Manage Google+ Pages using third-party clients like HootSuite

Managing Google+ Pages for businesses and organisations just got a lot easier as Google today announced a limited pilot programme granting six companies early access to the Google+ API. These six initial test partners are Buddy Media, Context Optional, Hearsay Social, HootSuite, Involver and Vitrue.

Google state that they’ve launched this experiment recognising that “some businesses use social media management companies to manage their presence across multiple social networks”. Functionality may vary between each of the six third-party clients but common features include circle management, publishing to Google+, searching public posts and usage monitoring.

Google+ interaction may only be made available to a “subset” of users however. Sara McKinley, Product Manager on Google+ Pages commented in a blog post,

“These companies will offer a subset of their clients the ability to manage circles, publish to Google+, and monitor usage”.

No confirmation has been given either as to when we can expect similar functionality for personal Google+ profiles.

This news comes as Google revealed plans to introduce a multiple administrators feature (similar to Facebook’s) to Google+ Pages in early 2012.