the g+ resource

The Google+ Habit: Part 5 - Quality

2013-04-19T07:31:00.004-07:00

Fifth in a series of posts looking at Google+ as a part of your daily routine.

I've been publishing a series of short posts this week looking at different aspects of Google+ and how they can form part of a "Google+ Habit". We looked at "Engaging" in yesterday's post and today we'll look at "Quality".

Quality?

Yes, quality. Put simply, are you checking for quality in your Google+ activity? Are you 100% certain of the quality that you're putting out there everyday? Also, are you 100% certain that you're letting quality information in?

Get into the habit of checking for quality.

Make a habit of checking your incoming for quality.

What kind of information are you looking at? Are your Circles good quality? Are the Communities you've joined good quality? Is your Google+ Stream good quality?

If it's not, then change it. Uncircle, Leave, Circle and Join. No point in wasting time on those that waste your time.

Make a habit of checking yourself for quality.

Are your posts well formatted? Are they readable and attractive? Are you letting typos slip through the net? Do your posts look "authentic"? When you share a link, does the link description and picture look good?

Make a habit of measuring results for quality.

What are the indicators of quality for you? What are quality results? Maybe you're looking for more reshares, +1's, followers, or comments. Maybe activity is itself enough of a reward for you. However, many us will also be looking for more business, clicks and a return on our time invested.

How can you measure results? An easy indicator is simply looking at what happens. Watch the numbers on your posts. You may want to take it a step further though and use tools like Google+ Ripples, or Google Analytics. Maybe checking your stats on websites like circlecount.com, or allmyplus.com. Set goals to test yourself.

Make a Habit of quality

Quality in and quality out. You can't go wrong with that. Just make a habit of keeping it that way.

This is the last article in this series. (for now) Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed these articles we encourage you to join our Community on Google+ and we look forward to seeing you there.

Remember “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” (Aristotle)

Previous articles in the series:

Part 1 - "Identity"

Part 2 - "Listening"
Part 3 - "Sharing"
Part 4 - "Engaging"

The Google+ Habit: Part 4 - Engaging

2013-04-18T06:43:00.001-07:00

Fourth in a series of posts looking at Google+ as a part of your daily routine.

I'm going to be publishing a series of short posts this week looking at different aspects of Google+ and how they can form part of a "Google+ Habit". We looked at "Sharing" in yesterday's post and today we'll look at "Engaging".

Why Engage?

You'll hear the word "engage" a lot when people talk about "Social Media". It's a trendy buzzword that fits nicely in phrases like "Return on Engagement". What does it actually mean? How can you "engage" on Google+ and why bother?

Social Actions

Here's another trendy phrase for you. "Social Actions". What do I mean by that? By "Social Actions", I basically mean "things that you can do on Google+". For example:

Share / Reshare
Comment
+1 a Comment
+1 a Post
Hangout
Circle (or uncircle)

The simple message here is that you should be making "Social Actions" a habit. How many comments have you made on Google+ today? How about comments on other people's posts? How many posts have you +1'd today? How many comments have you +1'd? Do you +1 your own posts? (don't do that.)

What about Hangouts? How many Communities have you joined? (and actively participate in.)

Make "social actions" a habit.

I bet you already know this, but are you putting it into practice? Are you actively taking time out of your day (even if it's just 5 mins.) to engage with others using social actions? Or are you just posting your latest blog post?

Responding

If you're doing the above everyday then great! That's the first step. How about when people comment on your posts, or ask you a question? Do you reply back? +1 their comment? Or are you just leaving people hanging?

Make a habit of replying to people.

If you've set up a Community this becomes even more vital. How many Community posts are you leaving unmoderated and unresponded to?

If you've set up a Page, are you responding to people who engage with you?

Make a habit of engaging.

You don't have to engage on Google+. You can "be active" by popping in once a week and posting your blog post. But if you don't engage with others, don't expect them to engage with you.

Simple isn't it?

Remember “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” (Aristotle)

Next in the series: The Google+ Habit: Part 5 - Quality

Previous articles in the series:

Part 1 - "Identity"

Part 2 - "Listening"
Part 3 - "Sharing"

The Google+ Habit: Part 3 - Sharing

2013-04-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Third in a series of posts looking at Google+ as a part of your daily routine.

I'm going to be publishing a series of short posts this week looking at different aspects of Google+ and how they can form part of a "Google+ Habit". We looked at "Listening" in yesterday's post and now it's time to examine how "Sharing" could be part of that Habit.

Why Share?

Sharing is the heart of "Social Media". You can "be on" a social network by putting up a profile page, but sharing is the first step into a larger world.

Sharing makes you more visible.

Sharing encourages engagement.

So...

Get into the habit of sharing things regularly on Google+. Public, private, epic blog posts, videos, interesting links, curated content, Hangouts, events, pictures, CONTENT.

Things to consider:

Why are you sharing?

Are you signing on for the day? Promoting something? Sharing bad news? What's your reason for posting something right now?

Who are you sharing with?

Privately to your Circles? Publicly, so it turns up in search results? Are you sharing to a Community that shares your interest? Are you broadcasting live to the world via a Hangout on Air?

How are you sharing?

A picture tells a thousand stories right? How about a video? Short blog post, or epic tl;dr? Does your post look good? If it doesn't look good, is that the impression that you want to give people?

