BLOGGING TIPS: A beginners guide to Google +

According to the social media geeks, Google+ is set to be bigger than Twitter, maybe even bigger than Facebook. Thats why we all need to make sure we are on there. It’s the most up and coming of the social networks and in my opinion, you can do so much. It’s amazing for promoting blog posts, there are lots of blogging communities and an increasing amount of brands joining too. It really is a bloggers paradise. I’ve been starting to use it more and more however, I find not not many bloggers are using it to it’s full potential, or at all! It is a bit tricky to work out when you first start out. So I thought I would here is my handy guide for beginners to get your started and hopefully help you drive some traffic to your blog from Google+. 
Starting your profile 

If you have a Google account, you’ll most likely have a Google+ profile too. Log into Google and click ‘View Profile’. You can then start making it look pretty with colourful images and a profile picture. It’s really easy to edit as you just click on the area you want to amend. Once you are happy with your profile you are ready to move onto the next step! 
Circles
Circles are like your ‘friends list’ on Facebook, although you can add as many people as you like, they may or may not add you back. You don’t have to have a mutual connection. You can divide your circles into groups, for example I have Friends, Bloggers, Brands and Other. Then I can communicate specifically with certain categories of people. When I write a blog post I can then decide which circle of people would like to see this post, therefore I’m not bombarding everyone with all my updates! 

+1
This button appears next to all posts and comments on Google+, this is their equililent of Facebook’s ‘like’ or Twitters ‘favourite’ button. You can +1 posts or comments to show people you’ve read them and like what they say. 
Communities 

Communities are my favourite part of Google+, the reason being is that they are so much easier to use than on Facebook. Plus when you post, you choose which category you want your update to go under (see above). That means when you are reading the community you can choose  which topics to follow. My only criticism within Google + communities is that ita so easy to promote your blog posts I think a lot of people are missing out the general ‘chitchat’ posts, which is a shame but I’m hoping as the popularity of Google+ picks up, so will the general chatter. 
I run my own community called UK Beauty & Lifestyle bloggers, we have a lovely mix of bloggers from all backgrounds who join in everyday and bring something new. I’ve already met loads of new bloggers and discovered new blogs to add to my daily reading list. (Feel free to join too!)  



Traffic

Since I’ve been using Google+ I’ve found my traffic has increased significantly, it’s an amazing place to share blog posts and gain new followers so as a blogger it really is the place to be. 
This is just a quick overview of Google+, I hope it’s helped! I’ll be writing a few more posts in more detail over time so keep your eyes peeled! 
Are you on Google+? If so, leave your links below as I would love to connect with you! 

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