Want to increase your Google Plus +1’s and encourage more people to recommend your content? Looking for simple ways to improve engagement and build a stronger social media presence?

Google Plus once gave businesses an opportunity to share content, connect with customers and encourage recommendations through its +1 feature.

Here are ten simple techniques businesses could use to increase their Google Plus engagement.

Here’s a summary of what’s covered:

• Optimise Your Google Plus Profile to Attract More Followers
• Share Valuable Content That People Want to Recommend
• Post Regularly to Keep Your Audience Interested
• Use Eye-Catching Images to Increase Engagement
• Encourage Your Existing Customers to Give You a +1
• Add Google Plus +1 Buttons to Your Website and Blog
• Join Relevant Google Plus Communities to Expand Your Reach
• Engage With Other Users to Build Stronger Relationships
• Promote Your Google Plus Posts Across Other Marketing Channels
• Monitor Your Results and Focus on What Works Best

Check out the post below for more.

Introduction

Building an engaged social media audience has always required more than simply attracting followers. Businesses need people to interact with their content, recommend their posts and help introduce their brand to new audiences. Google Plus attempted to make this process easier through its +1 feature, which allowed users to express their approval of content with a single click. For businesses, these recommendations represented an opportunity to demonstrate credibility and encourage further engagement.

When Google Plus was active, increasing the number of +1’s could help businesses measure audience interest and encourage more people to discover their content. However, generating recommendations consistently required a structured approach rather than occasional posts and promotional messages. Businesses needed to understand their audiences, publish worthwhile information and develop relationships that encouraged people to interact naturally.

Google discontinued the consumer version of Google Plus in April 2019, meaning the original platform and its +1 functionality are no longer available. Nevertheless, the marketing principles behind these techniques remain relevant. This guide revisits ten practical strategies businesses could use during a focused 30-day campaign, while demonstrating how similar approaches can increase likes, shares and recommendations across today’s social networks.

Optimise Your Google Plus Profile to Attract More Followers

Your Google Plus profile was often the first thing potential followers encountered before deciding whether to engage with your business. A complete and professional profile helped establish credibility, communicate your expertise and give visitors a reason to explore your content. Businesses that neglected their profiles risked losing potential followers before they had an opportunity to demonstrate their value.

Profile optimisation involved more than simply uploading a logo and adding contact information. The most effective profiles communicated a clear identity, explained what followers could expect and made it easy to discover additional information. When visitors understood who you were and why your content mattered, they were more likely to follow your updates and recommend useful posts. Creating this foundation was an important first step towards increasing +1’s.

• Use recognisable branding: Choose a professional profile image and cover photo that clearly represent your business.
• Write an informative description: Explain your services, expertise and the benefits of following your updates.
• Complete your business information: Include relevant website links, contact details and background information.
• Maintain consistent messaging: Make sure your profile reflects the same branding and values as your website.

Share Valuable Content That People Want to Recommend

The most reliable way to encourage Google Plus +1’s was to publish content that people genuinely appreciated. Users were unlikely to recommend posts that offered little information or consisted entirely of sales messages. Businesses needed to understand what their audiences found interesting and create content that answered questions, solved problems or provided useful insights.

High-quality content also helped establish authority within a particular industry. When followers regularly encountered useful information, they developed greater confidence in the business sharing it. This made them more likely to interact with future posts and recommend content to others. Instead of treating every update as an advertising opportunity, successful businesses focused on creating reasons for people to engage voluntarily.

• Publish practical advice: Share useful tips that help followers overcome common challenges.
• Create educational articles: Link to informative blog posts that demonstrate your expertise.
• Share relevant industry developments: Highlight interesting news and explain why it matters to your audience.
• Avoid excessive promotional content: Balance commercial updates with information that provides genuine value.

Post Regularly to Keep Your Audience Interested

Consistency was essential for maintaining visibility and encouraging repeated engagement on Google Plus. Businesses that posted occasionally and then disappeared for extended periods had fewer opportunities to attract recommendations. Regular updates helped followers become familiar with a business and provided more chances for useful content to receive +1’s.