Google+ is great for big content, but it can be intimate too.

When are you sharing?

Timezones matter. I'm not likely to read something at 4am. I might go back over stuff later, but isn't it better to catch your intended audience at a good time? However, if you're automating and scheduling your posts are you there to respond to a question?

The Sharing Habit

Develop a habit of thinking about what you're sharing. If you're mindful of what you're sharing then your shares will matter more and that's what we all want right? Otherwise why are you sharing?

Remember “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” (Aristotle)

Next in the series: The Google+ Habit: Part 4 - Engaging

Previous articles in the series:

Part 1 - "Identity"

Part 2 - "Listening"

The Google+ Habit: Part 2 - Listening

2013-04-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Second in a series of posts looking at Google+ as a part of your daily routine.

I'm going to be publishing a series of short posts this week looking at different aspects of Google+ and how they can form part of a "Google+ Habit". We looked at "Identity" in yesterday's post and now it's time to examine how "Listening" could be part of that Habit.

Why Listen?

Listening to things gives you a better idea of what's going on. You end up being better informed, more knowledgeable and it's easier to understand where other people are coming from.

If you're informed, knowledgeable and understand other people then it's easier to do the things that you want to do, (like Help them for example, or even Sell to them ).

Sounds good right?

How to "Listen" on Google+

Google+ provides plenty of opportunities to listen to others. There's great features like Circles, Communities, Trends, Search, Analytics and even "What's Hot". People post links that lead elsewhere on the internet and discuss current issues.

There's a learning curve of course. Signing up to Google+ and following thousands of people and pages will give you noise. Noise is hard to listen to.

So. You must develop a habit of sorting through this noise (or preventing it in the first place.)

Circles

Start with Circles and make sure that you adjust them regularly. Prune, snip, sort, tidy, circle and uncircle. These are people and pages that you have specifically allowed to invade your space. Are they worth it? Make your Circles tough to break into.

You can adjust Circle volume. Turn down the people and pages you want to hear less of and turn up the people and pages you want to hear more of.

Basically arrange your Circles in a way which suits you, but maintain them. Don't set and forget.

Communities

There are all kinds of Communities. What are you interested in? What do you want to know more about? Join relevant Communities and you can check in regularly to see what people are talking about. Like Circles, make sure you regularly chop off the dead wood.

Search

Use Search to listen and discover new things. Build up a list of relevant "saved searches". Don't always wait for your Circles to talk about things, go and find them. You can also filter searches (from Circles, etc)

There's lots more but the point is that you should develop a google+ listening habit.

Don't just post , listen as well.

Remember “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” (Aristotle)

Next in the series: The Google+ Habit: Part 3 - Sharing

Previous article in the series:

Part 1 - "Identity"

The Google+ Habit: Part 1 - Identity

2013-04-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

First in a series of posts looking at Google+ as a part of your daily routine.

I'm going to be publishing a series of short posts this week looking at different aspects of Google+ and how they can form part of a "Google+ Habit". A good starting point for that "Google+ Habit" is your Google+ profile.

First Steps

Go to your Google+ Profile (found at plus.google.com/me) and click on where it says "View profile as Yourself" (right hand side, above the Circles.) and change it to "Public".

You're now viewing your profile page as anyone online will see it if they visit that page. Scary, huh? If you haven't done this before I bet you've just noticed a few things you didn't really want everyone to look at.

Go to google.com/settings/plus to change your profile privacy settings if you need to:

You can also change the privacy settings of each individual section on the "About" Page, (Story, Work, etc) by clicking the "Edit" link on each section (you'll need to switch back to viewing the profile as "Yourself".)

That's also how you change the content of each section. (Your "Story", Work details, Contact details, etc).

(Yes, you do need to add content, if you want people to know stuff about you. The average visitor to your profile is not a mind-reader. Crazy, but true.)

You can of course also change your profile picture image and cover image. Try to have something that is in a decent resolution and a profile picture that is (relatively) current.

What does all that have to do with a "Google+ Habit"?

You should get into the habit of reviewing the above regularly. Here's some things to consider:

What does my profile say about me?
Is that what I wanted it to say?
Can people contact me easily though my profile?
Is the information on the profile up to date? (contact details, links, work, your "story".)

DO NOT "set and forget" your profile. Things change. Make sure that your profile reflects that.

Remember “Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” (Aristotle)

Next in the series: The Google+ Habit: Part 2 - Listening

Brand Building on Google+: Page or Profile?

2013-03-19T08:44:00.001-07:00

OK, so you're using Google+ as a business. Why do you need a personal profile and a business page? What's the point?

This question came up today in our Google+ Community. Our Community member +Joanna Brown asked:

I have just created a Google business page - because I was told it was a good idea. Now I am not sure what it is for. I have this Google+ profile, where I chat to people, link to my website, highlight my Blog and so on. What different content should be on the business page?

My answer was that you need to turn the question around. What content shouldn't be on your business page?

I think most people would agree that a Business Page isn't the place for personal stuff. You don't really want your Business Page complaining about the weather, chatting to others and generally socializing. Of course your Page should be a welcoming place, but don't confuse the shop for the shopkeeper.

OK. So, what should you share on your Google+ Business Page?

Share great content. Blog posts, industry news, local news. Share things that brand your business appropriately. Think about it as a shop window and put all kinds of cool, shiny things there to pull the customers in.

