You + Google+

POSTED BY stephanie ON July 11, 2011

We all knew it wouldn’t be long before Facebook was met with a little friendly competition from the smart folks at Google.

Meet Google+, where your options in social media are about to get interesting.

Great feedback is swirling about the upcoming launch of the Google+ project. It will function much like Facebook, but will outsmart its rival with features such as Circles, which allows you to group your friends: Family, Work, Friends, in addition to custom categories that you create.

Over the weekend, we received an invite to check it out while it’s in development. We like what we see.

Here’s why:

• Google+ will resolve the conflict between work and home. That means no more awkward Friend Requests from the office, people you prefer to keep on a friendly, but professional basis. With Google+ Circles, you can connect with everyone, but you decide which information each group access to, on a post-by-post basis. This means you don’t have to let your industry colleagues see your vacation photos and other less-work-appropriate posts. The segregation of groups will also compete with LinkedIn, since you can keep your messages professional or not, depending on the Circle you share with.
• Google+ will cut down on the noise. Have your social media channels grown so extensive that now what were originally meant to be personal, intimate connections — are now too crowded to keep up?  A more streamlined and targeted channel just makes sense for everyone.
• The security settings on Google+ are more intuitive. By default, you won’t automatically share everything to the world.
• It’s fully integrated with other Google products: Gmail, Google Calendar, Picasa, and YouTube. Keep your life organized on one handy navigation bar.

This morning, GalleyCat takes a look at how Google+ Circles might benefit you, as an author. For starters, you’ll be able to network smarter and target your book-related posts, without cluttering your channel. Make sure your book happening posts are heard — by the right people.

Lastly, there’s speculation about a business side of Google+, where companies will not only be able to share info about their products, but they will also allow users to purchase products (like your book!) directly through Google Checkout.

We’re all going to be hearing lots more about Google+, so stay tuned! We’ll keep you updated on how the new tool will affect you and your book publicity.

Tags: Google+, Social Media

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