I have to admit, I do not use Google plus as much as I should. I’m still a facebook girl. For 2013.. I think I’ll try to incorporate Google + a bit more! I found this really interesting article On blog.kissmetrics.com below..
Now that Google+ is available to the public, there is no excuse for anyone not to be using it! Sure you may feel that you just don’t need it, but keep in mind that Google+ is not just another social network. It is the social network endorsed by the leading search engine, and one that is only growing in popularity. If you ever wondered why you should be using Google+, here are just a few good reasons.
Google+ (thus far) doesn’t allow people to auto-update from other networks. This means that when you see an update on Google+, someone is actually on Google+ making that update.
Engagement on Google+ status updates seems to be higher than engagement on Facebook and Twitter updates (possibly because people are actually on Google+ and not updating it from other programs).
If Google is going to incorporate social signals into their search algorithm, they will more than likely give precedence to updates and sharing within their own social network.
One important thing to note before we begin. Google+ is currently only allowing profiles for people. This means you cannot set up a profile for your business or use keywords instead of a name. Business profiles are coming (the buzz is that they will be available sometime this year), so the best thing you can do to prepare for them is to get to know the Google+ environment using a personally branded profile. The following guide will help you establish your personal brand on Google+.
If you haven’t signed up for Google+, you will need to do so on their start page. You can sign up for Google+ using your current Google Account or by creating a new Google Account. Keep in mind when signing up that you will want your Google+ profile under a Google Account that is your own personal account. If you have a company account that is shared by multiple people for AdWords or Analytics, you might not want to combine your Google+ profile there as others would have access to it.
When signing up, one of the first things you will be asked to do is enter your first & last name. Google+ is only accepting personal profiles at this time, so be sure to enter your real first & last name, not a company name or combination of keywords. You will be asked to upload a photo – be sure to use the same photo you have on other networks such as Twitter or Facebook, so that others will easily recognize you.
After signing up, you will be asked to have Google+ search your email contacts on Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail. You can skip this step which is what I would suggest – you can add email contacts later.
Once you’re in, the first thing you should do is to set up a strong Google+ profile before you start connecting with others. This way, when people come to your profile, they will know why they need to connect with you and add you to their circles.
If you’re into personal branding and SEO, Google+ has a lot of great options for you to take advantage of both. As you can see from the highlighted areas in the image above, you can optimize your profile for search easily with specific fields on your profile as well as build links back to your own website on a Google-owned property.
Even if you’re not into SEO, you should still consider filling out everything completely as this is how people will get to know what you are about so they can determine whether they want to follow you or not. Click on the profile icon (as shown above) or click on your name in the Google+ toolbar and then click on Profile to begin.
If you just signed up, you will initially be asked to enter your Tagline which is the line under your name (also used as the Meta Description for your profile), employer information, and other basics. You can enter your information there or click on the Continue Editing link to edit your full profile. From there, click on each section you would like to add information and fill in your details.
Don’t miss out on adding your website links within the Introduction and under Other Profiles, Contributor To, and Recommend Link areas. You can also add five photos at the top of your profile – great if you are a photographer looking to showcase your work or a web designer looking to have a little portfolio built into your profile.
Also note that your location and the employer name of the company with will show up under your name when you connect with others as shown above. If you feel that people might easier recognize you from your website or blog than your employer, you might want to add your blog name or domain as your most current employer so it shows up instead.
Once you have your strong profile, it’s time to start adding contacts. Google+ allows you to follow people by placing them in circles. You can learn more about circles in this quick video by Google.
To find people to add to circles, click on the circles icon to the right of the previously mentioned Profiles icon. Here, you will likely see all of your Gmail contacts or suggested people Google thinks you might know. Below that, you will see your first five default circles – Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following. You can use these, or if you don’t like them, click on the circle and you will the option to edit its name and description or delete it. You can add people to these default circles by dragging people into them or create new circles by dragging people into the blank circle to the left.
After you have extinguished your list of imported or suggested contacts, you can move on to finding new people by typing their name in the Search Google+ box. You can even search for particular brand names or keywords to find people related to them. To add these people to circles, hover over the Add to circles button and check the box next to the circle you would like to add them in or create a new circle instantly. You can also go to a person’s profile and see (based on their privacy settings) who they have added to circles vs. who has added them to circles. Click on the View all >> link to see the complete list and add people you recognize to your own circles.
As mentioned in the video, circles are a way to organize who you will share information with as well as how you will be able to see information. So choose the people you add to circles wisely and organize them in the way that best suits how you want to share and read updates with your connections.
If you’re still looking for more people to add to your circles, be sure to check out the Google+ Top 100. Even if you don’t want to follow them, you might be able to find more people in your industry by seeing who they follow as well as who follows them.
For the rest of the article.. visit their blog at http://blog.kissmetrics.com/beginners-guide-to-google-plus/
The post Social Media Tip: Google+ What is it? and do you need it? appeared first on KS Web Designer.
