"In December 2018, we announced our decision to shut down Google+ for consumers in April 2019 due to low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers' expectations. We want to thank you for being part of Google+ and provide next steps, including how to download your photos and other content.

On April 2nd, your Google+ account and any Google+ pages you created will be shut down and we will begin deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts. Photos and videos from Google+ in your Album Archive and your Google+ pages will also be deleted. You can download and save your content, just make sure to do so before April. Note that photos and videos backed up in Google Photos will not be deleted.

The process of deleting content from consumer Google+ accounts, Google+ Pages, and Album Archive will take a few months, and content may remain through this time. For example, users may still see parts of their Google+ account via activity log and some consumer Google+ content may remain visible to G Suite users until consumer Google+ is deleted.

As early as February 4th, you will no longer be able to create new Google+ profiles, pages, communities or events.

See the full FAQ for more details and updates leading up to the shutdown.

If you're a Google+ Community owner or moderator, you may download and save your data for your Google+ Community. Starting early March 2019, additional data will be available for download, including author, body, and photos for every community post in a public community. Learn more

If you sign in to sites and apps using the Google+ Sign-in button, these buttons will stop working in the coming weeks but in some cases may be replaced by a Google Sign-in button. You'll still be able to sign in with your Google Account wherever you see Google Sign-in buttons. Learn more

If you've used Google+ for comments on your own or other sites, this feature will be removed from Blogger by February 4th and other sites by March 7th. All your Google+ comments on all sites will be deleted starting April 2, 2019. Learn more

If you're a G Suite customer, Google+ for your G Suite account should remain active. Contact your G Suite administratorfor more details. You can also expect a new look and new features soon. Learn more

If you're a developer using Google+ APIs or Google+ Sign-in, click here to see how this will impact you.

From all of us on the Google+ team, thank you for making Google+ such a special place. We are grateful for the talented group of artists, community builders, and thought leaders who made Google+ their home. It would not have been the same without your passion and dedication."

So you say social media isn't for your company?  Most companies, most successful companies, are taking advantage of all the benefits of social media marketing.  However, there are a few that are still trying to avoid this uncomfortable change.

One of the number one reasons that we hear as to why companies are not utilizing social media marketing in their everyday business is that "it's not for my company."  As we have entered the new year of 2017, I can assure you that your competitors, no matter what industry you are in, are online and using social media marketing in some way or form.

Although change can be scary, do you really want to allow it to influence the success of your business?  Think about it this way... when was the last time that you personally picked up the Yellow Pages to search for a solution to your problem?  Today, people turn to their smart phones, their lap tops and the world of online search.  If you do not show up on the first page of search results for the keywords representing your business, you are in trouble.

Social media marketing helps your business rank higher in Search Engine Results. So when your prospect is searching for a solution to their problem, they find you and not your competitor.