If you’re active in the social media world at all, it’s likely that you’ve at least heard of Google+. Since its launch only a few short weeks ago, the Google+ world has been steadily growing, making it a potential contender for the next up-and-coming social media tool.
What is Google+?
According to Business Insider, “Google+ is an amalgamation of several services we already use. The idea, according to Google, is to do them better.”
Confused yet? In other words, Google+ takes concepts that are already being used on other social media and networking sites and makes them its own.
What can Google+ do?
Two features set Google+ apart from other social media platforms: Circles and +1. Users can assign their friends into “circles” that they create and organize by topic. Organize your connections into Friends, Family, College Buddies, Coworkers, Acquaintances, etc., and you can choose whom you share information with. This feature also helps to make Google+ exclusive. Being “friends” with someone is a choice that you have full control over. Just because someone chooses to share their information with you doesn’t mean that you have to add them to any of your circles. No circles equals no access to your profile and activity on Google+.
Even if you’re not familiar with Google+, you have probably seen the +1 button popping up all over the Internet. Once you have a Google+ account, you can click the +1 button and share that information. If you’ve enabled the +1 page on your Google+ profile, that link or information is posted to that page and shared with the circles you choose to share it with. The more +1s a link has, the higher it ranks in Google. Stay tuned for more information about how Google+ and +1 can take your Internet marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to a whole new level.
Other features include:
- Sparks: Similar to Google Reader, Sparks is a convenient way to get information at your fingertips. Unlike Google Readers, however, Sparks brings content to you automatically based on your interests.
- Hangouts: Hangouts are virtual rooms where you can video chat with people in your circles. Basically, it’s just a video chat, but you can chat with multiple people at one time.
- Invitation Only: At the moment, Google+ is invitation only. To join, you can visit the Google+ homepage to request an invitation or be invited by someone who is already a Google+ user. Eventually, everyone with a Google account will be phased in to the program.
At the moment, Google+ has a long way to go before it overtakes the leading social networking sites of today, but we encourage you to find out for yourself. Request an invitation from Google and share your feedback with us. Be on the lookout for information about how Google+ fits into your marketing plan.