What’s the Value of a Large Google+ Following?

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Last September I chronicled the growth of the Slingshot SEO Google+ page in which we hit critical mass around 1,000 followers resulting in an exponential growth in followers. Between the months of October 2012 and January 2013, follower growth continued to rise at a breakneck pace to where we are now boasting a community of around 6,400 followers. As a marketer, proving ROI on social media activities is always a challenge. So what’s the real value of having a Google+ page with a large following?

An Explanation of Follower Growth

The exponential growth of a social media following past a certain point suggests the effect of “social proof,” wherein a network (or piece of content) with more followers or shares tends to be more attractive to prospective followers than a network with a small following. This would explain why our Google+ page grew slowly to 1,000 followers over a 6 month period, then grew by approximately 5,000 over the following four months.