What to do about Google Plus…
No doubt you’ve heard about the new kid on the block. It’s Google Plus and everyone is buzzing about it. Are you worried that you need to catch the G+ wave? Fear not! Here’s what you need to know about G+, how to get started, what to look out for and a few other tips and hints.
Let’s start with what G+ is, and some of the more important features. You can click on the title of each topic for a quick video from Google.
Google Plus Overview:
Hey, it’s a social network. A totally new social network. It’s kind of like Twitter, kind of like Facebook, and then again it’s completely different from both. In the end, it’s a place to share with others, meet new people, and enhance the relationships you presently have in an online environment.
Circles:
In Facebook you might have organized your friends into Lists. That allows you to better adjust the privacy settings and control who sees what you post and filter what you want to see. Circles operate pretty much the same way in G+. I can create circles, add people to various circles and then distribute content to that circle of friends. I can also view the content from a particular circle of friends.
Circles are all drag and drop. Your friends appear on the top and you can drag them down into any circle that might be applicable. Naturally, some people might be in more than one circle. That’s just fine with G+! You start with a simple set of circles but can add, modify or rename any of them to fit your needs.
Hangouts:
This might be one of the better features of G+. Hangouts allow people to video chat in a group setting. The video streams nicely no matter how many people are in on the chat. All you need is a webcam (most laptops now come with cameras built in) and with the click of a button you’re video chatting! When you start a Hangout, it could be open to the Public or you can limit who sees that hangout by simply inviting just a circle.
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Settings:
This will be a key part for many people. The settings tab allows you to better control the notifications you receive either by email or sms (text). Want to know when someone comments on your post or adds you to a circle? Just check the box. Conversely, if your inbox is easily overloaded – you can uncheck away!
Seems pretty simple right? Now that you have a basic understanding of what G+ is, let’s dive in!
It all starts with your Google Profile. These have been around for a while and you may have forgotten you even have one. Start by going to https://www.google.com/accounts/Login?service=profiles and entering your Google account username and password. This is probably going to be the Gmail address you use. Do you have a Google Profile? Good! Now if you have a Google + Invite you can start playing with G+ at https://plus.google.com/. Don’t have an invite? Just ask one of your friends, or ask me (Mike912Mueller@gmail.com). I’d be happy to invite you!
Complete Your Profile:
On G+, your profile is now the About Tab. Step One of any social network you join should always be to complete your profile. That starts with a picture of you. Additionally, Google allows you to also post 5 different pictures along the top. Below the five pictures you’ll see “Posts, About, Photos, Videos, +1’s and Buzz”. We can show or hide some of these.
The main section is called “Introduction” and can be used for a bio. You can include anchor text and hyperlinks. On the right sidebar you can show the icons to your other social networks. The left sidebar shows the people you’ve placed into circles and the people who have placed you into circles.
Up on the top right of your profile you’ll see a blue button to “edit profile”. One click and you can make any change you like. As you edit sections you’ll also see the ability to show that section to anyone (Public) or narrow it down to your individual circles. The choice for each section is up to you! Don’t like the idea of showing the world who has added you to a circle or who you have added? You can control that too.
Circles:
Now that you have a complete profile, let’s start adding people to circles. https://plus.google.com/circles/find will get you started finding the people you know. You can search for people by name or even upload an address book and search en mass that way.
Your friends will appear in the upper section and your circles below. To add someone to a circle just drag them to it. People in full color are on G+ and those that have silhouettes are not (yet). You can rename any circle you like, or create new ones as you see fit.
Circle Hints
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While a person might get a notification that you have added them to a circle they do not know what circle you have added the to. You can have a circle called “Dirt Bags” and nobody would ever know.
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If you hover over a friend you’ll be able to see what circles you’ve added them to.
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You can also click multiple friends and drag the selected group to a circle.
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Clicking on a circle will give you a pop up showing you the members of that circle.
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Anyone can add you to their circles, you don’t have to reciprocate and you can control what they can see.
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The person who has been added to the most circles is Mark Zuckerberg – yet he’s not posted a single thing!
The Home Stream:
Up at the top you’ll see 4 buttons. Home, Photos, Profile and Circles.
We’ve covered your Profile and Circles, let’s go to your Home Stream next. Click the left button and you’ll see your home stream. The default setting is set for “Public” and it can get pretty busy. On the left sidebar you’ll see your circles. By clicking on a particular circle you’ll see only those posts that come from that stream. At the top is a box for your input. Where Facebook asks “What’s on your mind?” and Twitter asks, “What’s happening?” I found it funny that G+ emulated them by asking “Share what’s new…” in a very similar way.
