Google recently began removing business accounts–including Mashable, Ford, and Sesame Street–from its Google+ social network. The reason? Google+, as it stands now, is for individuals–not businesses (hey, at least that’s in line with their “real names” policy). Ford’s and Mashable’s accounts were later restored, and Google said it would allow a “tiny” number of businesses to keep their profiles.
Of course, this doesn’t mean Google isn’t (supposedly) planning something big for businesses–Google has said that a business version of Google+ is coming, and that companies just need to be a little patient.
Meanwhile, Facebook has apparently taken this opening and decided to run with it. Facebook’s new “Facebook for Business” page features a step-by-step walkthrough on how to use Facebook to help build your small business. This includes guides on how to set up a Facebook “Page” for your business, how to promote your business with ads, how to drive traffic to your site using “Sponsored Stories,” and how to involve people, create a personalized mobile experience, and build apps on Facebook’s platform.
Sure, it’s nothing new–it’s basically just a convenient small business guide to Facebook, but it does seem like Facebook is telling the world that they’re ready to welcome businesses, even if Google isn’t.
Ok, so what Facebook is really telling the world is this (in an email to GigaOm on Tuesday): “Facebook allows small businesses to create rich social experiences, build lasting relationships and amplify the most powerful type of marketing–word of mouth. We created Facebook.com/business to make it even easier for people to reach these objectives and grow.”
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