Google Plus is a relatively new social media network, but it’s quickly becoming a great place to learn, share, and connect with other people who share hobbies and interests. From Nature With Love and The Natural Beauty Workshop use Google Plus to connect with customers and readers using their Brand Page, Community, and Hangout features.
In order to follow our Brand Page, participate in our G+ Communty, or join one of our Hangouts, you’ll need to create your own Google+ account. Luckily, doing that is free, quick, and easy. Here’s how:
- Visit Google Plus to create your account. Use your real name when you start your account so that you can connect with friends, old and new.
- Upload a profile photo. It’s important to use a great photo so that your profile attracts the right kind of attention. Use a picture that shows your smiling face. Avoid photos of celebrities, cartoons, or objects.
- Complete your About Section. Fill out as much of this section as you can. While you don’t want to make very personal information public (phone numbers, addresses, etc.) it is really helpful to include information on your hobbies, interests, and personality. These details help create a profile that is approachable and friendly.
- Add some people to your circles. Start out with some people that you know personally, then add some people that you find interesting, like bloggers, celebrities, or brand pages. Be sure to add +From Nature With Love to your circles!
- Adjust your notifications. It’s important to check your email and notification settings for G+ when you get started. You can choose when to receive emails, alerts, and notifications based on your own preferences.
- Make a public post. Say “hello” to the world. You’ll notice that you can choose to share your post with any or all of your circles. You can also choose to share the post with the public. It’s good to share posts publicly on your page fairly often. That let’s people know that you are an active member on G+.
- Join The Natural Beauty Workshop Community. Our community page is a place to connect with G+ users who share your interests, discuss soap making and natural skin care, and participate in upcoming events.
- Adjust your Community Notifications. Take a moment to adjust the notification settings within the community after your membership is approved. To do this, visit the community page, and look for a bell-shaped icon under the community title. This button can be used to toggle email notifications on and off.
Who Follows You
One thing to keep in mind about Google Plus is that there are lots and lots of people on the network, and they are all looking for new people to connect with. It’s not unusual to have strangers add you to their circles for no apparent reason. It might seem a little strange at first, but don’t be alarmed. People who follow you can only see posts that you mark as public. How much you share or don’t share publicly is totally up to you.
Who You Should Follow
Don’t feel obligated to add someone to your circles just because they added you. In fact, it’s not a good practice to do so. Only add people to your circles when you want to hear from them in your news stream. Follow people who you find interesting, who you have a connection with, or who you admire. There are a number of celebrities, bloggers, and public figures that you can add to your circles, just like on Twitter. Check out the Google Plus Suggested User List to find some interesting people and pages to follow.
Hangouts
Basically, hangouts are video conference calls. These group, video chat sessions go on live via webcams. In order to participate in one of our hangouts, you’ll need a working web cam, a fast internet connection, and a little patience. To make sure you’lll have the best audio possible during your hangout, consider using a microphone and earphone headset.
For more tips on getting started on Google Plus, check out the following links:
