The world of social media is constantly evolving. With this evolution we have seen Google grow. One by-product of this growth has been the development of Google+ (G+). This new kid on the block when it comes to social media is taking the world by storm. It has given Facebook and Twitter a run for their money. With over 40 million users and constantly growing, Google+ seems here to stay. So what makes this new social media platform so impressive? Here are a couple of its shining features and what you need to know about them and Google+ in general:
- You Must Have a Gmail or Google Apps Account – This makes sense seeing as this is a Google related platform.
- Setting Up a Profile is a Snap – Once you’ve set up your Google account you can easily set up a profile. Once your initial Google account is set up, some of the data will be imported automatically when you go to set up your Google+ profile. You will then need to enter important details about yourself so that other G+ users can get to know you. Remember after all that this is social media. You will be able to enter things like an introduction about yourself, employment and academic accomplishments, places you’ve lived, links to your personal website or blog as well as links to some of your other social media profiles. You will be able to adjust our privacy settings to accommodate what you want others to see and not see in your profile.
- Facebook Has Friends; Google+ Has Circles – The most important part of social media is connecting with others. It’s about gaining exposure. So on Google+ circles are like gold to you. Here you can take your “friends” (members of your circle) and place them into specific categories. This makes it easy to control who sees what. You can create a circle for your co-workers, another circle for your personal friends and family and yet another circle for potential clients. This list can go on and on and it’s all up to you. It’s a simple process of picking who you want and dragging and dropping them into the circle you want them in. You can create as many circles as you need so you can literally customize your circles the way you want them. Bear in mind that creating too many circles can end up being more work than a convenience. You can import people into your circles from your email address book. Chances are you’re creating circles because you have different things to share with different circles. Circles are just one of the ways that G+ is setting itself apart from Facebook and other social media platforms.
- Easily Stream and Share Content – The G+ stream is similar to the newsfeed on Facebook. Status updates and information posted by those in your circles will be listed in the stream. In G+ the most recent commented on posts are near the top of your stream making it easy for you to see what is currently being discussed. Simply type your information or update in the “share” box then select which circles you want the information to go out to. You can also add photos, videos, links and even your location. So sharing content has never been easier. You can also narrow your stream results by selecting circles with which you want to stay connected with when it comes to their updates and posts.
- Facebook Has Likes; In G+ You Have the +1 Button – See something you like and find interesting? Want to let others you know that you find a post interesting? Then simply hit the +1 button. This is a great way to see what is hot when it comes to topics and conversations.
Hangout with Members of Your Circles and Others – One of the most popular features on Google+ is their Hangouts. This feature takes video chatting to a whole new level. On your G+ page, there is a link on the right hand side labeled “Start a Hangout”. All it takes is a simple click of the button and you are ready to hangout with nine other individuals (the max in a hangout is ten including you). You can invite people to join you in your hangout or post it on your G+ update and let people join in on the fun. Note: If you have never used Google Talk then you may need to install a small program on your system to get the hangouts to work. When a person in the hangout talks, the screen will switch to them. This allows users to see who is currently talking. Users have the option to mute themselves as well as decide if they want to have the web cam active or just leave it as a blank screen. Hangouts have been a great tool for team meetings, on-air interviews and more. There is also a text chat feature as well allowing members of the hangout to chat back and forth in addition to the live video chat. The “On Air” option allows the video hangout to be streamed live via YouTube. This is great for example if you were interviewing someone because it allows others to see the interview live even if they aren’t part of the ten participants.- Photo Albums – Google+ comes with a complete photo album program. Viewers can sift manually through each photo or watch a slideshow. Photos can also be edited within G+.
- G+ is Mobile – You can easily download the G+ application on your mobile device so that you can post and receive updates anytime; no matter where you are.
- Business Pages are Available – Businesses can easily create a business profile on G+ as well. This is great for building their brands and gaining exposure. This is one area where G+ has grown since its debut in 2011.
As you can see Google+ made its debut and it came in with a punch which has left an impression that is hard to beat. The features offered are bringing in new users each and every day. If you haven’t checked out Google+ then it’s worth looking into. You may be the next G+ member in a circle somewhere.
About Daniel Tan