Also, add contact details! Link your website, put your address if people visit your premises, add a phone number and email if appropriate and generally make it easy for people to do business with you

So... Can I share business stuff on my personal profile?

You are a business person right? It's part of what you do isn't it? Share away. The cool thing about a personal profile though is that you can add loads of extra value in the form of opinion and comment.

It's not just about sharing posts though. Your personal profile can get out there and really be social. Networking, joining Google+ Communities, commenting, +1'ng, resharing, etc.

Community

Consider also adding a Google+ Community into the mix. It's a great way to increase conversation, aid conversion and build (surprise, surprise) a Community around your business. The combination of a Google+ Profile, Google+ Page and Google+ Community is really powerful.

(Don't forget to make the Page the owner of the Community if you want the Community appearing on your Business Page.)

I do this with my G+ Resource Community. You'll notice that although the Community is owned by my Page, I'm also very visible as the moderator. It's also me rather than the Page who posts / comments in the Community and answers questions.

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OK! That's all for now.... Got any questions about this article, or something related? Don't forget to join our Community on Google+ for more useful Google+ tips, news and information. You can also follow our Business Page and circle me, +Thomas Morffew. You can of course also Contact Us, if you'd prefer to speak privately.

Thanks to Joanna Brown web content creator at wordhen.co.uk for letting us use her question as an example.

The G+ Resource Community on Google+

2013-02-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Are you a member of our G+ Resource Community on Google+? You should be.

If you follow us on Google+ you'll know we run a Community that's full of helpful advice, Google+ (and Google) news and lots of great people who are always there to answer questions and discuss how to get the most out of Google+.

Here's some examples of stuff that we've talked about in our Community over the last couple of months.

Google+ users are sticky. (in a good way!) - http://goo.gl/XlBxe

Google+ posts worth reading - http://goo.gl/dN5e1

What does it take to get a 'verified' Google Plus Profile? - http://goo.gl/eMRvJ

Managing Circles on an iPad - http://goo.gl/ln9qJ

Content Marketing on Google+ - http://goo.gl/8JjuF

The most amazing use of Hangouts ever? - http://goo.gl/yUQc4

And tons more! The Community is Public and free to join, so just hop on over to plus.google.com/communities/114333689953043107221 and click on the join button.

See you there!

A Google+ Lesson

2013-02-15T04:22:00.001-08:00

How does a potentially great post about Google+ become a Google+ fail?

I was clicking around on the internet this morning and found an article on Social Media Explorer entitled "How to earn a black belt in Google+".

Well, Google+ is my thing, so I clicked on the article and started reading. It was (in my opinion) a pretty good article with some excellent tips, so I started the process of sharing it into Google+.

When I was sharing it I thought I would give the author some extra credit by +mentioning him in the post. I found his profile and...... oh.

Wait, there must be some mistake right? Where were his posts? Greg had just written a great article about Google+ so he must post Publicly right?

Nope. Nothing.

OK, so I went back to the article. Maybe I had the wrong author. There was actually another Author listed, so maybe it was her and I was confused? I went to her Google+ profile:

Oh dear.

Back to the article. It actually says at the bottom of the article page: For more, chat with Greg on Google+. How can I do that? He doesn't post anything I can comment on. Maybe he means contact him via his profile? Nope, he doesn't have that turned on either. (here's how you do that)

What's the lesson here?

If you're going to talk the talk, don't forget to walk the walk as well. Start with the basics like clearly indicating an Author on your article page and maybe actually using the social network you claim to know about.

A Google+ Black belt? Long way to go yet I'd say. Better get back to Painting the Fence

UPDATE: I'm glad to say that after reading this article Author +Greg Narayan started posting Publicly on Google+. Good for him!

Should You Put Everything On Google+?

2013-01-29T03:23:00.001-08:00

With all the growth and engagement value that Google+ offers, do you still need a place to call your own?

OK, if you've just come for a quick opinion, here is the tl;dr:

Don't move all your content onto Google+.

What am I talking about? Well, there's been some discussion about the concept of using Google+ as a blog. Essentially moving all your stuff onto there and in some extreme cases pointing your domain at a Google+ Profile, or Page.

Here's why I think you shouldn't do that:

Google+ is built around the concept of identity (individual, or brand). One use of that identity is to stamp a signature on your content. (Author, Publisher).

Google intends for you to have an external site/blog, put your content on it and use Google+ to build authority and connect with others. This is so they can pick up signals about you and your content and use it to better "organize the world's information".

This is why plus.google.com/authorship exists and rel=publisher.

Here's what Google says about Google+ Pages for example:

If you’ve created a Google+ page, we strongly recommend linking from that page to your website and vice versa. Linking your Google+ page and your site like this not only helps you build relationships with friends and followers, but also gives Google information we can use to determine the relevancy of your site to a user query in Google Web Search. It also makes your site eligible for Google+ Direct Connect.

source

But Google+ is great for engagement right?

You're not wrong. Google+ Communities are a fantastic way to engage an audience and get the conversation going. Your Google+ Profile and Business Page is (in my opinion) the best way to both establish an awesome identity online and get the word out about the awesome stuff you do. PLUS (see what I did?) it's all linked up to the huge Google juggernaught (Search, Android, Chrome, Apps, Drive, Adwords, Adsense, etc, etc)

I enjoy running Google+ Communities and I get a lot of value out of them. I even have a Paid Community (crazy, I know). I get great interaction on Google+ and make great connections with people I want to connect with.

