Monday, July 18, 2011

This Is the Time to Get on Google Plus

Tip of the Day: Load up your beach bag! Towels, swim shoes, sunscreen, kids' goggles, a hat, and a paperback you're not afraid to lose. Mine's right by my front door.

I'm already half-addicted to Google Plus, Google's competitor to Facebook and Twitter. If you're wondering if there's a reason to be on Google Plus, I can only say try it out and see if you like it. Just ask someone you know already on Google Plus (like me) to send you an invite. If you're at all interested, I recommend getting on it now. Because right now, most of the conversation is about how we are going to use this new system, so there will never be an easier time to find your way around.

Google Plus has a few features Facebook and Twitter don't. The biggest draw is the ability to send status updates to just one group of people--say, YA Writers. Then you can have a string conversation like you can on Facebook. If you want to join a face-to-face meeting with any of your Google Plus friends, or hang out in the writers' hangout, you can do that, too.

So how to get started on Google Plus?
As you can see, Google Plus is more social than Twitter and more businesslike than Facebook. There are no games and contests here, but unlike Twitter, you can see a whole conversation string or start a chat. The "circles" that let you divide the people you follow into friends, family, and writerly peeps lets you switch channels from social to business. And we're all learning together now, so it's really fun starting a community! Come on down!

I'd be happy to answer any questions I can about Google Plus.

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages


11 comments:

Lisa Tiffin said...

Most cogent convo on G+ I've seen. Thanks, Kate! Now I'm interested.

Unknown said...

Agree 100%. Also heard that writers are the fifth highest group in terms of numbers of early adopters.

Go writers!

Andrea Mack said...

Thanks for this post, Kate. So far, I just feel a little confused about it, but now I know where to go for help.

Kate Fall said...

Andrea, we're all a little confused about it right now, so there's no newbie vs. expert user vibe yet. It's a great tone.

And yes, LOTS of writers in the directory! It's fantastic.

Lisa, I'm sending you an invite. No obligation. :)

REDLUV said...

This was a great read. I would love to try it but apparently it is full. Boo! lol.

C. K. Kelly Martin said...

Doh! Initially I posted my comment on the wrong entry (Friday's), kinda underlining how overwhelmed I feel about social networking in general, I suppose (where's the time to be all places? Does anyone have a lead on a time machine?).

Anyway, I finally, finally just signed up for Twitter but really I think I need to be scratching things off the list rather than adding to it. Aaaah, just can't keep up. Maybe I should've skipped Twitter and gone straight to Google Plus instead? I can't imagine most other writers can keep up with all of the social networking spots so I'd imagine some of them must have to wane in popularity as others climb.

Kate Fall said...

CK, I think different personalities migrate to different sites. I like Twitter for news updates, but I'm too shy to jump into a conversation there. Google Plus is more casual. And Facebook is more where I check on my family (and my daughter's friends) than connecting with writers. Nah, there's no way to keep up with everything. But if you try a little bit of everything at first, you'll know what suits you best.

Kate Fall said...

REDLUV, if you comment with your email in the format (at) for @ and (dot) for dot, I'll send you an invite.

Kristina Springer said...

Great post Kate! I'm on google plus but don't get it at all. lol! I'll have to be patient and look around more.

DeenaML said...

Someone sent me an invite to G+, but I'm also hesitant just bc I don't want to have another social network to check on when I should be writing....! :)

Eugene Teplitsky said...

Wow, thank you for mentioning my Curiosity Quills G+ tutorial in your article! I'm so glad you're finding it helpful :)