It’s new, it’s beta, and it’s already popular! A few days ago I was invited to join Google +, and already the majority of my friends are starting their “official” transition from Facebook to this new social platform. So, why make the switch? What does Google + offer that Facebook doesn’t?
At first glance, the layout of Google + is extremely similar to Facebook. There’s the main page with a news stream, status updates, photo and video albums, and chat. You can customize your profile and security settings to be in control of who sees what. The feature that I like best about Google + is our first topic for discussion:
Circles
This is your opportunity to divide the people you know into their rightful groups without them even knowing it. All my family members are in my Family circle, all my good friends are in my Friends circle, and all the people that I don’t care to know what they had for breakfast are in my Acquaintances circle. You can choose which circles see your status updates and look at each circle’s stream individually. This way you know for sure when you click on “Friends” that you will actually be seeing news from the people that matter the most to you, chosen by you. And it’s so easy to manage your circles with the drag and drop feature.
Hangout
I love this feature almost just as much as Circles. On Google + you can declare that you are “hanging out,” and then anyone from the circle you have specified will be able to join your hangout. What is a hangout? It’s a popup window with up to 10 video chat participants! Only one person can hog the big screen at a time, and you can choose who that lucky bugger is by clicking on their smaller video next to everyone else at the bottom of the window.
Sparks
This is a pretty cool feature if you just feel like browsing. You can decide which topics spark your interest and Google will do what it does best and bring you different websites and articles that are related to your Spark topics. The results it provides are a constant feed so that you see different things every day!
Overall, I am excited for this new social platform and I have found myself clicking my Google + bookmark before Facebook as of late. Could this be Facebook’s downfall?
By now I am sure you are making use of LinkedIn, an ever growing social networking site for professionals. If not, now is the time to take advantage of the benefits this site has to offer!
According to Jason Seiden, “LinkedIn began publicly trading Thursday, and immediately the stock spiked, rocketing from $45 to $122.70 before retreating to $94.25 at the end of the trading day.”
Take advantage of LinkedIn. As a student, I have had this pounded into my head. As an entrepreneur, friend, and coworker, I have experienced the benefits firsthand. Not only is LinkedIn a great place to keep in touch and connect with acquaintances; but it also has the potential to get you a job!
Check out the new InMaps. In this post you see an image of my own LinkedIn InMap. If you click on the picture it will take you to the interactive version. These InMaps are a way to see your own connections and assess your network of people. Why would it be important to assess your network, you might ask? If you have too many connections that are not relative to your interests, then your network does not benefit you. Make sure that you are easily able to label and recognize the various groups and individuals that you know. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using LinkedIn:
- Keep in touch and connect with people that you have worked with and that could recommend you to someone.
- Do not connect with people that you are not familiar with, as it does not benefit you in any way.
- Make sure your profile is a complete and correct representation of you.
It’s not as big as Facebook, but I’m excited to see how LinkedIn grows from here on out!
Can LinkedIn Help Your Company Sell?
Are you diving into the networking craze that so many companies are now doing? Can social media websites such as LinkedIn help you sell your products? I say why not give it a try…LinkedIn is free, easy to use, low maintenance – and if nothing else you’re able to connect with colleagues, partners and friends that maybe you haven’t heard from in awhile. It’s free marketing, and during these tough economic times, surely can’t hurt.
Being in a sales/marketing role here at GLMT, there is no doubt that LinkedIn has been a great resource for current and potential customer contacts. My goal is for people to think of Great Lakes Media Technology and myself when someone needs the products and services we offer – and LinkedIn can only help to increase that brand awareness. Not to mention that observing a contact’s profile helps you learn a little background about the person that you otherwise probably wouldn’t have known. Even tangible networking events usually don’t involve discussions of people who think highly of you (recommendations section of LinkedIn).
As far as me personally generating sales revenue as a result of being in touch through LinkedIn – to be honest I have yet to see any real results. You’re probably laughing by the way I was just talking up how useful the website has been, but believe me I have faith. Even if it does not directly result in a sale, I do believe it has helped me to better connect with existing customers. I’d love to hear your thoughts…