While Google Plus can’t match Facebook for either number of users or intensity of usage, it offers marketers the opportunity to build deeper social relationships than you might think, especially when compared with Twitter. In fact, Forrester data shows Google Plus has nearly the same number of users as Twitter, with both sites being visited at least monthly by 22% of US online adults (compared with Facebook’s 72%). In addition, Google Plus can claim popularity over both Pinterest and Instagram, with 18% and 11% of US online adults, respectively, reporting visiting these sites monthly.

It’s also a tight race when it comes to followers on Google Plus versus Twitter. In February, Forrester studied the social profiles of 50 leading companies on seven social networks and found that these brands, on average, have collected 90% as many Google Plus followers as Twitter followers. What’s more, these followers engage much more regularly with Google Plus posts compared with Twitter posts, with nearly twice the engagement rate. “Considering Google Plus’ benefits, it’s surprising that more than one-third of large brands don’t use the site,” writes Vice President and Principal Analyst Nate Elliott in his new research.

To learn more about this new research, “The Case For Google Plus,” visit the Marketing Leadership blog.