How To Get Started On Google+

So if you came here wondering about how to make it in the world of G+, then you have came to the right place. I don't claim to be an expert but am eager and willing to share what has worked for me. You can take the time out to read various G+ references and material  but I just want to speak directly from hands on experience.

Start with Good Character

G+ is truly what you make of it. It is an open canvas for which you can paint your life. Or, you can use it to help others, grow your business and just straight up have fun! The first way to approach G+ is by keeping good character, being nice and behaving in a way you would in real life. This alone can get you quite far in your G+ career but there must be more to it right?

Socialize

Being that it is a social network-- it might be good for you to just get out there and learn the ropes by engaging with fellow plussers. Your circles may be empty and you may not know anyone but this simply means you've entered this new digital realm for the first time. Think about when you enter a place where there is a large gathering. People don't just stand at the front door now do they?

Set Goals

Don't lose site of why you're on G+. Although it may be quite easily to get lost in some of the fun you're about to have-- it may be important for you to maintain sight of your business. If you are here to simply socialize that is perfectly fine and very welcome! There is a little something on G+ for everyone.

Join Communities 

Here's where most people figure out that they are totally in love with G+. Find a community that shares a common interest with you but be particular because often times the communities will fill up with spam and share, listen and engage content! This is how you start building relationships.

Don't be afraid to circle People

It is perfectly acceptable to circle people you don't know. Don't fret if they don't circle you back right away.It may take some time for you to interact with them in order for them to be comfortable enough to follow you back. Sometimes you will never get followed back simply because the person is not interested enough in your content. This is no one's fault because everyone has different and varying interests.

Think of it as a brand new opportunity for you to start fresh and build a solid foundation for which you can share your life's experiences. You are bound to find lots of things in this new world that you absolutely love and people that you can't believe you've lived your whole life without knowing.

The experience really does end up being what you make it. If you are mean and trollish on G+, you won't make it very far and most likely will end up getting the boot. Google really frowns upon spammers and abusive behavior.

Share!

You can share photos, videos, music , links to anyone you feel like sharing to. I would recommend that you start out sharing publicly so others can see your posts as well. Don't start sharing everything privately because this will annoy some and you may get uncircled. If you don't have anythinng in particular you would like to share then find someone else's post you find interesting and simply reshare their post to your own page. This is part of the flow and it's encouraged to do so!

Use  Hashtags    

Hashtags allow your post to get noticed more plus they can be a fun, creative way to express yourself.

Profile Completeness

Filling out your profile completely will get you a lot further than you think. People on G+ like to know that they are interacting and engaging with a real person! That means you should be using your real
name!

Add Photos of yourself

This will also help to identify you. Your avatar will be your first impression so make sure you use a good inviting picture of you. You can always change your profile pic at anytime if need be.

Energy

You will notice that plussers will often have VERY HIGH energy and you would do yourself a favor by letting this rub off on you. You don't have to go the pace of the crowd as long as you keep positive, friendly and genuine. Of course, there will be people that are not to your liking that maybe mean or perhaps having a bad day or even may have spilled all their coffee and they have no more. Plussers love their coffee!

Participate in Strange Phenomena

You will notice some strange things on Google Plus like Caturday and Goaturday but this can be a great way to get your "foot in the door". Caturday takes place on Saturday and happens to be where many people share images, GIFS and videos of cats and Goaturday is much the same but with Goats! This may seem silly but is an extremely effective method of connecting with people as it's nice to have common ground with the crowd.

Quality

I'm not even going to mention quantity here because it's not something you need to be concerned with. It's not about numbers, it's about relationships and connections. This is social networking at it's finest after all!

Conclusion

Google+ is what you make it. Like an artist-- you can think of it as an open canvas in which you have all creative control. Or if you are more of a tech kind of person you can certainly think of it as an uber-geeky tool to stay connected. If you are not either of those things, that is just as well because you have just opened the "doors of perception" and the world you are about to enter could possibly change your life. 

I know it has mine.