But...

Your Content and your Identity needs more room to breathe. Somewhere where you can put your stamp on it. That's your Website. or your Blog. Somewhere where you can build something.

So...

I think you should be hosting your Communities on Google+, making your Google+ Profile and Page your identity and using them to connect with others, but... you still need a home to call your own.

If you've got more questions about how to use Google+ effectively, why not join our Google+ Community, or follow +Thomas Morffew and +The G+ Resource

Alternatively Get in Touch and we'll be glad to help.

Introducing "The Community" on Google+

2013-01-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

Announcing something new from +Thomas Morffew and +The G+ Resource.

There's a ton of great Google+ info out there, but it's a lot to take in, especially for busy people who haven't got time to sort through it all.

What if there was a place online (and inside Google+) where you could not only get information and ask questions about Google+, but also have someone knowledgeable spend time with you to work out what you need to know and what you need to do next. Not a noisy Public forum, but a Private Community.

What if that place also included info and coaching on how to properly use other Google products and services like Chrome, Android and Blogger?

How about a place that didn't just give you Google+ "tips and tricks", but a place where someone actually showed you how to build something useful and substantial?

Well, now that place exists.

The Community is a new subscription-based Google+ Community. It's being run by me +Thomas Morffew and it's an opportunity for you to step up your Google+ game.

What you get:

- Curation of useful info. (what you need to know)

- In-depth discussion (why you need to know)

- Coaching and training. (how to use what you've learned.)

- Regular Hangouts and Online / RealLife(!) Events.

- A close-knit private Community all with the same goal (to improve)

How it works

There is a fee of $97 per month to become a member. (£49 + VAT for UK members), which gives you full access to the Private Community.

Interested? Fill out the form below and I'll be in touch.

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The monthly subscription fee is payable in advance and is non-refundable. Membership of the Community is granted once the first payment has been received. Once subscribed, invoices are monthly and you may cancel your subscription at any time.

Got any questions? Contact me +Thomas Morffew on Google+.

Can You Monetize Google+ Communities?

2013-01-21T07:43:00.001-08:00

Google+ Communities are proving a hit with users, but can they (should they) be monetized?

Google introduced Communities to Google+ in early December and they've been a big hit. Users, Businesses and Brands are joining them in droves as well as setting up their own Communities with a diverse range of topics. You can find Communities discussing everything under the sun from Fly Fishing to SEO. Here's our G+ Resource Community for example.

However, many people who make their money online will be asking the same question. Are Communities a viable way of monetizing Google+?

1. G+ Communities as Membership sites.

Paid-for Membership sites are an established internet business model. It's a simple way to do things. You want to join the Community? You have to pay a fee. This could either be a one-off payment, or a weekly/monthly/yearly subscription, etc.

How would this work on Google+?

Create a private Community at plus.google.com/communities and then set a fee for joining. Payment via your preferred payment method (Google Wallet, Paypal, etc)

2. Events

When first setting up a Google+ Community, you'll notice that "Events" is a pre-created category in the sidebar on the left. (discussion is another and you can add more). Use this to create a paid event, or a free
event to add value.

How would this work on Google+?

Events are already well integrated into Google+ at plus.google.com/events and there's already an existing field for tickets:

Apart from selling tickets to an event, (online, or physical) you could also create free webinars, presentations, hangouts, etc, to give that "added value" to a existing Community. Free content with added value, leading to a paid product (for example) is a long established method of online monetization.

3. Products and services

If you have a busy and active Community with great value, then it's an easy step to let people know about a paid product, or service that you offer. (online store, ebook, consulting, training, etc)

How would this work on Google+?

Easy as posting a link. There's also lots of extra opportunities for marketing and promotion using built-in features like Events and Hangouts. Do bear in mind though, that not everyone likes to be sold to and don't be a spammer!

What other ways do you think Communities could be monetized? Or do you think they shouldn't be? Let us know what you think.

How I'm Using Google+ in 2013

2013-01-18T08:40:00.003-08:00

A look at how Google+ can be used at the start of 2013.

I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago giving suggestions on a Google+ strategy for 2013. This article's going to be a little different as it focuses on how I'm personally using Google+ at the moment and going forward over the next few weeks/months.

Short introduction to me

Who am I? Well, my name's +Thomas Morffew and I've been writing this gplusresource.com blog since Google+ started, way back in the Summer of 2011. (time flies! crazy...)

I was on Google+ from day one thanks to a invite from a friend, but I've always felt that I was using Google+ for a long time before that because the basic foundation is so similar to Google Buzz, (remember Buzz?) which I was a big fan of. As Google+ has grown, I've grown with it and currently spend most of my working day using the service.

Yep... most of my working day.

It's crazy, isn't it? Who's got time at work to play around on Google+ all day? That's the thing though, Google+ is my work. If you look up at the top of this website, you'll see a link that says Google+ Coaching and Training and that's what I do. I spend my days talking to people, businesses and brands and helping them make the most of Google+. It's my work of course, so I charge for it (a very reasonable fee).

