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Entering the Google+ Cave for Bloggiesta — 6 Comments

  1. Not to worry, Joy. Google Plus is something that DOES have a steep learning curve…in fact it never ends. Like most of the social media world, the materials are dated as soon as they are printed.

    Here are some key take-aways to keep you steering straight.

    * Be engaging. Don’t broadcast your stuff, but share and comment on other peoples materials…especially when you are just getting started.

    *Post interesting things FOR your audience. It’s not about you, but about your audience. Who are you trying to connect with? [Very okay to have different answers. That’s what circles are for.]

    *Unless you have a VERY compelling reason not to, default to “share with Public.” Then it’s okay to share with a community you are very active in (if that is part of their community guidelines.) You can also do this the other way around. I frequently share to M2the5th and then reshare to public. But make sure the community setting is “Public.”

    The thing is…when you do put in the effort to learn the rules over on Google Plus, your own blog will benefit immensely.

    And you do have a leg up because you belong to two terrific communities already. Don’t be shy about adding more. I believe the limit is 50. But do be active in at least half a dozen.

    Share your results with us. I know you will.

  2. Not sure if it’ll help but I circled you. BTW, I hardly ever initiate circling someone because I have too many people who circle me and I can’t keep up but for you it’s totally worth it.

    I don’t have a facebook account because I see entirely too much drama over there, people saying things that are hurtful or taking offense where perhaps no offense was implied. I think the reason for this is simply that people you know in real life–even people you haven’t seen in years or decades–can touch you more deeply than someone you’ve never met.

    The advantage that g+ has over FB is that it is not based on IRL associations but on interests. And let’s be honest, how many of your former classmates/coworkers/long-lost-relatives truly share your interests? My daughter and I both like Dr Who but nobody else in my family watches it. My husband and I loved Firefly but I can’t convince any of my children to give it a try. My one son and I love Harry Potter but my other son hasn’t read even one of the books and hasn’t even seen the sixth movie, let alone the seventh and eighth.

    Anyway, you get my point. On g+ you can more easily find other writers, even find other genre writers, or bibliophiles who love to exercise, etc. Circle people you think are safe to circle and, when you see something they post that interests you, see who else comments/plusses that post. When you start seeing familiar faces, circle that person. If you later decide you don’t want to have that person in your circles, you can always remove them.

  3. Thanks for posting a link to the guide. I don’t really get Google+ either. At the minute I have my blog posts automatically posted there, but that’s about as far as my interaction on it goes. I get very confused when trying to message or comment on other people’s pages. Hopefully this guide will help me to get the hang of it. Good luck with your Bloggiesta goals, Joy.

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