Google + is finally inviting brands to create pages on the social networking site. Brands who set up pages when the site launched in July, saw their attempts at pages closed down by the powers at be at Google, who wanted the site to begin as a person-to-person network.

The 40 million members of Google + will now be able to add their favourite brands to their circles and the brand can interact with consumers via hangouts and video calling features.

The brand pages will now appear on Google searches listings and can be recommended (+1) or added to a circle from there.

Although brands attempted to make profiles when the network launched in June, Google stated the current state of the network was for people alone and has since developed brand pages that differ from profiles and are optimized for business use.

A number of businesses had jumped at the opportunity to build Google + brand page this week including Angry Birds, Chelsea FC, Save the Children and Burberry.

The addition of fashion brand Burberry is far from surprising following their announcement earlier in the year regarding their focus shift for marketing earlier in the year removing all focus from media for a massive digital push.

The concept of brand pages on Google + is an interesting development for brand communications, due to the permission to join group hangouts, which involves video calls between connections.

Here are some of the first brand pages to pop up this week, for your inspiration. Let us know what you think!

(Burberry)

(Angry Birds)

(Save The Children)

Here are some important aspects of Google+ to consider when setting up your brand page:

• Once you have created your page with an email address, you can can’t change it. Google insists that the multiple email feature, for brand pages is in development and will be a feature to look forward to. This may make the page a little difficult for the moment but the effort will pay off with increased engagement.

• Brands are invited to create more than one page, providing the opportunity to have a page for a specific product or service.

• Google has yet to install any valid verification system, so make sure that you claim your name before any one else does! Anyone can claim a brand name at the moment without authorisation, which may lead to a few prank pages before Google clamps down on it.

• The way in which brand pages follow users is a little different, to avoid spamming, brands are not allowed to add anyone until they have been added.

• Google is keen to integrate brand pages into its search results, so it’s a good idea to get a Google+ badge on your main website that points to your brand page. Similarly make sure that your brand page links to your website.