How to Get Started On Google Plus – The Social Side
This guest post is written by Alicia Rittenhouse of AliciaRittenhouse.com.
Google+. Could it be the hottest cloud-based, social network and collaboration website to hit the World Wide Web? (Do people still use that term?)It's yet to be determined, but there's certainly enough good buzz surrounding Google+ to make us forget all about the short-lived Google Wave.After using Google+ for a few weeks, I'll give it a +1 and show you how to use it.
Getting Started On Google+: The Social Side
I have heard from many that they received an invite but don’t know what to do now. Let’s first go over the different features of the social network side of things and how to use them.
How to Create Circles
How cool would Facebook be if you could organize all your peeps with a click and a drag?First, you want to set up your different circles. Create separate circles to organize all your peeps and get all fancy.Once you have your circles created, click and drag them into their own cute circles. You can add people to as many circles as needed.When you add people to a circle, they will be notified that you added them to a circle but will not be told the name of the circle they were added to. So, if you have a circle called “Toxic People” they will have no idea. ;)You can just as easily remove them from a circle too — just click their face and drag them out of the circle.
Streams
Streams are equal to Facebook’s feed. And Google hit the nail on the head by allowing you to easily see everything or only things from a certain circle.You also have the ability to easily customize which streams see what and when. Finally, an easy way to share without sharing too much.
Photos
Another feature that Google got so right is content sharing. Instead of everything being public unless you say otherwise on Facebook, Google has the reverse policy.When you go to share anything, you specify who sees it right down to a single person.Uploading is easy peasy. Just drag and drop straight from your desktop.
Chat
Appearing online is no longer something to be afraid of.I couldn’t even tell you the last time that I used the chat feature on Facebook because I don’t want certain weirdos to see me online.You can specifically decide what circles see you online and enable chat with.
Google Profile
I bet you have a Google Profile is something but had no idea it was "out there". Google yourself to see it. See? This is now very important to your Google existence.Something you should note is that when you +1 a website or blog post, it doesn’t go straight to your stream but rather shows up on your profile page. People see the activity through your profile.
Hangout
One of the coolest features (in my opinion) is the Hangout tool.Video + Multiple peeps = A wicked cool hangout.To get started with a hangout, go to the “Welcome” button and it will walk you through adding individuals or circles to join your hangout.
Add a +1 Button to your Website
Yes, just like the Facebook Like and Tweet buttons there is also now a +1 button.Just add a +1 button to your site so people can start sharing your content.
So… let’s hangout!
After reading the tips today on the social side of things, get yourself squared away on Google+ so that you can join me next week for a hangout!
Shoot: What questions do you have about getting started on Google+? Let me know in the comments.
Alicia Rittenhouse is the resident Social Media Geek Goddess at AliciaRittenhouse.com who teaches entrepreneurs how to become tech savvy and how to use social media to grow their online presence. She sends out weekly social media tips that you can have delivered to your inbox, along with bonus tips on how to get the most out of working with a Virtual Assistant. Get in touch with her at support@aliciarittenhouse.com.