Start writing something in the box and you’ll see you can share a photo, a video, even a link to a blog post (like this)! You’ll see a box below showing you who exactly you are sharing this post with. Once you’ve shared the post you can click on the time stamp and get just the permalink to that post. Here’s a sample post I made public: Click here
On the top right you’ll see a small drop down arrow. That allows you to edit, delete, disable comments or disable resharing. People can also +1 your post. That’s a good thing. That’s akin to a LIKE in Facebook.
Go leave a comment on someone’s post. It easy to do and you can always edit your comment later. That’s something you can’t do with Facebook or Twitter.
If you comment on a post and then don’t want to the notifications of everyone after you who posts, you can “mute” that post. This may come in handy if you happen to leave a comment on a post that goes viral.
Here’s another cool tidbit… in a post or comment you can mention a friend by typing a + followed by their name much in the same way you can @ in Facebook and Twitter. That will get their attention and is especially useful if you are sharing a post or comment and want to alert a particular friend.
Moral of the Story:
Google Plus is a new network. It’s a new tool to add to your toolbox. It’s not the Facebook Killer or the network that Twitter should have been. It has it’s good points and it’s bad. It’s a work in progress and changes daily. Personally, I think it’s still missing 4 very big things, “Search, Sort, Sift and Filter. 4 things I want out of Google Plus”
Should you be on Google Plus?
Absolutely! But do so when you have free time. Complete your profile first and then start poking around.
Is it a great place for your listings? Will you find your next client there? What if the Agent from across town adds you to his circles? Should you invite all your clients to add you to circles?
All great questions! Register for our free Google+webinar to get strategic hints and tips. For now… bookmark this post, take a deep breath and just go explore!
Mike Mueller
Mike is a former Mortgage Banker, Mortgage Broker turned “Tech Geek” who specializes in Social Media. He is a builder of engaging Custom Facebook Business Pages and WordPress blogs. Mike writes areweconnected.com, a blog dealing with social media and technology as it pertains towards real estate.
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Legacy Comments
Mike, Informative piece. I’m on Google+ but have not dived in yet. I have been added to others’ circles, but have not really forged into the whole thing myself. Concerned about something else I have to manage I guess. Thanks for sharing.
Great way of teaching the basics! Thanks, I have Google+ but I need to spend some time learning the system.
Lots more to come! Just scratched the surface
Mike…thanks for the great article. I’ve just started using Google+ too and each day is a new learning experience.
Donna – and they’ll make changes to each day as well. New features keep popping up!
I have been waiting for an alternative to Facebook for a long time… It looks as if Google+ is going to be the place to be. Google controls search and are now linking your Google+ profiles to your websites and blog articles. Facebook just can’t compete with that..
James,
Who knows? I think there’s two sides the this social media marketing stuff- the real conversation side and the SEO/eyeballs side. Both have their valid talking points.
For me, I’m looking at where my friends and clients are. That’s where I want to be. Will that be G+, Twitter or Facebook? Wherever that is, that’s where I’ll be.
Of course you left out the best ways to seo your site and capture leads with google plus and +1
Are you sharing those or keeping them to yourself?
I try NOT to share these publically since that benefits my client4′ competition.
Hi Sam – LOL! I keep nothing to myself. Hey, I remember the night Rand Fishkin (SEOmoz) was running the first of a few G+ seo tests. I believe the jury is still out on the full benefits of the backlinks. I’m not an SEO expert but I remember reading reports last week on this.
Now the +1 outside of G+? That’s a different story as Google has said they directly are influencing the SERPs and will be a huge part of the new Real Time Search.
Down the road, I’ll be sharing more SEO aspects but for now this is just the beginning!
Monica – thanks! Just the starting point. I joked on G+ that this should be a 100+ part mini series.
What a great blog on google+. We are finding it the more “professional” site. I love the intersection of circles with friends/family and with business contacts/vendors, etc. As services are added we are adding them. I am thinking of a hangout for my clients and giving a coaching session!
I have been trying to get on Google+ but it says they’ve reached the limit. Any idea about when they’ll accept new people.
Thanks for offering the invite through your email Mike. I have had a hard time getting anyone tech savy here in central Florida that has an account to give up an invite!!
Great post. some other posts that i found where relevant to Real estate professionals in terms of Google Plus are; http://www.slideshare.net/WebtechDezine/google-plus-for-real-estate-agents and http://www.slideshare.net/WebtechDezine/real-estate-benefits-of-google-plus
Mike – is there a way to populate the Content on G+ with a blog feed or feed from Facebook or Twitter? Or do you have to actually write the content on G+?
