Some thoughts on Google ‘s Newly Launched Product – Google Helpout
Google launched a new service online called google-helpout, a new way to get and give help over live video on Nov.4th. According to google, their goal with launching the helpout is to simply provide a convenient and efficient web platform to enable everyone, no matter where they are or what time it is, to easily connect with someone who can help.
“With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.”
How marketer can use Google helpout as a marketing tool
1. Brand Engagement
It allows different big brand to engage with their customers through providing customized service on the live video. This would allow the brand to directly interact with customers, gain in-depth knowledge from customers from all over the world. It’s a really good way for brands to strengthen their customer’s database.
2. Consumer Generate Content
By having customer write review and ratings of the helpout session, it help the helpers to directly develop the consumer generate content with no extra cost. If the helpers’ service is good, it’s very easy to build a positive brand image/ word of mouth on the platform, and it will potentially being conveyed to mass consumers off-line.
3. Improve content marketing strategy
The Helpouts improves helper’s content marketing strategy because helpers can personally and directly connect with their future clients. Even though they can’t sell the product directly, when people need help in the field, offering that help and then explain it shortly how they can find other useful information about the subject on the helper’s site, or the same problem can be solved by using their product. By doing this, helper can transfer the people needs help into potential customers. Besides that, helpers can find first hand the problems people have and they can solve them.
My concerns of the google helpout
First of all, it’s paid instead of free, so why wouldn’t I just go search YouTube? There are tons of videos that help you with all aspect of life and it’s FREE. Or I will go straight to some other answer engines. It’s said customers can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust. Why don’t I just go to the brand’s website or the person’s blog leave a comment and wait for the answer. It’ also free! I am so confused that is that a paid customer service for the brand or what?
In my opinion the service on google helpout can be very limited. For example, I might willing to pay hundred bucks for a well-known personal trainer to give me a video training session but definitely not pay to Sephora for beauty advice since I can just go into the store and chat with their beauty specialist.
Also, it’s hard to get real time help. The individual/ brands have high rating on the helpout are the one you most likely want to get helps from. Therefore the availability of the “helper” will become a problem.
Interesting move of google
The percent taken out of the fees people pay is the smallest thing they get out of it. The real important part comes from the fact that in order to use Helpouts you have to have a Google plus account,use Google wallet for payment and use Google Hangout for the video conversation It’s an interesting approach of creating a useful content marketing strategy of sharing to help themselves have more active users. Plus it makes money anyway and you don’t have to bother with the content. You make sure you have reliable people and they will personalize and give answer inside a conversation.
