Google Plus, or Google as it is called, is basically Google’s social media answer to Facebook and Twitter. Google’s idea for Plus is to combine several services from sites that are popular with users already and improve on them. Google Plus can be broken down into these parts:
Google Circles -
Circles are friends or acquaintances that you group together based on topics such as Family, Friends, Roommates, School, College or Military Buddies etc. The different circles help determine who you want to share information with, allowing for more targeted postings. On the Circles page, contacts may be dropped into particular groups where they will only see information shared with the group or “Circle” you assigned them to.
Sparks -
Sparks are your various interests organized by topic into their own “Spark” page. The page acts as a gathering point for links to photos, videos and articles brought automatically to you based on the topic.
Hangouts -
Hangouts are “Circles” for video chatting with people within the particular group. Up to ten people at a time can be involved in the video chat.
Huddles -
Huddles is the group messaging service for the people within particular Circles. Everyone in the Circle can chat with each other within the group.
Google Communities -
Similar to Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, Google Communities is a gathering place for people with similar interests to share information about their specific passions. Found via the bar on the left hand side and hosted through Google , topic Communities can be searched for and found. New Communities can be created as well. This feature provides an excellent way to keep up with industry related information and engagement with industry leaders and peers.
Google Local -
A new feature addition made during 2012 was the launch of Google Local. This is a location-based tool for scores and recommendations from other Google users. This feature alone provides good reason for businesses to set up an account, to stay abreast of and respond to what is being said about their brand. This new feature and others such as, Google Communities, are designed to make the network more useful to individuals and businesses.
Although Google Plus started out as an invite-only, it is now open to everyone. All Google accounts such as Gmail, Youtube and others will eventually be phased in automatically. Google account holders can access the site and set up an account on Plus by clicking on the You button visible on the far left of their toolbar when they are logged into Google.
In the next part of this series we will look at some reasons your business should be on Google Plus.
Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.
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