Sometimes hanging out can be more useful than it sounds. Google+ has a hangout function that many are experimenting with. According to WebsiteMonitoring.com, Google+ is projected to have 400 million users by the end of 2012 and brands have only been able to build their own page since November of 2011. Many are still unsure how effective the space will be for businesses.

The first publicly broadcasted hangout was with the Black Eyed Peas in September of 2011 and others have been playing with the opportunity. This week, Coca-Cola hosted a hangout in their archives.

Only seven people were allowed to be actively engaged during the Coca-Cola hangout while everyone else could watch, listen, and type in questions. There were some great things that happened and some things to be aware of if wanting your brand to hangout with customers.

Things that went well:

• The people visible in the hangout were true Coca-Cola lovers. They had a real passion for the brand and it showed. They were engaged and happy about the event.
• The hosts were clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the archives. They had fun showing different items and centered each piece on the story it tells.
• I personally had fun learning and listening.

Things that did not go so well:

• The image quality of the archive hosts was terrible. Fun history was shared, but no one could see it.
• Non-visible participants were told they could submit questions and answers would be shared during the event. As far as I could tell, none of these questions were addressed.
• Some non-visible participants felt left out based on the comments they shared.
• Some non-visible participants were unsure of the format and how to get involved with everything based on the comments they shared.

Coca-Cola did something different and fun. It was a smart way to uniquely share part of their brand and the visible participants probably feel special for being included. I encourage other brands to be unique in Google+. As a platform that competes with several social medial sites, brands must have a unique idea to stand out in the space and continue to build strong engagement with their customers. However, be mindful of the experience. Make sure everyone can see what you are doing and that no one feels excluded.