Winter Author Blog Challenge #7: Authors, jump into Google+ while you can still create a BIG splash!
Woo-hoo! The Winter Author Blog Challenge is underway. This time around, the Challenge is just 15 days, and our focus is social media. The goal is for participants to post all 15 days, following the daily prompts provided, if they so choose. As with the inaugural Author Blog Challenge that took place last summer, I’ll be playing along with all of the posts, even though Marcie and I are the hosts!
Our regular readers who are keeping careful track may have noticed that we just leapfrogged over Day 6. Not to be too snarky, but it’s my blog and I retain the right to do so. Actually, Day 6 is on YouTube, and I want to do the post justice, which is going to take a little longer than normal. I will get back to it. For those reading a couple days behind, we may be all caught up by the time you’re reading this!
So I’ll post the DAY 6 prompt with the DAY 6 blog post. Right now, we unveil the SEVENTH prompt:
Have you jumped into Google+ yet? If you are a regular user, you are still considered an early adopter, and that’s a great place to be in order to make a name for yourself while few others are – especially if men are among your target market, as most users right now are male. As marketing pro Linda Sherman puts it, “GooglePlus can give you access to influencers (i.e., other early adopters) who might not notice you elsewhere.” This is a CHALLENGE, so here’s my challenge with this prompt: If you’re USING Goolge+, tell us about your experience. If you’re NOT using Google+, don’t just write, “Blah, blah, blah I’m not using it …” and call it a post. Do a little research. Learn one thing about Google+ that you find interesting, that might make it worth your time and effort to explore. No – I’m not suggesting you be on every social media platform, but the goal of this challenge is to explore the various social networks, so let’s do that! And if you are on Google+, be sure to give us your link.
With roughly 135 million active users, Google+ is still considered new – some even say a ghost town. The good news is that becoming a regular user now, while it’s still in its infancy can, as marketing pro Linda Sherman puts it, “give you access to influencers who might not notice you elsewhere. People who are ignoring it are falling behind,” she said in a recent Forbes interview with Dori Clark.
Right now, Google+ users are predominantly male, so if your books have a large male readership, you may want to focus more attention there.
Google+ Features
You may have begun to see little +1 icons showing up around the web. These are comparable to Facebook’s ubiquitous “Like” buttons.
Google+ Communities enables you to build new connections with active Google+ users. And unlike Facebook, which presently does not allow Brand Pages to join groups, Google+ allows Brand Pages to create and join Communities.
Google+ Local Pages gives you the opportunity to indicate your business on a local map that links to your account. It does require that you have a local business with a legitimate (i.e., findable via search engine or directory assistance). If you have a GooglePlace account but not a Google+ account (or vice-versa), be sure to use the same Google account as the first one when setting up the second.
Google Hangouts gives Google+ members the opportunity to hold video chats with up to nine other participants. This is unlike anything offered by Facebook or Twitter. NOTE: You must have a webcam and a mic to use this feature.
Use Hangouts to:
- Host or join a writing group with people beyond your local community.
- Hold virtual readings with your biggest fans. If you’re open to the idea, you might even read work in progress, and let the fans give you feedback.
- Interview other author and invite a few of your followers to listen in.
- Take a break to connect with real people with human voices.
- Inspire other writers by holding a virtual writing workshop.
- Hold brainstorming or collaborative writing sessions.
Use Google Authorship to link your Google+ profile to content you create. Follow these steps to do so:
- Make sure your profile includes a photo with a recognizable head shot.
- Check that your byline appears on each page of your content (for example, “by Marcie Brock”).
- Confirm that your byline matches the name on your Google+ profile.
Improve your SEO. The Google search engine indexes everything posted publicly on Google+ gets almost instantly, making the “+1” feature as important as a “Like,” if not more so. The more active you are on Google+, the more likely your blog or website will be to receive +1s. Improve your odds by adding a +1 button to every page on your blog/site.
Use Google+ Sparks (essentially a reader for syndicated content) to generate ideas for blogs, articles, media releases, special reports, and your next book! Add a particular keyword and you will receive content related to that topic delivered direct to your inbox.
Another great feature of Google+ is that it allows for long conversations during which you can build relationships and readership. As with Twitter and LinkedIn, use Google+ to connect with fellow authors, bloggers and readers. If you want to see what other authors and writers – some of them very connected and/or impressive, are up to, here’s a List of Recommended Authors and Writers on Google+.
I’ve got a lot of work to do to get my Google+ profile up to speed. I’ll check back with you in 6 weeks to let you know my progress!
In the meantime, come Circle me on Google+!
Laura
RESOURCES:
http://www.christophergronlund.com/blog/tjw/2011/07/19/google-plus-for-writers/
http://www.buzzom.com/2011/07/how-authors-bloggers-and-journalists-can-benefit-from-google-plus/
https://plus.google.com/authorship
http://lindasherman.me/what-you-are-missing-on-googleplus/
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Another blog post chocked full of useful information. I need a marketing elf!!!!
We have those here, if you decide you want to pursue it, Ashley!
LO/MB
[…] LAURA ORSINI. Another great feature of Google+ is that it allows for long conversations during which you can build relationships and readership. As with Twitter and LinkedIn, use Google+ to connect with fellow authors, bloggers and readers. If you want to see what other authors and writers – some of them very connected and/or impressive, are up to, here’s a List of Recommended Authors and Writers on Google+. READ MORE HERE. […]
Ahhhhhh those little +1 buttons 🙂 I think to compare them to the Facebook like button is brilliant, though that’s a bit like comparing me to Stephen King. One of us is well known and received in small circles, the other is a global beast that’s gonna gobble up the web and create minions of us all. 🙂 WRITE ON!
I don’t know – when I look at the connectivity of Google+ (not to mention Teresa Beeman’s comment about Google being very Big Brother about it all, I think they’re poised to give FB a run for their global beast status! Thanks for the comment, Jo. LO/MB
Google+ is my favorite platform. I have often found that on FB there are things I want to share with a select few but have no way of doing that. Enter in Google+. Now I can share within my circles which is perfect! Having Google Hangouts is fabulous for authors and businesses in general. Google loves video so why wouldn’t they have this great feature! Here’s a tip you need to know when it comes to Google Hangouts. Participants should all use headsets otherwise you’ll probably have issues with an echo/feedback. I am currently working on a Google+ workshop so others can get better acquainted with it and start using it to it’s full potential. Oh and the fact that my photo now shows up along side my post is super exciting. Gotta love the Google:)
I love your enthusiasm, Toni. I’ve not used Google Hangout yet, but it’s on my list! LO/MB