However, publishing frequently did not automatically guarantee better results. Businesses needed to establish a realistic schedule that maintained content quality without overwhelming their audiences. A predictable publishing routine also made it easier to experiment with different subjects, identify successful approaches and build momentum throughout the month. Consistency created opportunities for engagement, while quality gave people a reason to participate.

• Create a posting schedule: Plan regular updates throughout the week to maintain a consistent presence.
• Prepare content in advance: Develop useful posts ahead of time to avoid unnecessary gaps in activity.
• Experiment with publishing times: Identify when your followers are most likely to interact with updates.
• Prioritise quality over quantity: Avoid publishing unnecessary content simply to increase posting frequency.

Use Eye-Catching Images to Increase Engagement

Visual content helped Google Plus posts stand out and attract attention in busy social media feeds. A relevant photograph, informative graphic or interesting illustration could encourage users to stop scrolling and explore a post in more detail. Businesses that relied entirely on plain text sometimes missed opportunities to communicate their messages quickly and make their updates more memorable.

The most effective images supported the content rather than distracting from it. Businesses could use photographs to showcase products, graphics to explain useful information and branded visuals to reinforce their identity. When visual presentation was combined with interesting written content, posts became more appealing and easier to understand. This could encourage followers to interact and recommend the information to others.

• Choose relevant images: Use visuals that directly support the subject and purpose of each update.
• Create informative graphics: Present useful tips, statistics and advice in an accessible visual format.
• Maintain consistent branding: Apply recognisable colours, fonts and design elements across your content.
• Experiment with visual formats: Compare photographs, illustrations and graphics to identify what attracts engagement.

Encourage Your Existing Customers to Give You a +1

Existing customers represented one of the most accessible sources of potential Google Plus engagement. These people already understood your business and may have had positive experiences with your products or services. Rather than concentrating exclusively on attracting new followers, businesses could encourage established customers to interact with useful content and support their social media presence.

The key was to make requests for engagement feel natural rather than demanding. Customers were more likely to recommend content when they found it helpful, interesting or relevant to their circumstances. A useful article, practical guide or important announcement provided a genuine reason to give a +1. Encouraging existing relationships to become part of your online community could help generate early momentum and introduce your content to additional audiences.

• Invite customers to follow your profile: Make existing customers aware of your Google Plus presence.
• Share useful customer resources: Publish content that helps customers get more value from your services.
• Encourage genuine recommendations: Invite followers to give a +1 when they find something particularly useful.
• Include social links in communications: Use emails and other customer contact points to promote your profile.

Add Google Plus +1 Buttons to Your Website and Blog

Your website could provide additional opportunities to generate Google Plus +1’s from people who were already interested in your content. Visitors arriving through search engines, email campaigns or other websites might appreciate an article without knowing that your business had a Google Plus presence. Adding +1 and sharing buttons made it easier for those visitors to recommend useful information.

Button placement was important because visitors needed to notice the option without having their reading experience interrupted. Businesses could include sharing controls alongside blog posts, educational resources and other content that people might naturally want to recommend. The easier the process, the fewer obstacles existed between appreciating an article and interacting with it. Making recommendations convenient helped businesses connect website activity with social media engagement.

• Add buttons to blog posts: Make it easy for readers to recommend informative articles and guides.
• Position buttons clearly: Place sharing options where visitors can find them without unnecessary searching.
• Prioritise valuable pages: Encourage recommendations on resources that provide genuine benefits to readers.
• Test the user experience: Make sure sharing controls work correctly and do not interfere with website usability.

Join Relevant Google Plus Communities to Expand Your Reach

Google Plus Communities allowed users to connect around shared interests, industries and subjects. For businesses, these communities offered opportunities to reach people who might not already follow their profiles. Participating in relevant discussions helped companies introduce their expertise, discover audience interests and build relationships beyond their existing customer base.

However, successful community participation required more than joining groups and distributing promotional links. Members generally wanted useful conversations, helpful advice and relevant information. Businesses that contributed genuine value were more likely to attract positive attention than those that treated communities as advertising platforms. By participating regularly and respecting community expectations, businesses could build familiarity and encourage members to explore and recommend their content.

