What Does the Google Plus and YouTube Integration Mean for your Organization?

I recently wrote about how Twitter and YouTube are the two social media platforms that your organization should absolutely be on prior to experiencing a crisis (in order to be crisis-ready), and how Google Plus was quickly climbing the ranks to become third on the list. Well, since Google has integrated Google+ comments within YouTube’s commenting system, I’d say that G+ has officially made the cut for “top social media platforms you need to be on, pre-crisis”.

Not only are Google Plus posts and hashtags indexed within the search engines (which is important to know for your online reputation management and your crisis communications), but G+ is now so intrinsically linked with YouTube that you can actually be left vulnerable by not having an account. For example, without a Google Plus account you cannot:

• Comment on other people or organizations’ YouTube videos
• Properly monitor the two social media platforms as needed
• Leverage the power that both platforms combined now offer (for your ORM)

Not many people are happy with the new integration, but that’s besides the point. I’d be surprised if Google changed their mind about linking the two accounts together, for several different reasons. That said, this is a reality that is here to stay. It’s also a reality that can risk hurting your organization’s reputation (if you find yourself under attack), as well as can present some unique opportunities to your company in a crisis (and, for the smartest companies, before a crisis strikes).

Whether it presents more risk than opportunity or more opportunity than risk to your organization, depends on how you choose to strategize and use this knowledge.

Personally, I’d get on evaluating the situation if I were you, in order to determine what is required for your organization to safely move forward.

Hopefully this leaves you with something to think about!