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Google+ turned one this week and unveiled two new features in response to the milestone.

The search engine giant's social networking site announced Google+ Events, which allows members to send "beautiful" invitations to their friends, take photos and share them with guests in real-time in the new Party Mode, and read comments and see pictures in chronological order once the gathering has finished.

It was also revealed that Google+ is now available for tablets. With more people using the social media site from a mobile device, rather than a laptop, Google took note of this trend and extended its platform to tablets.

Senior vice-president of engineering Vic Gundotra said "Google+ has come a long way in a year, but we know we've got a long way to go. Fortunately, we serve a community that's filled with thoughtful, committed individuals, and together we're creating something special – +1 person at a time."

The Google+ benefits for your small business

If you have a brand page on Facebook and Twitter, make sure you don't leave Google+ out. There are several reasons why it is an important social networking site.

• Google increasingly pushes Google+ posts and pages up its search results. If you don't have a presence on the site, you're missing out on a potentially huge rankings boost.
• Google+ is still behind Facebook and Twitter in terms of popularity. Joining the social networking site means you can get ahead of your rivals and build up a successful and positive presence. When the time comes for them to join, you will already have built up a rapport with consumers.
• With the Google+ app built to be intuitive for mobile device users, you can engage with your customers while they are on the move.

Many larger organisations have cottoned on to the importance of Google+. According to Socialbakers, Cadbury UK is the top brand on the social networking platform with 1,675,442 followers. PlayStation is in second place with 1,202,042 followers, while Ferrari rounds off the top three with 1,121,624.

Cadbury recently shared its top tips for using Google+ with Econsultancy. They include exclusively launching products and services on a brand page, which is more affordable than a national TV or newspaper campaign.

What do you think about Google+ and how have you used it at your SME?