In another attempt to drive more people to actually use its social media platform, Google has made Google+ Hangout Apps available publicly all over the world. These apps allow users in a hangout to play games, work together, or just mess around. Apps are an interesting addition to Google+ as they can potentially move the social media platform into a more corporate setting and see more use as business tool.
One of the newly unveiled apps that will be useful for business purposes is SlideShare. This app allows you to give a presentation in a Google+ Hangout. The user on the receiving end of the presentation can switch between the slides being presented and the video feed of the presenter.
This is great for giving presentations when a face-to-face meeting isn't feasible. In this increasingly digital world, your online marketing agency may be nowhere near your physical location. SlideShare will allow you to watch presentations from companies all over the country and choose the one that is the right fit for you.
The other app that may appeal to businesses is Cacoo. This allows users to collaborate and create diagrams and workflows together. Are you outsourcing some work and need to figure out who will be doing what? Cacoo may be the perfect app for you.
As Google+ continues to grow, there will be increasing uses for the social media platform. At the moment, it still doesn't seem like Google+ is being used by as many people as Google would hope. These new hangout apps may at the very least drive more businesses and professionals to take a serious look at Google+ and begin to consider some of the benefits it can offer to them.
Justin Maas is a social media community manager at fishbat. He has worked on accounts in a variety of industries such as skincare, jewelry, and food. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami with a BSC in Advertising.