Why I'm Digging Google+

I am not a huge fan of social media. It's something I do because I should, but Google+ is changing my mind. I started one several months ago and have ended up checking it and interacting with it almost every day. G+ has some features that make it a lot easier to use and more intuitive for me, plus I can customize it in ways that you just can't with other social networks. Here's what I'm really loving about G+ and why I willingly use it for more than just business.

8 Reasons Why Google+ is Awesome

  • Communities

    • You can use the search function to search anything you like, including communities. Communities are a great way to follow interests and find people who share them in a way I can understand. I'm looking at you Facebook.

  • Circles

    • I can create as many circles as I want, which helps to keep track of my contacts. Plus, when you want to post something that's only relevant to one group, you can choose to only share it with them. Makes it a lot easier not to spam people with content they don't want to see.

  • Fave, Share, Comment

    • Now you can interact with posts and share them easily. You can choose to +1 something, actually comment on it, or share it. When you share, you have the option of adding your own comment and you can post to your page, select circles or even repost to one of your communities.

  • Track activity on your posts

    • This is especially useful for businesses, you can easily see who is interacting with your posts. Plus the share options make it easier than ever to interact with them.

  • Easily use several accounts or pages

    • I have multiple accounts - personal and business - and all it takes to switch account is to click your top right icon and pick the account you want to deal with. No signing in and out, just one click. It makes it really easy to get everything done in one go.

  • Intuitive page design

    • I find everything on G+ really easy to read and see. It looked a little like the new Facebook layout to start, but I find the way the page is laid out easy to interact with, plus it populates very quickly. 

  • Alerts at the top for activity

    • Like any other Google feature, all you have to do is click the bell icon and it shows you immediately everyone who has added you to a circle, interacted with your posts, or messaged you. No fishing for information.

  • You can still use hashtags, but in a useful way


    • Unlike Twitter, where is still don't really get hashtags, you can use them on G+ in a way that not only makes sense but also allows you to easily see what's going on. For example, I just participated in a Thursday link round-up meant to get to know other bloggers by using #growingcircleshop. When you click the hashtag, you can see everyone's post in a simple layout so that you can interact with everyone that's used that hashtag. Twitter's hashtag list is just plain weird and I hate interacting with it. 

Last year, I heard a lot of talk about how Google+ was doomed to fail and that no one was going to use it. Now, I actually think it's going to be a major contender - not just because Google is pushing it, but because they're making it so easy to use across multiple platforms. They're making it so easy it's going to be hard not to use it soon. My advice is to set up your account now and start enjoying the benefits. Add me to one of your circles so we can connect. Now get going!

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