G+is growing up! No, I am not just talking about the fact that the social network has expanded from 0 to 20 million users in 1 month. Instead, I am talking about the fact that the conversation on Google+ is no longer just about “How to Use Google+” or “Did you know this about Google+” or “XYZ, ABC, 123, Google+.” Instead, people are having actual conversations like you have on social networks.There are still conversations about how to actually use Google+, such as the post below.
Yes, you still have conversations, such as this post above included in your streams. Yes, I will definitely be sharing this post with my social network on G+. However, there are also other discussions here as well, such as this recent post.
So the big question is then what does this mean for small business owners, such as ourselves? Well it means that G+ users are starting to act in more of a traditional social networking manner compared to the previous what the heck do I do with this thing approach that was happening as people started to use this new service.
This will be only bring good things to the new social network as they continue to grow and add new layers of complexity to the site. It will also mean that there will be a larger audience interested in actually participating in G+.
More importantly as small business owners that means we can start to develop a network that become profitable.
So, as your social network grows on G+ here are a few tips that I want you to keep in mind:
- You do not need to follow everyone back. I learned from Facebook that when 5,000 is up, no matter how large that seems to you right now your network can stagnate without fresh input. That is why I have decided on G+ to only connect with small business professionals and entrepreneurs here in the United States by and large. There are some connections that I am close to from other parts of the world that I connect with, but I want to have at least one mainly local network.
- Comment on other people’s posts. I know that I am guilty as everyone else of not doing this from time to time, but commenting on other people’s posts get you noticed. People see that you are not just a self-promoter.
- Go out and actively seek individuals that you believe you can create a profitable relationship from. It is great to attract people to you, but it is also a very good thing to reach out to others as well. Action and Attraction work well together.
With this in mind, go forth and have fun on G+ creating valuable connections.
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G+ users are beginning to act in a similar way to other social networking platforms… which could also mean that we are spreading ourselves thin across too many! Do we actually need another service? I can only hope that G+ will indeed bring new layers of complexity that will attract a greater audience and enthusiasm for entrepreneurs. We can continue to create relationships on this platform as we wait to see how it will all play out… it’s interesting to play in it and observe!
Loren,
That is very true! in the end, we have to wonder if these sites will just grow larger or segment to help specific portions of society. G+ goes to the techies, Twitter to entertainment, LinkedIn to professionals, Facebook to youngin’s and family members.
Andy
Hi Andy,
yes, there has been a lot of ‘talk’ about Google+ and it is good to know that things are normalizing.
I am sure there are still a lot of people that are learning about how to use this new platform and it is still very new. I am still learning about it and I am grateful for people’s information. Most of all I am still learning how to be more active on this new platform and even some of the old ones.
Thank you so much for your interesting article!
Cheers,
Yorinda
Yorinda,
Everyone is still feeling it out, but the pace of here is what you can do with G+ posts is not as large of a percentage when I first joined last month.
Andy
Thanks for the update Andy – sounds like a good strategy and I’m looking forward to learning more and becoming a part of the community … by the way, like the new look of your blog!
Marquita,
Your welcome!
Glad you enjoy the new look of the blog. Thanks!
Andy
Andy, it’s great to hear that Google+ is becoming more social! I really think it’s going to be successful, probably in a different way from Facebook or Twitter.
Regards from Julieanne
Julieanne,
Agreed! G+ will take on it’s own personality just like Facebook and Twitter did before them.
Andy
Andy,
Google+ is slowly become my “go to” social network. I agree with you though, it’s all about engagement. Connecting and sharing with others is the name of the game. It’s not about getting a bunch of friends and just sitting on them bragging about how many friends you have. It’s about collaborating and pushing the envelope.
Dewane,
I agree with you on that! G+ is sneaking up on a lot of people! Without engagement, however, you do not have anything worthwhile!
Andy
Hey Andy, appreciate the update on Google+. Looks like it is gaining momentum. Great tips as well. You’re right quality connections are what’s important, not quantity. I’m sure Google will try to somehow reward you for that approach as well.
Hans,
I have more followers on Twitter versus LinkedIn by a factor of 60. Yet, my LinkedIn connections are more valuable.
Andy
Any idea what is the number of G+ users by now?
Do not have a recent count. I thought it was around 30-40 million.