Since its inception at the end of 2011, Google+ has continued to grow and continues to define itself as a major player in the social media marketing arena.

But did you know that aside from a personal profile, your businesses also has the opportunity to throw its hat in the ring with Google+ Pages?

While to some it may seem straight-forward how to use Google+ Pages for business, many are confused as to how to set up brand marketing on the site. The main question: If I am marketing my business in Google+, do I use a Google+ Profile or a Google+ Page?

First off – when you are thinking about Google+, put on your LinkedIn hat. The best way to get the most out of your time on any social site is to follow the guidelines that are presented when you sign up. If they are asking for your first and last name – its a personal profile. If they are asking for your business name and website – it’s a Google+ Page. Pretty straight-forward right?

Here’s a little curve ball for ya…in order to create a Google+ Page, a personal profile must be presented. Yikes! What do I do now?

First, don’t worry. Like I said before, think of your Google+ Profile as you would your LinkedIn profile. You can list your interests, achievements, work and educational history, as well as social media links and lots more. Update your profile and interact on Google+ as if you were on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter in a professional way.

Now on to your Google+ Page! This is pretty much a similar format to your Facebook Page, Company Twitter or LinkedIn Company Profile. Here, updates will be in your brand’s voice and carry information that your company wants to share to engage your audience.

So to keep it short and simple, use both profiles to market yourself and your business on Google+, as this will give you two areas of coverage. Not interested in having your personal details connected? Keep your personal profile sparse. I think it is best to fill everything in, but everyone is different. Here’s one way to look at it; The internet is a pretty open place, you can find out just about everything and anything about someone – so rather than hide behind your business, be transparent! Although there may be some good reasons that one may not want to be the spokesperson for the company’s Google+ or LinkedIn page, the trick here is in how you manage your privacy settings, and what content you put online.

Top Tip: The best part of the profiles on Google+ is that they allow you to come up high in Google searches for your name or company name. This also holds true for keywords, so I would make sure to pack your profiles with powerful keywords that you would like to be associated with!

Once you have yourself setup – dive in! The conversations are lively and you will be able to connect with lots of interesting people and drive brand awareness like never before.