Why G+? Well – because GOOGLE. Google owns the internet mostly. I must say that I much prefer G+ to Facebook. I find that there’s much more camaraderie there, and a lot less competition and skirmishes. I have a whole group of friends on G+ who have never signed up for Facebook at all, preferring to stay right where they are. There’s also less stress with G+ Circles than with Facebook Friending. Removing someone from a Google circle comes with none of the shots from the bow associated with Unfriending on Facebook, and it is so much easier to connect with a massive cross section of society on G+.
All your followers as well as the public can see your posts if you want them to, compared to Facebook’s changing and mysterious ways of deciding who gets the opportunity to see what you have to share. You have absolute control over who sees what you post on G+. You can share a post as Public, which means that not only do all those who have you in their circles get to see it, but any member of the public can see it too. G+ posts show up in anyone’s Google searches, so the potential for visibility is enormous. Use hashtags for more oomph.
You can share a post with a single individual, and only they will ever see it, or you can specify people to be notified of a post by email simply by adding them next to your Circles choice.
Google Hangouts allows you to have group chats – with or without video, and there are thousands of Google Communities to join, and meet new people. Again, I find the G+ communities a lot less stress than those on Facebook.
Anyone with a Gmail account automatically gets a G+ account, but you can sign up for one Google account that gives you access to all Google products . Once you have your new account, go to the Google+ Help Centre for a basic rundown on the features.
Create your profile, and load your photo and header. Try and use your real name because this makes those little Google search crawlers very happy bunnies, and once you’ve verified your account, you will be nice and easy to find.
Once you have your account, you can head over to your home page by clicking on your +Name.
Then begin finding friends old and new, and add them to your Circles. Concentrate on making lots of totally new friends to increase your platform, as well as adding those you already know. G+ Circles are nothing like Facebook Friending. You can circle anyone you like and be able to see anything that they share, and they don’t have to circle you back. Apart from the big guys, most of them will though.
Click on the Home icon to start finding your way around.
If you’re brand new to the site, and feel like you’re all alone in the dark, check out Google+ Recommendations to get you started. Click here to add me to your circles if you like, and I’ll circle you right back. We also have a couple of communities on G+ where you can pop your book and blog links. Readers Meet Authors & Bloggers, Free to Blog, and Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Lovers. They’re open communities, so anyone can join. Once you’ve figured out how easy it is, start your own communities too. It really is very user friendly, and these communities are much easier to find than Facebook groups.
Check out Communities Recommended for You, and Explore.
One good thing to remember when sharing, when you comment on any link that you post an email will go out to all your followers. If you just post it, it only hits the stream. If you want someone specific to see it, use the + and then their name, and finally choose from the selection that Google gives you. Have a go and see if you like it. If you’re an Indie, sooner or later you’re going to have to go G+ if you want to find new eyeballs.
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