When I'm not working with clients I explore Google+ and use it pretty much as a the average person does, +1'ng, commenting, sharing links, pictures and videos, using hangouts, etc. Google+ users are awesome and I've got tons of friends on the service who are very active on a daily basis.

Profiles, Pages and Communities

However... the introduction of Google+ Communities has really shaken up how I use Google+ and it should change how YOU use the service too.

Communities have basically opened a new space for discussion on Google+. It's now easy to find active discussion on the topics that you care about and it's easy to find people to discuss that stuff with.

But where does that leave Profiles and Pages?

Here's how I'm doing things right now.

Profiles

Your Profile is YOU on Google+ (easy to forget!) I use my Profile to broadcast, comment, +1 and generally do all the "engagement" I need and want to do. From a business perspective my Profile is of course connected to what I write on here using Google Authorship and that helps push traffic (and of course potential clients) over to gplusresource.com

Pages

I see Pages as purely a broadcast tool. They're the front window of the store, the local advertisement, the PR piece. I publish stuff on Pages, link to websites, etc and those people interested in what the Page has to say can just Circle it and follow what I publish. I don't comment, or really engage with my Pages, I leave that for the Profile.

So... Communities?

This is my focus right now. As I said earlier, Communities have created a new kind of space on Google+ and one I'm going to be using a lot more over the coming days/weeks/months. For me Communities represent a great opportunity to rearrange the way I use Google+ and adjust the balance between my everyday engagement and paid client time.

Rearrange? Adjust the balance?

Well, all I can say is stay tuned for now and things should become clear early next week, when I'm planning to announce something new....

As always, you can follow me +Thomas Morffew on Google+, follow my Page +The G+ Resource, or join our Community.

Alternatively you can get in touch here.

Using Google+ for Q&A

2013-01-18T03:50:00.002-08:00

With the death of LinkedIn Answers and Quora failing to go mainstream, is Google+ now the best place to ask and answer questions?

I was looking through my Google+ stream this morning and saw a post about the upcoming death of LinkedIn answers.

After reading the linked article it turns out that LinkedIn is closing the service because only 35,000 people used LinkedIn Answers in December. Given LinkedIn's claimed 200 million members that means that slightly less than 0.02 % of all members used the service.

Despite heavy media coverage, Silicon valley favourite Quora has also failed to go mainstream worldwide, with unique monthly visitors still less than 2 million.

Enter Google+.

It's seen massive growth in the last year and now boasts in excess of 500 million users. With strong benefits for genuine experts like Authorship and the new Google+ Communities it's never been a better time to get involved with Google+.

From personal experience I know that whatever question I need answered, there's a Google+ user, or a Google+ Community there to help me. Professionally it's also a great way to build authority around a particular topic and become known as an "expert".

What you can do today.

> Make sure you've joined Google+ and optimized your Profile page.

> Use Google Authorship to identify experts in different areas (you'll see their faces in Search results, or by searching on Google+). Click through to their Google+ profile and "Circle" them to follow their posts. You can also ask a question directly by +mentioning them on Google+.

> Set up your own Google Authorship and connect your Google+ profile to your blog/website so people can find YOU.

> Join a few Google+ Communities that cover the topics you want answers for (and those topics where YOU can answer questions.)

> Profit!

If you've got more questions about how to use Google+ effectively, why not join our Google+ Community, or follow +Thomas Morffew and +The G+ Resource.

Alternatively Get in Touch and we'll be glad to help.

Google+ Communities get an update

2013-01-17T02:37:00.001-08:00

Google has announced an update to Communities on Google+. It's a small update, but one with a significant effect.

When Google+ Communities were first launched, any posts you made in a Public Community would be always visible on your Google+ Profile to anyone who visited it. These Community posts would also turn up in your followers streams if they were members of the same Community.

This has now changed slightly as +Brian Glick explains:

Community posts are a great way for people to see your different interests when they visit your Google+ profile. But some of you have asked for a way to keep community posts separate from the rest of your Google+ posts.

Today we're adding a new setting that lets you do just that! Simply visit https://www.google.com/settings/plus, look for the new "Communities" section, and make your choice. (We'll be rolling this out gradually.)

What does this mean for you?

So... your followers (and other Community members) will still see your Public Community posts in the Stream and if you don't make any changes those Community posts will still be visible on your Profile page. However you now have the option to remove them if you wish.

Is this a good thing?

Some users have celebrated this as exactly what they were looking for, while others have complained that it helps spammers by enabling them to hide their Public Community activity (eg posting the same thing in dozens of places.)

I know that as a Community moderator (here for example) I've found the previous setup to be helpful in identifying a post as spam. However, I do understand that many users felt that the Community posts were cluttering their Profile.

Personally I'm going to be leaving mine where they are. I think that Community posts are a good way to show your interests (as well as promote your Community.)

tl;dr

You can now remove Community posts from your Google+ profile. This could be good, or bad depending on your viewpoint.

Google+ Communities Notifications for Chrome

2013-01-09T02:56:00.003-08:00

Google+ Communities Notifications Extension

We take a look at a handy Chrome extension for managing Google+ Communities.

Google+ Communities are brand new and in the usual rush to try new things, many of us have overloaded on them and simply joined too many. It can be a hassle to trawl through the Community Page at plus.google.com/communities. Google also provides a quick link to Communities on the left hand of the Home page, but it's far from an ideal way of checking on things and you can't be on Google+ all the time, right? Lastly, there's an option to receive email, or G+ notifications directly but that can also turn into a huge management headache.

