Google+. You’ve definitely heard about it, but maybe you aren’t so sure about what to think of it. Since its introduction in 2011, there have been articles ranging from claims that it will be the next revolutionary social platform, to jokes that the service would fall flat without any real traction gained.
The answer lies somewhere in the middle, and as you become more comfortable with the tool, you’ll discover what type of approach works best for you.
Basics of Google+
Before we go any further, let’s go over some basic vocabulary associated with Google+. If you’re just starting out, check out our Intro to Social Media Tools for Bloggers post before reading on.
Stream
This is really similar to the Newsfeed on Facebook. As you add people to your circles, the posts that they share on their page will show up in your stream.
Circles
Circles are the way you categorize the different people you follow and connect with. If you stay in touch with a lot of family members on G+, but they’re not necessarily interested in all of the gardening tutorials that you post, you can easily segment them into their own category. When you share a new post on gardening, you can choose to only share it with your “Blogger Friends” circle – that way, your family won’t even see the post come through their feed.
+1
This is similar to liking a post on Facebook or favoriting a Tweet on Twitter. It’s a way to show support and appreciation of a piece of content, and a way to share it with more people. If you +1 something, it will show up in the streams of people who have you in their circles
Extended circles
These are people in your circles’ circles. Say what? It’s really similar to sharing content with friends of friends on Facebook. Sensing a pattern here? Yup. The good news is, if you understand how to use Facebook, it will be pretty easy for you to adapt to using Google+, too.
Hangouts
These can be private, text-only chats, like the old Gchat. Hangouts can also be Skype-like sessions with two or more people, video chatting together. Finally, you can broadcast publicly from your G+ account with Hangouts on Air – I’ll go into more detail on this below.
Communities
Discover communities of people discussing your interests – and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s pretty easy to create your own community in Google+.
Okay… so you can share content and +1 it if it’s something you enjoyed reading. What makes Google+ any different from other social platforms? Why should I start using it?
The power of Google+ lies in the basic fact that so much of our online footprint is based around Google already. Many of us use Gmail and YouTube constantly, and by linking your blog to your G+ profile, you’re saying to Google, “Hey there, this is original and unique content that I’ve created! These blogs posts belong to me!”
When it comes time for Google to serve a page of search results related to a topic you’ve written about, if the user is choosing between clicking on an article written by an anonymous author with no credibility, and your post, written by a real person who has a robust and integrated online presence, chances are that your content will be more appealing.
Guidelines
Here are a few tips and tricks to make your time spent on G+ as successful as possible!
- People love to share images – so, make your posts visual! If you’re sharing a blog post that you’ve written, always include a photo from the post, as well. Photos are displayed really nicely on G+, so if you have a photography blog or focus a lot on creating quality images, this is an ideal platform to utilize.
- Try to share content that is interesting and informational. Most people on Google+ are interested in learning something new or coming across a technique that will save them time or make their lives easier or more interesting. Play into that – share content that people will find useful. Save the cat memes for Facebook.
- Post regularly. If you’re going to start incorporating Google+ into your social media repertoire, don’t forget about it after the first couple of weeks! As your content starts getting shared with new audiences, new users may circle back to your G+ profile to see who you are. Make sure you have fresh content there to keep people engaged!
- Use hashtags to appear in relevant categories related to the content you post. You probably are used to doing this on Twitter and Instagram, and it’s helpful to do on Google+, too. Just don’t overdo it! #No #one #likes #to #read #a #million #hashtags #in #a #row. #onemillionhashtags #winning #lovemyhashtags #lovemycat
- Incorporate a +1 button option on posts directly on your blog.
- Supplement your existing video content with Google Hangouts. Do you regularly post video tutorials? Schedule a Hangouts on Air to answer follow up questions to your readers. Hangouts on Air will automatically publish to YouTube, so your video gets saved and can be watched later. Webinars, Q&A sessions, mini-workshops – all are perfect ways to utilize Google Hangouts. These can be public or private, depending on your goals. If you’d like to set up a Hangout on Air, here’s a good guide to getting started.
By naturally increasing your online visibility by through posting on Google+, your authority on the topics that you write about will grow. As people +1 the work that you share, it will spread further on the platform and introduce you to new audiences that you may not have reached otherwise.
How do you use Google+ to increase the success of your blog? Have a question? Let us know in the comments!