• Find relevant communities: Join groups where your target audience discusses subjects connected to your expertise.
• Participate in conversations: Respond to discussions and contribute useful information rather than simply posting links.
• Respect community guidelines: Understand promotional rules and expectations before sharing business content.
• Build relationships with members: Focus on becoming a recognised contributor who provides consistent value.

Engage With Other Users to Build Stronger Relationships

Social media engagement works best when communication flows in both directions. Businesses that expected followers to recommend their content without interacting with anyone else often struggled to develop meaningful relationships. Google Plus provided opportunities to comment on posts, participate in conversations and acknowledge useful contributions from other users.

Engaging with others demonstrated that a business was interested in its community rather than simply seeking attention. Thoughtful comments could introduce your expertise to new audiences, while responding to existing followers helped strengthen relationships. Over time, regular participation could encourage people to become more familiar with your business and more interested in its content. Genuine interaction created opportunities for recommendations without relying on artificial exchanges.

• Comment on relevant posts: Contribute useful opinions and information to discussions within your industry.
• Respond to your followers: Acknowledge comments and questions to encourage further conversation.
• Recognise valuable contributions: Recommend other people’s useful content when it genuinely deserves attention.
• Develop ongoing relationships: Interact consistently with people who share relevant interests and expertise.

Promote Your Google Plus Posts Across Other Marketing Channels

Relying entirely on Google Plus to attract new engagement could limit the number of people discovering your content. Businesses often had established audiences through websites, email newsletters and other social media platforms. Promoting Google Plus content through these existing channels provided opportunities to reach people who might otherwise never encounter the original posts.

Cross-promotion was particularly useful when a business published something valuable enough to interest multiple audiences. An informative blog post, useful guide or industry announcement could be introduced through several marketing channels, directing interested readers towards the Google Plus discussion. The objective was not to repeat identical promotional messages everywhere, but to help relevant audiences discover worthwhile content and participate in conversations.

• Share updates through email: Introduce useful Google Plus posts to newsletter subscribers and existing contacts.
• Promote content on other networks: Encourage relevant followers from other platforms to explore your updates.
• Link from your website: Make your social media profile accessible through appropriate website pages.
• Highlight valuable discussions: Direct audiences towards posts where additional information and conversation are available.

Monitor Your Results and Focus on What Works Best

Increasing Google Plus +1’s over a month required more than implementing techniques and hoping for improvement. Businesses needed to understand which activities attracted engagement and which produced limited results. Monitoring post performance helped identify successful subjects, effective formats and audience preferences that could guide future content decisions.

Tracking did not need to become unnecessarily complicated. Recording the number of +1’s received, comparing different types of posts and reviewing engagement patterns could provide useful insights. Businesses could then spend more time creating content similar to their strongest performers while adjusting less effective approaches. Although doubling engagement within 30 days could never be guaranteed, a structured process of measurement and improvement made progress easier to evaluate.

• Record your starting figures: Establish how many +1’s your content currently receives before beginning the campaign.
• Review engagement regularly: Compare the performance of different posts throughout the month.
• Identify successful content: Look for recurring topics and formats that attract the strongest response.
• Adjust your approach: Focus future activity on techniques that generate meaningful engagement.

Conclusion

Increasing Google Plus +1’s was never simply about publishing more content or asking everyone to recommend your posts. The strongest approach combined a professional profile, useful information, consistent activity and genuine interaction with other users. Businesses that understood their audiences and provided worthwhile reasons to engage were better positioned to attract recommendations and develop stronger online communities.

Although Google Plus is no longer available, these principles remain relevant across modern social media platforms. Businesses still need to create engaging content, maintain relationships, encourage authentic recommendations and measure their results. A focused month of consistent improvements can provide valuable insights into what audiences appreciate and how marketing activity can become more effective.

The most important lesson is that engagement should be earned through value rather than manufactured through shortcuts. Whether your objective is to increase likes, comments, shares or other forms of interaction, the same fundamental approach applies. Understand your audience, give people something worth recommending and continually improve your strategy based on what generates genuine interest.