I've long been a fan of +YungSang NaN 's awesome Google+ Page management extension which helps you check on notifications for your Google+ Pages. Now he's released a new (beta) extension, which helps you manage your Google+ Communities from anywhere on the web (provided you use Google Chrome). I've been reviewing it for a while and it's now become an essential part of my daily Google+ routine.

The key features (adapted from the website) :

Get notifications of all your Google+ Communities from anywhere
Communities(tabs) are sorted by the number of new posts and the timestamp of the latest activity in each Community, (except the Community last selected, which will be on the left hand side and loaded automatically.)
Posts in a Community(tab) will be sorted by the timestamp of the latest activity in each post. (The latest timestamp will be displayed as well, instead of the posted timestamp.)
Posts with light pink background color are new.
Posts with light yellow background color have been updated since you last opened the Community. (It includes edited and commented activities, but +1'd and reshared.)
Option to choose which Communities are shown.

The last feature is the killer one for me. Rather than get a big mess of notifications I can choose a small number of Communities and only see those notifications.

Of course clicking on a Community from within the extension window takes you straight to that Community, where you can instantly respond. Another huge time saver.

Go check the extension out at yungsang.com/google+/communitiesnotifications/ . It's not in the Chrome Webstore, so you'll need to install it slightly differently. (instructions are on the site).

If you have any questions about this article feel free to get in touch, or leave a post in our Google+ Community.

Your Google+ Strategy for 2013

2013-01-04T05:35:00.002-08:00

Google+ has been a huge success for Google, with over 500m users, but how will YOU be using Google+ in 2013? We give you some suggestions.

Optimize your Page and Profile

Google+ Profiles and Pages are your key to establishing an authoritative identity online. First go here. Add a decent high-res photo and cover image. Fill out the "About" tab and add some links.

If you have a business, or brand and haven't created a Page yet, then go here to get started. Same rules apply as Profiles. Decent photos and fill out all the information.

Posts

Post something daily. A no-brainer, right? Then go do it. Be active to appear active. Activity creates engagement and visibility. Simple!

Google+ is made for big, good looking posts. Check out our video on this. Want some more examples? Here you go.

Authorship

If you have a blog, or write any content online you'll need to get your Google+ Authorship sorted out. Why? AuthorRank is shaping up to be a big thing and you can already get your face in search results and start claiming your content right now.

Get started at plus.google.com/authorship

Communities

The latest shiny thing on Google+. Communities are where much of the action will be during the early part of 2013 and you really want to be involved.

Create your own Community if you want (be prepared to put the work in), but more importantly, make sure that you're active in Communities that reflect your interests/work/skills.

You can check out our G+ Resource Community here. and get started making your own Community here.

Hangouts

Got a webcam? Mic? No excuse not to jump on board this game changer from Google that has left all the "other" social networks scrambling to catch up. From private sessions, to conference calls and even broadcasting your own TV show live on air this is a must use feature to get ahead of the game.

Get started at plus.google.com/hangouts

Youtube

Get some videos up and hook up YouTube to Google+. You can display a YouTube tab on your Profile page now so fill it up with some relevant content. Videos look great as Google+ posts, so it's an awesome way to create content and boost engagement on Google+.

Circles

Communities may have changed the game, but you still need to organise your Circles to "improve your inbound" (h/t +Robert Scoble) and build your network. Go here and start building useful Circles (topical, local, etc)

Mobile

iOS, or Android, smartphone, or tablet, 2013 is going to be a huge year for mobile. Make sure that you're keeping up by both using Google+ on mobile and optimizing your posts for mobile viewing.

Get the apps here google.com/mobile/+

Local

Don't forget about Google+ Local! If you have a brick and mortar location, it's essential that you get your Google+ Local page setup. Go here to start.

As a Google+ user you can also get more involved by doing Reviews.

Events

Also relatively new is Google+ Events. These are a great way to promote your events, both online and off. Try combining Hangouts with Events to really make the most of this feature.

Comments / +1's / Reshares

Google+ isn't just about your own posts! Make sure you're active on other people's posts as well. +1 the stuff you like, reshare great posts and make comments. Make sure you're doing this daily. It doesn't take long to do and the return on your time investment is awesome.

Measure

Use Google+ Ripples to track influence and shares, or check out some of the awesome third party tools like +NOD3x, +All my + and +CircleCount. You can never have enough data!

And... that should do to get you started! Good luck and have a great 2013. If you've got any more suggestions, we'd love to hear them.

Need more help with your Google+? Follow us on Google+ for tips! You can also check out our Google+ Coaching and Training for an extra boost.

Google+ Community Survey: The Results

2012-12-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

We ran a survey that asked Google+ users several questions about their usage of Google+ Communities.

Here's the results of that Survey.

There's several interesting results, but the big news is the levels of engagement.

61% of Google+ users have joined 11+ Communities
59% have created 11+ Communities
59% are "actively involved" in those Communities
59% moderate Communities

However the majority of those who responded are unsure how this has affected their overall use of Google+ and were unable to say whether their usage had increased.

