Of all the social media platforms, Google+ has been the one that has the hardest time finding its core group of users and making itself relevant to broader conversations, limiting its effectiveness as a marketing tool. It’s been an awkward time, but Google has made some recent changes that may expand Google+’s appeal to a wider audience.

Google+ has recently acquired Odysee, a photo sharing social network and backup utility. Expect to see imagery of all types becoming more and more relevant on Google+; an exciting new option allows Google+ users who have a thousand or more followers to use one of their posts (presumably featuring a large, attractive image) as a display ad that can appear throughout Google’s wider advertising platform. People can leave a comment, follow your brand, give a +1, or join a Hangout right from an ad.

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This new functionality is exciting, but to realize maximum value from it, you’ll want to have a clear strategy in place before you launch any ads. Identify your objective in concrete terms, whether that’s selling X amount of merchandise or having a certain number of people attend a Hangout.

Another interesting new feature is the ability to “Pin” a particular post to the top of your Google + profile. This pinned post will be the first thing visitors see when they visit your timeline; it’s a great opportunity to showcase your brand’s appeal. Pinned Posts can feature some of your best selling merchandise, a philosophical statement, or even links to your most popular content. It’s also a great place to embed a video – remember, many Google + users are visiting the site on their smartphone, where video reigns supreme.