advertisers last December as a way to turn Google+ content into ads that run across the Google Display Network. Google has announced that starting today +Post ads will now be available to all advertisers.
Highlighted in Google’s announcement are several case studies from brands and businesses who have seen significant boosts in engagement compared to the industry average for rich media ads.
In addition, Google is also doing a trial run of two new advertising features:
Promoted Hangouts on Air
You will now be able to monetize your Hangout on Air with +Post ads that lets users take specific actions before, during, and after the broadcast.
Promoting a Hangout on Air means it will be broadcast in an ad unit across the Google Display Network, where users can click to tune in on Google+ or simply watch directly from the ad unit.
Automatic Post Promotion
You now have the option to automatically promote your most recent post from a Google+ page, and pay only when people engage with it.
How To Set Up A +Post Ad
If you want to set up a +Post ad for your Google+ page, it first needs to meet a few minimum requirements:
- Your Google+ page must have at least 1,000 followers.
- Your post should contain content that’s relevant to your audience.
- You have opted in to shared endorsements for Google+ pages.
Provided you meet those requirements, you can go ahead and create a +Post ad. Larry Kim of Wordstream already went through the process and published a detailed walkthrough on his blog.
Here are the basic steps:
- Create a new Display Network Only campaign in AdWords
- Set your device targeting options and daily budget.
- Choose Google+ Ad template.
- Choose which Google+ page to promote content from.
- Pick a recent post to promote.
That’s all there is to it. Just a few more steps than creating an ad on Facebook, but still pretty quick and painless. Do you see yourself using +Post ads now that they’re widely available?
