By Christine Persaud

Google+ might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to social media strategies for your business… but it should be.

Did you know that Google+ has over 540 million members, making it the second-largest social platform in the social stratosphere? With those kinds of numbers, and unique features like “Circles” for grouping followers and “Hangouts” that house everything from chats to live streams, you should really give Google+ more than just a passing glance!

In a recent infographic by Milestone Internet Marketing, “How to Use Google+ for Business,”provides some useful insights into why Google+ is a far more valuable tool than you might think to enhance your business and social media presence.

Here are a few tips on Google+ best practices:

A profile should be optimized with a photo, Web link, and description of the business; verifying the account is a good idea so people know it’s legitimate

Link the page with your Website to connect content using the authorship tools, which will help get your content better indexed in Google search

Communicate with existing and prospective clients by adding lots of connections; and encourage people to communicate with you by adding the +1 button to your Website

Content, content, content. Make sure yours is good and highly visual.

Check out the full infographic below for all the reasons why you should be integrating Google+ into your regular social marketing activities: