Google Friend Connect and Google Reader… An Internet Marketers Dream?

Google Friend Connect and Google Reader… An Internet Marketers Dream?

Google Reader for Your Social Marketing Plan

Using RSS readers makes it easy to aggregate information from sources of your choosing. Many people prefer to have a workstation-based RSS reader over web-based readers. That was also my preference until mid-last year. Have you looked at Google “Reader” lately?

With the recent update a few weeks ago it is more useful than in the past. It would be nice if they offered an RSS feed of Reader search results as they do with News search results. Perhaps this will be included in a future update. With the new ties into Google “Friend Connect”, Google “Reader” should be given strong consideration for any social marketing plan. Let me explain…

Google, Share and Share Alike

What “Reader” allows you to do is Share a news story from one of the feeds, and tag it with a note. Then your publicly shared feed is available, like this one, where you can also see notes just below each story title. This shared reader link is also available from Google user profile public page (mine is here …my shared reader is on the “What I’m Reading” link).

Recommendation: I think is important when sharing articles on your RSS feed, to tell your readers WHYyou are sharing it, and what is in the article that you feel would benefit them. This not only saves time for your readers, but it provides further value to them as your friends and followers…building relationships.

There are some other benefits (hint: SEO) of these shared articles which I will address in a future post. Now would be a great time to subscribe to the RSS feed here at MarketingProfessor.com (and add it to Google Reader).

Enter Your Friends RSS Reader

Taking it a step further, Google “Friend Connect” friends who share stories from Google Reader show up on the left hand side in the navigation panel. When expanding the shared item, you see their avatar and note just below the article title. This can become one of your social marketing strategies.

If you have ever used the Facebook email application the thumbnail picture of those you are messaging with is a reminder that you are dealing with real people, not just text. This has a similar effect for shared articles from Google Friend Connect friends. It also happens to be great for branding, and business, and should be part of any small business marketing or internet marketing plan.

Social Marketing with Google Reader

I’m not sure that Google Friend Connect and Google Reader yet qualifies as an internet marketers dream, but it sure catches the interest of those already engaged in social marketing.  If you are marketing online you should consider this for your social marketing strategy. To get started, click the Join button on the right hand column of this page, request me as a friend, and take a look at Google Reader.

What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comment boxes below.

How to Get Started with Google Friend Connect: No time like the present, right?  Go ahead and click the Join button in the Google Friend Connect box to the right where it says “Google Friend Connect …Join In”.  Login, and join the site.  If you don’t have a Google account, it will prompt you to create one.  Then review other site members, and add them as friends.

Image credits to Google Reader Blog