In a blog post this week, Google has acknowledged that the current, newly-launched (and still in Beta) Google+ social network is “not optimally suited to [brand] needs.” Recognizing that user interact differently with brands than with each other, Google has asked brands to put their Google+ aspirations on hold while a more brand-specific experience is finalized.
Google seems ready to give social media gurus that tools that make them drool, with promises of deep analytics and AdWords integration. As such, they seem pretty confident that “the business experience we are creating should far exceed the consumer profile in terms of its usefulness.”
Google’s policy team will work with brands (such as Ford) to shut down non-user profiles. Those brands will be able to create a new profile in the business-geared interface “later this year.” A small-scale test for non-user entities will be launched in coming months; sign up via the Google Form to apply for the test program.
UPDATE: Google Accelerates Google+ for Business Test Program