Google + is fast becoming one of the most used social media tools for business. The burgeoning social network has garnered 62 million users and is on track to reach 400 million by the end of 2012, according to researcher Paul Allen, founder of Ancestry.com. This makes Google + a must-have tool for small business owners. But it’s not like Facebook, and many small business owners are finding it difficult to create an engaging, active network of potential customers on Google +. To make tackling the problems easier, here’s a list of solutions to help you.

Problem: No one is reading your content on Google +.

Solution: Make sure that your content itself is engaging and relevant. Make certain there are no grammatical errors or misspellings. Also, be certain you are sharing enough content. Get your Google + followers used to receiving your content on a regular basis by posting at established intervals. For example, post every Friday or twice a week on specific dates. Establish a regular posting routine to keep people coming back to your page.

Problem: Your comment engagement is low.

Solution: If you’re noticing that people aren’t commenting on your Google + page, you have several options. First, ask questions. Make sure the questions you ask are relevant to the topic. Share photos of your employees in action or charity work that your company does for the community. You should also leave comments on other people’s Google + posts. It’s a good way to get others interested in your company and what you have to say without it coming across like a sales pitch.

Problem: You’re not in anyone’s Google + Circles.

Solution: If you’ve asked a lot of people to be in your Google + Circle, but they haven’t asked you back, you’ve got a problem. But don’t be discouraged. There are solutions. Remember that while Google + now has 62 million members, not everyone is going to automatically ditch Facebook or Twitter in favor of using it.

You have to invite people to join. Get started by asking people from your other social networks to join you on Google +. Also, make sure you are +1’ing other people’s comments. That’s a great way to get others to notice you and add you to their Circle.

Problem: No one is +1 sharing your content.

Solution: It might be because your content is not engaging or relevant enough. One solution is to share content related to current events or news. Start by sharing newsworthy content happening in your industry and track whether your rate of +1 shares increase.

How can you track who is +1 sharing your content? Google + has a free, built-in feature called an Activity Report. This shows you how many times your posts have been +1’d, not just in Google+, but in Google Search as well. Google Analytics can also help you track your shares.

To get more tips on how to effectively engage potential customers on Google +, log on to www.BizBytes101.com.