The survey is still open and you can view the original survey and the up-to-date results at the links below:

Short link to the survey: goo.gl/NHYol

View the results so far: goo.gl/iAIKd

Overall, a very positive start for this new Google+ feature and Google must be very happy with the levels of engagement.

Xmas Bonus: Google+ gets 24 new features.

2012-12-14T06:11:00.002-08:00

Google have announced a massive 24 new features for Google+ that add new stuff right across the board.

There's updates for Android, Events, Hangouts and tons more.

For Android:

- on-the-go profile editing
- easier way to author content,
- subtle notice when there's new stuff to read.
- subscribe to mobile notifications from your favorite circles
- interact with Google+ Communities on your phone or tablet.
- photo improvements - full-size backups of your photos (up to 5GB free), in addition to the standard-size option (unlimited free storage at 2048px).
- photo spheres to the mobile stream.
- animated gifs
- birthday reminders
- lock screen widget

Events:

- send messages to specific guests and see who’s opened your invitation.
- guests can RSVP with the number of people they’re bringing

Hangouts:

- extremely low bandwidth Hangouts. (150 KB of bandwidth)
- expanded video for single participants

iOS:

- swipe through photo albums inline;
- tap once to view photos in all their glory;
- subtle pan-zoom-scale effect to pictures in the stream.
- new conversation cards

And more! Check out the full post here and we'll be adding more here as we explore the shiny new stuff.

Looking for more Google+ info? Why not follow us on Google+, or join our community?

See you there!

A Chromebook Review From a Google User.

2012-12-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

Our review of the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook. Is the future in the Google Cloud?

First, a disclaimer. I'm a heavy user of Google products and services, including Google+, Android, Reader, Chrome, Gmail, Drive, etc. so this review will be a little biased.

However, if you also use all the Google products and services (the "Full Google"?) then this review will help you assess whether the Chromebook is right for you in the context of the Google "ecosystem".

First Impressions

Out of the box, the Chromebook feels light and easy to carry around. I was a little concerned that it was going to "feel cheap", but the opposite was true. It feels like a premium product and the keyboard especially is excellent to type on. The touchpad is also fast and responsive

I've seen better screens, but Chromebook screen does the job for me. I wouldn't recommend editing prize-winning photos on it, but for it's perfect for writing email, documents, browsing, video and general online work and play.

Google+

I use Google+ a lot, (I spend most of my working day on it) and as such the Chromebook needs to deliver here. It passed the test with flying colours and handled everything that Google+ (a notorious resource hog) could throw at it. (even Hangouts)

Drive

I love the integration with Drive and storing stuff in the Cloud just works. I haven't once felt constrained by it and you get a ton of free storage. (100GB with a new Chromebook!)

Multiple User Accounts

Again this just works. A different user can log in and all their Google stuff is just there. Brilliant and very well implemented.

Writing

I do a lot of writing (this blog and elsewhere) and the as I said above the keyboard is excellent. One of the best keyboards I've used.

Battery life

I knew this was going to be good, but even I was surprised at how good this was. Awesome.

Apps

Chrome apps provide everything I need with a couple of exceptions:

1) Screen Recording

There's just no way to properly do this right now, so if you need, or want to make tutorial videos (for example) you're stuck. Hopefully something that can be fixed in the near future.

2) Android Rooting (ADB, Fastboot, etc)

This may be fixable, but I couldn't work it out easily and it forced me to turn the Windows laptop back on to root my Nexus 7. If someone knows how to do this on a Chromebook, give me a shout! (It's certainly not an issue that will affect many though, so no big deal)

Conclusion

So there you go. I've had an excellent experience with the Chromebook and I 100% recommend it to anyone who's looking for something new and those who want to further explore the Google Cloud ecosystem.

Any questions? Contact us or ask a question in our new Google+ Community

Why We're Creating a Google+ Community

2012-12-10T03:48:00.002-08:00

picture source

Google+ Communities are brand new and everyone is rushing to create one. So why are we adding to the noise?

I've been debating this with myself for a few days (since Communities started). There's already a ton of "Google+ Help" communities out there so (a) is another one really needed? and (b) is it really necessary to add another layer to what we already do (Website, Google+ Page).

I think the answer to both questions is yes and here's why:

There's lots of communities, but they're not my Community

I've seen (and joined) lots of great Google+ Communities, but none of them so far are really 100% what I'm looking for. I'll dive into them, share posts, +1 and comment, but I still need a place to call my own. The G+ Resource is a necessary place to extend what we already do on our Website and Page.

You ask a question in our Community and you'll get an answer from us. Guaranteed.

Why create a Community when you already have a Page and/or Profile?

It adds another dimension. I like the idea of creating a (managed) space where people can come and ask questions and get answers. The main Google+ stream isn't always the best place for that.

So where is this Community?

Right here. Go check it out and I'll see you on the other side.

Fail Owl: How NOT to do Google+

2012-11-28T05:42:00.004-08:00

image source

Brands, Agencies and businesses of all types are starting to wake up to the fact that Google+ is an essential part of their "Social Strategy" . Unfortunately many of them are using it wrong.

You see, many Brands, Agencies and businesses have been taught to "Do Social" by using things called "Social Media Management Tools". They use these tools to post content to a variety of social media sites and often manage multiple accounts.

This is all fine and dandy and with care can be a good way of managing the huge headache of juggling all those essential "hot" social media sites covered on the Tech Blogs. However, if not used with care this strategy can sometimes backfire.

