How to Google Plus

I am still in the process of figuring out the newest social media fad, Google Plus. I was skeptical at the success that a new site would have as we all know that Facebook and Twitter own that space. I really believe that this can be a very lucrative tool for individuals and businesses alike, and here are the top 10 reasons why:

1. Within the first 30 days of launch, Google plus already had 20 million users. While that does not come close to what Facebook has, it is definitely impressive. More users make a social website more social and valuable. In addition, all of the users I have seen post opinions have LOVED the new site.
2. Google Plus’s differentiator from other social networks is the “circle” concept. This forces users to place individuals in groups and then posts have to be sent to those circles. This includes status updates, link posts, pictures and videos. This minimizes some of the issues that the open sharing forum that Facebook and Twitter have as a disadvantage. Businesses and individuals can share things completely publically, but they also can limit posts to clients, friends, business associates, etc., if necessary.
3. Followership and “friending” can be one-sided. This means that if I want to see what someone’s posts (that they make public) are about, I can, but there is no obligation required on that person’s part. This is really taking a page out of Twitter’s book that is so integral to following current business trends. Following top marketing, social media and HR individuals on Twitter really enables me to understand what the industry values at a particular point in time. Facebook really doesn’t have a feature that allows me to do this.
4. Google Plus is (I guess obviously) connected to your Gmail account and Google the search engine. This makes life much easier when searching for a particular person or organization. For example, if I type in Batrus Hollweg, their page will show up and I automatically get pushed to Google to see all web results for that search query. In addition, the search function pulls up anyone associated with that organization. This would be a great way to find thought leaders in an industry to “follow” to gain some insight on trends or start a discussion on various posts.
5. By using a Firefox or Chrome extension, called Start Google Plus, you can easily link your Facebook and Twitter accounts. By “link” I mean the updates will show up in your Google Plus stream, which is equivalent to the Facebook newsfeed or Twitter stream.  For me, I love being able to see all three accounts’ updates in one area, so I don’t have to check three sites for my social media fix.
6. Profiles are very simplistic and don’t involve too much information. Things like political affiliation and religious beliefs are not even options to fill in information, which minimizes the risk of the user.
7. There is no “wall” to worry about, so you don’t have to continuously monitor it to be sure that it presents you or your organization in a negative light.
8. The privacy settings are very straightforward and easy to change. While Facebook does have a lot of these types of features, it is rather difficult to change settings. Google Plus makes it easier. 
9.   It is REALLY easy to migrate all of your Facebook information (pictures, etc.) over by using a Chrome extension called Move Your Photos which uses a Picasa account. My experience was moving over 1500 images and it took about 20 minutes with it running in the background.
10. There is a feature called “huddle” where individuals can video chat and they are closed to others. This is basically combining Skype with a social site, which I like personally when I travel. It’s a good way to stay in contact with family without international fees associated with long distance communication.

I think businesses and individuals can leverage these positive features to create a good social media presence in the most positive way possible. Some of these features eliminate a lot of issues surrounding social media sites and “oversharing,” which makes life easier for both the individual and organization.I hope this list has helped if anyone is having trouble with some of the features. If you know of more features that I didn't mention, please post in the comment box. Questions and comments are welcome!