14 DAY TRIAL // After several months of waiting, Google has finally enabled businesses, artists, organizations and anyone in between to set up shop on Google+ with the new Google+ Pages. Everyone knew the feature was coming, it was only a matter of time, and now anyone can sign up for a page, or several of them.
"So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people. But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about—from local businesses to global brands—so today we’re rolling out Google+ Pages worldwide," Google's Vic Gundotra, who oversees Google+, announced.
Google believes that businesses and artists can engage in meaningful conversations, just like people, and that's what it's trying to do with Google+ Pages.
It's discouraging aggressive marketing practices hoping instead businesses will create more meaningful relationships
"For you and me, this means we can now hang out live with the local bike shop, or discuss our wardrobe with a favorite clothing line, or follow a band on tour," Gundotra wrote.
"Google+ pages give life to everything we find in the real world. And by adding them to circles, we can create lasting bonds with the pages (and people) that matter most," he said.
Everyone is familiar with Facebook pages, so Google+ pages shouldn't be a mystery to anyone. There are a few differences, the Google+ pages are more bare-bones and don't offer as many options as Facebook, but the core idea is the same.
The focus is more on the stream than on page tabs, for which there aren't that many options compared to Facebook, but this is part Google strategy, part temporary limitation.
Google+ opened up as a 'preview' a few months ago, but it was strictly for 'humans.' Google actively removed profiles linked to brands or organizations, anything that wasn't an individual.
Anyone wanting to set up a page was told to wait and that Google is working on it. Now the wait is over. Plenty of people have already set up their pages and find and circle Softpedia's right here.