Wow, Mike this is a great article. I’ve yet to try G+ because hardly anyone in my town has been invited or started using it. I can’t wait to start it and use these awesome tips
Thanks for the info and the invite
Thanks Mike, always enjoy reading your easy to read articles.
I’ve been playing around with G+ and am really enjoying it. Still looking through a “Marketer’s eye” for the best ROI for business.
How can I gain entrance to Google+.
I have been told it is an invitation only site, is that correct?
Thanks for the article, Mike. I have seen little bits and pieces about Google+ but this is the first real interesting article I have seen. I am very interested in this and would like to be ask to join. Will you ask? Thanks! I look forward to more of you articles.
Thank you so much for this informative piece, i will start working on my profile. Very clear in a step by step form. thanks!
Mike,
Will we also be able to use our google documents on the G+ system? I have a lot of important documents that i need to use on a daily basis. Will that be possible if I switch to G+? I’m hesitant only because of my work details. Please advise as to which way is the best to continue. Thanks
Thank you Mike, I already have my profile on G+ but I had many questions that now you explained! thanks again!
Hi Mike, Thanks, for the great article. Can’t wait to dive into G+:)
I have been using Google + for about two weeks and I suggest you develop your circles as soon as possible. I have already received some past clients looking to refinance and or buy homes…
If this has Ross Hair’s endorsement it must be good.
Very good article. I was looking for this. Easy to understand and straight to the point. Thank you.
I read the entire article including the comments from various professionals. It’s so new it was a challenge understanding the basic concepts. I hope more material will come out on G+, especially videos. They clarify alot of gray areas for me. Thanks.
Joe Skye
ABR,CRS,GRI,
E-PRO,SRES
Just went into Google plus and it says it’s a Field Trial leave your email address and they would let you know when they are accepting more. Even under the Already Invited box it says, “We’ve temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon”.
I’ll send you an invite Sandy! Please check your email now…..
Terrible post. Not a word about how this might relate to the business of Real Estate. Too many social networks & tools and not nearly enough ROI.
J. sorry to disappoint you.
My thought was that you have to first understand the tool before you even decide if it’s the right tool for you to use. If I just jumped in and said, “Add these people to this circle and the post this stuff at this time” would that be what you are looking for?
That would result in a very low ROI, for obvious reasons- right?
What if instead, you learned more about the tool and how it might work into your own marketing plan if at all? You would be empowered to make your own decision and choices. To me that’s much more valuable.
BTW:I agree. There’s too many social networks and tools. You have to use the ones that resonate with you.
I’ve had an account since the week it launched, so I’ve learned plenty about the tool.
What I see is agents trying to use social networks as their only marketing tool & then they don’t understand why they aren’t successful. Guess what, people aren’t looking at Facebook, Twitter, & G+ to buy a house. They’re looking a Realtor.com, etc.
The best source of business now, as always, is your network of people in your community. You need to develop referral sources, not SEO results, Facebook friends, or Twitter followers.
You can’t sit at your computer and be social. But hey, I didn’t mean to go on a rant!
Thanks, Mike!
Good info and much appreciated. You’re in my good guys circle : )
Mike,
Great information. Now I am curious about G+ and I will check it when I find some free time.
I wonder if it connects with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Thank you for posting!
Mike you are great with your down to earth explanation very informative to the basics that is what we need great article thanks for sharing.
Awesome article, Mike. I’ve been wondering how Google + was going to work. I wonder if Mark Zuckerberg is worried? If anyone can kill you with competition its Google!
I am excited to get started with G+, but I haven’t been able to get an invite. Any ideas?
Hi — any idea why, I got the following error message when I click the link in the invite my friend sent me:
“Oops… you need a Google profile to use this feature.
Google Profiles is not available for your organization.”
I have a Google profile, I think. I use Gmail.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the article. I would appreciate an invite when you have time!
rockrealtywi@ g mail
Hi Mike,
Great information here. Would love to attend the webinar but am leaving on vacation that morning. Any chance you will do another one or we will be able to watch it on our own later?
DeeDee
Mike,
Excellent post! I’d love to get started using Google Plus but my google account that all my google products are associated with is a Google Apps Premier account and Google won’t let me create a Google + profile.
When I try I get the following message:
“This service is not available
Profiles is not available for xxxxxx.com. Learn more about Google products you can use with xxxxxxx.com. ”
Any ideas how to get around this issue? I’d like to manage all my google stuff in one place.
Thanks again for the information, you give the best explanation of Circles that I have seen yet.
Warm Regards,
Will Rahill
Hi Will!
I’m sending you an invite now!
How do I obtain google+?
Thank you.
I just sent you an invite Fran. Please check your email.