This is what I saw at the top of my Google+ feed this morning:

The Brand in question "PhoneArena" (sorry to to pick on them, but....) is using a Social Media Tool called Hootsuite. You can tell this because it says "Hootsuite" on the Posts (doh) and because the Links in the posts are "shortened" using Hootsuite's own "URL shortener" Ow.ly. A shortened URL is often used in Social Media because (a) it can give you tracking and measurement stats and (b) it helps you fit your posts into the character constraints imposed by services like Twitter.

So... What's wrong with this picture?

There's quite a few things wrong here, namely:

Google+ isn't Twitter.

Surprise, surprise! Google+ is a different place to Twitter. You aren't limited to 140 characters and people can actually comment on your posts. You can post all kinds of rich media and it looks great. Make use of the features and go big! Twitter-type posts look out of place and lame in comparison.

Overposting.

Notice how all the posts are timed at 9.24? That's right, they all turned up at once. Posts are like buses (you can only take one at a time.). It can look kind of spammy if you're not careful.

Forever Alone

If someone following your posts on Google+ continually gets this kind of posting from you, they're going to eventually assume (probably correctly) that you don't actually care about Google+ and (by extension) your followers on there. When they start to think that, then they'll start paying attention to those that do get it and that might just be your competitor.

Missed Opportunity

For a website like PhoneArena, they're missing a golden opportunity by not engaging properly with Google+. Google+ is packed to the rafters with people who love to read about tech news, especially gadgets like phones. The same could be said for other brands who are following a similar strategy (see below).

If you're doing this (and many are) then it's time to change. Don't miss out on the opportunities that Google+ offers and start making use of all the great features available.

Need more help with your Google+ strategy? Follow us on Google+ for tips! You can also check out our Google+ Coaching and Training

What's the value of a Google+ +1?

2012-11-12T06:21:00.002-08:00

What's the point of "+1's" on Google+? We try to explain a little bit more about how we think it works. (warning, opinion ahead).

I posted the above picture on Google+ earlier today and got an immediate reaction from some folks who disagreed. The essence of their comments was that it's not about the +1's, it's about the interaction. You don't get +1's in exchange for +1's, you get +1's in exchange for great content, reshares, comments, etc. And anyway, who cares about +1's unless you're some kind of Internet Marketer?

Yes, absolutely, so let's tackle those two points in turn.

You don't get +1's for +1's, (or do you?)

OK sure, it's not a great idea to go around +1'ng every damn post on Google+ expecting that they'll all +1 you back. That's not going to happen and it's a super quick route to someone's Blocked Circle if you fill up their notifications with +1's. However.... I'd definitely recommend using that +1 button a lot. It's a quick way to say "thanks for the share" and people do appreciate it. (I know, I know, it's not about the +1's). Would you rather have a "LOL", an "Awesome", or a +1?

So... I'm going to say YES! +1's do get you +1's, (with the disclaimer that you have to use them in the right way.) Obviously awesome content (posts and comments) will also get +1's, but you got to make sure that someone's around to hear the tree fall.

Right, but who cares about +1's?

I do! It's not about a numbers game and "who has the most +1s", it's about interaction. Not everyone has time to make an awesome comment and I also value the guys and girls who (only) +1 a post. Don't undervalue the value of a +1 to others even if you don't want them for yourself!

The TL;DR

A +1 is often enough and sometimes too much. but if you don't +1 at all, then I'd be worried.

Google Drive to Google+

2012-11-01T02:34:00.001-07:00

Google has announced a new Google+ feature that enables you to share your Google Drive content into Google+.

Here's the official announcement (on Google+):

"Share your stuff from Google Drive to Google+

Starting today, when you share links from Google Drive, people in your circles will be able to flip through presentations, open PDFs, play videos, and more, right from your Google+ stream. Click the play button below to check it out in action, with the Every Day in Google Drive presentation. More: http://goo.gl/e9sZV"

Here's what it looks like in practice:

A very useful new feature that I'm sure we'll see lots of people making good use of. Beyond the obvious business collaboration and sharing benefits, it's a great chance for Google+ users to get even more creative with their posts.

Have fun trying it out and let us know if you have any tips on how to best use the new feature.

Need more help with your Google+? Follow us on Google+ for tips! You can also check out our Google+ Coaching and Training for an extra boost.

New Google+ Local Page Launched for London

2012-10-23T02:52:00.002-07:00

Google has launched a new Google+ Page in the UK called +London | Google+ Local.

From their first post:

Welcome to the Google+ Local | London G+ page!

Here's what we'll be sharing:

- Announcements of local community activities (think happy hours, food crawls and behind-the-scenes adventures)
- Info about top London places, new and old
- Hangouts with interesting Londoners
- Tips about hidden local favourites in the city
- And much, much more!

Good luck to them and we'll be supporting their efforts as much as we can. Watch this space!

Better Mobile Options for Google+ Pages

2012-10-11T04:38:00.003-07:00

Google has announced that the mobile apps for iOS and Android will now have support for Google+ Pages.

Here's the Google+ Post:

This has been among the top 10 requested features for the mobile apps forever, so kudos to Google for finally getting it out.

Need more help with your Google+ Page? Follow us on Google+ for tips! You can also check out our Google+ Coaching and Training for an extra boost.