Are you using Google+ for personal use — or for your business?

Most people I talk to are not.

Why?

Well, mainly because of negative hype like the meme to the right — or because they’ve seen blog posts telling them the site is “dead” or “a wasteland”.

I’d have to disagree with this mindset — Google+ is very busy!

Is it as busy as Facebook?… No.

Is it as personal as Facebook?… Definitely Not.

So why use it?

16 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Google

Get Started with Google

by Chris Brogan

Chris literally wrote the book on Google+. Seriously, it’s called Google+ for Business. This blogpost should be the starting point for anyone considering Google+ for their personal or business use.

How to Get Started with Google

by Kristi Hines

This post by Kristi is pretty dated — she wrote it just after Google+ launched in 2011. But I wanted to share it with you because some of the details she goes over in the settings & setting up your profile still apply today — even if the appearance of the site has changed a bit.

5 Tools to Grow Your Presence on Google Plus

by Ian Cleary

Ian is the king of finding great tools to make social media easier — and he doesn’t fail us on this post. He gives us 5 tools to help you grow your presence on Google+.  Even I hadn’t heard of all of these!

Are you Including Google In Your Content Marketing Strategy?

by Tara Geissinger

Google is pouring a ton of its resources into making Google+ huge. And with more than 135 million users (as of the end of 2012), the product is anything but a flop. It’s not about to disappear. More importantly, Google+ has already begun to affect search rankings.

A Cheat Sheet for People Afraid of Google

by Copy Bot

A quick — and humorous — cheat sheet showing you some features of Google+ to try out.

How To Use Google Hangouts To Grow Your Online Business

by Kim Garst

Kim gives 4 amazing tips on how to use Google+ Hangouts for your business. Hangouts is the feature on Google+ that really distinguishes it from Facebook — and in my opinion it’s the best feature of the site.

How to Use Google Hangouts for Your Business

by Phyllis Khare

Here’s another article about Hangouts that could revolutionize your business — and your view of Google+. Phyllis gives some great practical tips on how to incorporate Hangouts into your daily business habits.

What To Know When Including Google Into Your Social Media Marketing Plan

by Courtney Kettmann

Courtney (via Social Mouths) gives some great advice on how to infuse Google+ into your marketing plans.

The Ultimate List of Google Tips

via Blogging with Amy

Amy Lynn Andrews gives us an exhaustive list of Google+ features that is 2nd to none! This is a blogpost you’ll want to slowly digest & definitely bookmark!

Google Plus SEO: Everybody Talks About It – How Do You Do It?

by Mark Traphagen

One of the biggest benefits of Google+ is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If you have a company and a website this is super important to you. Google+ changed the game when it comes to SEO. In this post Mark gives you practical tips on leveraging Google+ for SEO.

How to Earn a Black Belt in Google

by Greg Naraya via Social Media Explorer

Greg explains how to become a master of Google+ — giving you clear strategies to follow.

Google Author Rank and Authorship: What We Know So Far

by WindMill Marketing

If you blog, you need to pay attention to Author Rank & Authorship! With the changes to the Google algorithm recently it’s more important than ever to make sure your blog & Google+ profile are connected.

How to Build an Audience with Google Hangouts

by Sarah Hill via Copy Blogger

I’ve mentioned Hangouts three times now on purpose — they are a GAME CHANGER! In this blog Sarah talks about some practical ways to use the feature to build an audience. These ideas are golden!

9 Best Strategies for Google

by Kim Garst

While you could just set up a Google+ account and hope it magically grows your brand, I wouldn’t recommend that. Here are strategies you can use to further your own goals for your brand.

Why Google is Better for Community Than Facebook

by Harrison Kratz via Social Mouths

While comparing Google+ to Facebook is difficult — and in my opinion not needed — this post does a great job of showing you how to have a real sense of community on Google+ — one that outdoes Facebook, according to the author.

Advanced Google Plus Networking Strategies

by Windmill Marketing

This blogpost isn’t for beginners — so put on your big boy pants! Mark gives us some great advanced tips & techniques on how to grow your personal network via Google+.

Bet you’re not ignoring Google now!

Hopefully by reading over these articles you’ll see there’s a real reason for your business to be on Google+.

But keep in mind that if you can’t be “present” & active on Google+, then don’t go over there. You only get as much from a social media platform as you give it.

Lastly, if you want some daily updates about Google+ go check out Google Plus Daily — they give tons of great reports on changes to the platform.

Also make sure to add me to a Circle!