Using Google Calendar With Google Plus Events

If you are new to using Google Plus or have not yet ventured on, it’s time to cross over and take advantage of the many new Google Products integrated into Google Plus. Google Plus Events and Google Calendar are to excellent free tools that provide an encompassing solution for both event marketing and scheduling meetings with clients.

Event Marketing For Your Online Business

When marketing your online business a great way to generate traffic and get the word out about your brand is by creating online events. If your business also has a local presence you can use online events to drive foot traffic to your physical brick and mortar location.

You may be familiar with Facebook Events, did you know that Google Plus has a spanking new Events function linked to Google Calendar?

An online event can be anything from an interview, a Google Hangout, a webinar, private training class, launch, mastermind etc. I’ve been invited to events where people show the view from their window and even a jam session and virtual engagement party!

Use Google Calendar!

 When I got started on Google Plus I had no idea there was a Google Calendar. After playing around with my Google Plus Hangouts Experiment I realized Google Calendar had evolved and began to use it. Now with the recent launch of Google Plus Events, Google Integrated Events into their Calendar.

If you are used to using Outlook as your default calendar you can easily synch your Google calendar to Microsoft Office.

Before getting started with events I strongly recommend setting up a separate Public Google Calendar for all your marketing activities or per campaign if you are a consultant.

You can create special public Google Calendars you would like to be visible to anyone searching or simply share with a specific group or Google Plus circle. Go to your Calendar settings and modify the calendar sharing options to accomplish this.

Make sure to set your timezone settings before you get started with Google Plus Events…

 Using Google Plus Events for Marketing

The best type of marketing generates activity. As my friends at Link Liberation like to say – “Don’t think about the link”, meaning that instead of worrying about backlinks, generate activity and engagement. Google Plus Events are a fast ticket to high visibility and traffic to your business whether it is on or off line.

The types of events you can create are virtually limitless. You can announce any offline event such as a concert, party, meeting, exhibit, trade show, sale etc. as well as link your event location to your Google Local Listing or to a Google Map.

You can also utilize the Google Plus platform to create event invitations to hangout and hangout on air, interviews, webinars, check ins and so much more, get creative!

Using Google Plus PUBLIC events will also give you an extra SEO boost of visibility across Google.

First off you need to be signed into your Google Plus Account. Then click on the events icon as seen above to get to your events tab.

Step 1 Define Your Event Notifications Settings

Start by defining your event notifications settings. You may choose to be notified to your Gmail or associated email only about events you may be attending, this will reduce the number of “spammy” emails you will get as you are invited to public events.

Create Your Google Plus Event

Click on the red icon to Create an Event.

Select the Event Options Drop Down and select Show Additional Fields.

• Other than scheduling your event date and duration you can link your event to a specific location (for example your Google Local Places Listing) which will show up as a Google Map inside your Event invitation.
• If you are selling tickets to the event or providing the event to paying customers use the Ticket Seller field to insert your sales page URL.
• One of the strongest elements of Google Plus Events is your ability to embed a video right inside the event invitation. Simply upload your video to YouTube and paste in the link to your video in the YouTube URL field. Adding in a video can increase the number of people attending your event, help out with your branding and give your event a personal touch or even some background info.
• For additional branding add in your website URL and in the additional details field link to any additional resources relevant.

When you’re done completing the Google Plus event invitation field it’s time to invite participants. You may decide your event will be only for a specific group of people and keep it private.

For marketing value you will want to keep your event public and invite additional circles or people by pasting in their email address. You can send this invitation to someone who is not yet on Google Plus, however if your event is a hangout, they will need to get set up on Google Plus first, before joining the event.

Watch this video to see me set up a private hangout event

Viewing Google Events in Google Calendar

You can also schedule Google Plus events from within your calendar or simply view your scheduled events in your Calendar. Keep in mind that:

Google+ events are displayed differently depending on the Calendar view you’re using:

• In “Day” and “Week” views, Google+ events can be shown with the organizer’s profile picture when space permits.
• In “Agenda” view, Google+ events are shown with information about the event and other guests.
• In “Month” view, Google+ events appear the same as other events.

In Google Calendar, you’ll see:

• Events that you created.
• Events you’ve been invited to by people in your circles.
• Events that you’ve replied to in Google+.

Watch this video to see Google Plus Events Within Google Calendar

Want to Learn More About Using Google Plus Events In Your Marketing?

Watch the video replay of Chris Lang and me on Wednesday on Chris Lang’s G Plus for business show,The Mother Of All Events Training here

See the Google Plus Event to your Calendar here – https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c85ialte2rjvml0nsjvmiqd2dp8/113129299593678810557 (it’s over now )

Comments or questions? Please share them below!

Tagged as: google calendar, Google Plus events, Gplus events in calendar