Whoa. It’s happened. Google+ has launched pages for brands. I share this information with you because, as with any new opportunity, it’s important to know about potential opportunities. I’m a little nervous, though, about how many brands are going to jump into Google+ with no real plan of action. To Google’s credit, I really appreciate the emphasis they’re placing on personal connection. This video captures it nicely.
Also featured in this video is the Hangout, which I once upon a time categorized as the only stand-out feature with potential for use in higher ed. I will say that my interest is piqued. I think it will take careful planning and building of communities on Google+ before Hangouts or brand pages make sense for institutions, but I’m definitely curious to see where this goes.
You can find a few more details at SimplyZesty, which is where I heard the news. There’s also good coverage on Inside AdWords. Worth noting is the ability for users to search with the plus symbol (+) to receive Google+ results. Once again, I guess we’ll see where it all goes.
Alaina Wiens 
Seems like there is quite a big buzz in the initial days on the Google+ Pages for higher ed social media users. Here is a circle I started of over 421 colleges, universities and departments that are already on Google+ Pages and the circle continues to grow. We’ll see what happens after the initial buzz wears off. Here is the link to the circle https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108528384857438893831/108528384857438893831/posts/6RoL5TnfCnm
This is quite a list, Travis! Thanks for sharing! I shared it on Google+, even (which you probably know is not usual for me). :)
Haha! Thanks for sharing it on Google+. Glad you found something worth sharing. :)