Understand How To Use Google Plus

What is your understanding of how to use Google Plus?  Is it something that you use often, or something that you shy away from?  As a newbie in the blogging world, it can often seem overwhelming with all the new things to learn, but knowing how to use Google Plus, should be up there on your priority list!

What is Google Plus ?

If you want to know how to use Google Plus, then you first need to understand what it is!

In a nutshell, Google Plus is Google’s social media platform.  Due to the fact that it is owned and operated by Google, you would expect that there are a number of perks to utilizing the platform, and you would be right.

Whilst Google Plus has only been around since 2011 it has established itself to being the second largest social networking site, second to Facebook.

Google Plus is a fantastic layering network, bringing together other services such as Gmail, Blogger and You Tube.  It therefore is not just ‘another Facebook’ as it does so much more!

How to use Google Plus and it’s perks!

There are number of perks to using Google Plus and I have listed just a few of them here:

1:  You have an increased chance of being indexed by Google and being sent highly targeted visitors.

2:  The higher number of +1′s you can achieve on your posts, the better!  A +1 is basically similar to someone pressing ‘like’ on Facebook.  Anyone who click’s +1 is personally recommending that content.  Therefore the higher number of +1′s you have, the more respected your content will be.

3:  If your blog is visual, this is a great place to showcase your work, with photos looking amazing on the site.

4: Google Plus not only allows you to connect with friends, but also with people that interest you.

5: Google Plus allows you to separate your contacts into circles, so you are only liaising with certain people about certain topics.

6: We can’t forget this perk….IT’S FREE!

How to use Google Plus circles.

You are allowed to create as many circles as you please, and how you operate these is entirely up to you.

Google Plus circles are basically a way for you to categorise the people you follow.

You may like to have a “friends”, “business”, “social”, “health”, “blogging”, “food lovers” circle etc.

When you add people to your profile, simply place them into the relevant circle.

Generally speaking if you add someone to your circle, there is a high chance that they are going to add you back.

Don’t however make the mistake of going on an ‘adding’ frenzie.  This will get noticed by Google and could result in having your account suspended.

Add people to your circle in a steady stream and build your profile naturally.  It is not a race to get thousands of people into your circles, so use the tool wisely.

How to use Google Plus hangouts.

A hangout is a video chat service.  They are predominantly  used for private chats either with someone one on one or in a group. You can only be included in a hangout if you started the hangout or you were invited.

Share content on Google Plus

Much like Facebook, you can use your Google Plus profile to share your content.  This in turn will allow new people to see your content and follow you.  By sharing your content it also allows others to share your content onto their profile.

Each post you share onto Google Plus will create a link back to your site.  As I mentioned before, it all helps with the indexing!

Be creative with what you share on your profile.  You might choose to share a post, an infographic, a You Tube video, a funny caption or something inspirational.  Vary the content to encouragement engagement from others.

Share other’s content

Once you know how to use Google Plus for sharing your own content, start to share others.  As you know, social media is all about engagement with others, and Google Plus is no exception. The easiest way to be seen on the platform is to get involved!

Start by leaving comments on people’s post and if that seems to hard, then just click +1!  A +1 is still beneficial for the other person, so it will all be appreciated.

The more you connect with others, the more you will start seeing +1′s, comments and shares of your own work.

Join Communities

Communities are a fantastic way of networking with others, and there are communities for practically everything!  If you want to know how to use Google Plus well then get stuck into the communities as there are so many people who are willing to help you out!

Simply search a topic you are interested in and then view the communities available.  Some communities you can join instantly, whereas others you need to send a request.

Before you go crazy hitting the ‘join community’ button, spend a bit of time looking through the community to see whether it is one you actually want to join.

Things to take notice of are;

How many members are in the community?

Does there appear to be much interaction going on?

Are people link dropping or are they commenting, sharing and +1 other people’s posts?

Does the community fit with your niche and will your content be of value to the other members?

Don’t just join a community for the sake of it, there are plenty to choose from, so choose the ones of benefit to you.

Google Plus is growing in it’s popularity, so the question is are you going to wait until it has reached its peak, or are you going to jump on board, grow with it and make use of its benefits along the way?

Google are VERY hot on their policies and will not take kindly to anyone they feel is abusing the system.  Make sure you familiarize yourself with the policies and principles to ensure you do not get your account suspended.   Google can suspend your account without warning, and once it’s happened, it is incredibly difficult to get back!

Don’t worry if this all still seems a bit confusing.  At a later point we will get to explaining how to set up a Google Plus account, how to use Google Plus for business and how to navigate the services. For now, this is how to use Google Plus in a nutshell, and is a social media site which I feel is beneficial for all bloggers.

If it all seems a bit too much, why not tap into the learn how to blog program where you can be guided through this platform (and others) at your own pace.  I can highly recommend the support team where no question is too small to ask!

Are you a member of Google Plus?  Are you someone that knows how to use Google Plus to it’s full advantage?  What other tips could you share with us from your experience?  Please share your thoughts with us below.