Conceptually, Google+ is my favoured platform for writers. It's easy to accumulate followers and has many bonuses, such as grouping those you follow into 'circles', links to your YouTube channel and the ability to 'hang out'.
So why can't I fall in love Google+?
In social media I look for useful advice/information and personal interactions (please, no more random pics of LOL cats). Twitter often shares useful links, but with so many people scheduling their tweets, I often wonder how many are actually reading them.
Facebook killed MySpace, and it seemed for a while there Google+ would repay the favour. It was all the talk, it was the new wave (pun intended). There's a lot to lure me in, I have 5,000+ followers on Google+ compared to my Twitter's 1,500+ and Facebooks 500+. I've also started up a community for writers with blogs: Writer's Blogs
And yet, I only visit my Google+ page about once per week. Most of my close friends are on Facebook, and lately I've been having some whimsical fun on Twitter. So why not Google+? Perhaps it's the layout?
I'm going have another try, for the next week I'll focus interacting with members on the Google+ platform (this plan conveniently overrides my need to finish editing my current manuscript). How about you? Are you on Google+? Like it, hate it, indifferent?
Speaking of distractions, the family and I headed out this weekend to see Doctor Who on the big screen! We watched Angels take Manhatten and Asylum of the Daleks, and it was a blast. There were loads of great costumes.
Speaking of distractions, the family and I headed out this weekend to see Doctor Who on the big screen! We watched Angels take Manhatten and Asylum of the Daleks, and it was a blast. There were loads of great costumes.
KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the release of my new mystery novel for girls, I'm giving away a Kindle Fire and a $25 Amazon gift voucher! Simply download Dognapped? A Dog Show Detective Mystery or blog about the book to enter!
You know my opinion of Google+ already. Sure you can accumulate followers easily, but to what end? It failed to kick Facebook's butt...hasn't made much of an impression. And how it likes to force you...interfere with your blog. Why? They will shut down in the future and all those changes will be for naught. (Maybe I'm a little jaded seeing as my problem of having no blog feed only leads to google suggestions to move it all to Google+...grr.)
ReplyDeleteDenise
We really should get all bloggers together and start a rebellion platform - that'll fix 'em ;)
DeleteHi Charmaine .. I don't like G+ - I had to fight my way through it to get to your blog postings ...
ReplyDeleteI joined, but don't use it - though it keeps popping up as Denise mentions - mind you I don't do social media - but I really will be doing it shortly ..
I'll be interested to see what others say .. cheers Hilary
Hi Hilary,
DeleteYes Google+ keeps switching my profile to my Google page which is annoying. Wouldn't be so bad if it was the page that lists your contacts and blog links. I'll have a look and switch it back to Blogger, thanks for letting me know :)
I can't understand this Google+ hatred thats breeding around the internet. I'm interracting on G+ 10 times more than on FB. I'm totally hooked!
ReplyDeleteSure, it didn't make the splash they'd hoped for, but with FB cramming more and more adverts into my stream, I'm hating it more and more every day. G+ is lovely and clear. The communities work way better than FB groups, and everything's so much cleaner and less cluttered.
I'll fly the flag for G+ (until I get hooked on the next thing of course!)
Angeline, I don't care what platform I use, I'll go where the people are. Trying Google+ out a bit more and I realise my problem is I've no idea how to use it properly and am extremely lazy when it comes to learning :)
DeleteI have to admit Google+ kind of scares me. I think it's because I found it so hard to navigate and didn't find it at all intuitive.
ReplyDeleteLove the cosplay, by the way :D
Thanks Kellie, we loved getting dressed up for the part :)
DeleteI think the navigation on Google+ is my problem too, knowing where to find bits. I get in and then I'm all, 'huh?'
I'm doing a slow move to Google+. Some things about it I really like. But FB is where most of the action is for now. I use neither FB or G+ for trying to sell stuff (my books). I guess I hope I'll sell a few books to new people, but it hasn't happened. So, I'm not using FB and G+ for it. Like girls, I just want to have fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard, I have a gorgeous image of you bouncing around in fluro netting to that tune :)
DeleteAwww wow! Doctor Who on the big screen!?!? How lovely!! Oh but sad news that the latest Dr Who (Matt Smith) is leaving the current show!! Sob!!
ReplyDeleteAs for Google+ I am grateful when there is a link to the personal blog otherwise I am unable to leave a comment on any Google+ site as it requires I sign in and if I do all my pages will have to be the name I choose. Some profiles I like being Old Kitty, others my real name so I don't really want Google to blanket use one or the other! Am I even making sense? LOL!
Take care
x
Perfect sense Kitty! But now you've brought fresh tears from me too - we're devastated about Matt Smith leaving Doctor Who! No one could replace him (although some suggested Hugh Laurie, and that might be amusing).
Delete(please, no more random pics of LOL cats).
ReplyDelete:)
Loove the pic, babe.
Thanks Suze :)
DeleteNice to visit you again. So happy that you've published another book. Just reading about all the social networks overwhelms me. I must take time to learn more. Good luck with your book and hope you make a million friends on each social network.
ReplyDeleteThanks Myrna, sometimes all the social media gets to me, so I just slow down again :)
DeleteI'm not a fan of G+. Google seem to want you to like it more than they actually want to make it likeable. I think I'll wait for the next big thing to come along (shouldn't be too long now).
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Maybe if Google stuck with one idea for a while, then the followers would too.
DeleteI'm fairly new to Google+ and haven't yet spent enough time understanding how to navigate, get added to circles, etc. I have a blog on Wordpress which is my primary platform. I WISH I could automatically publicize to Google+ like I can to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr. Actually, I wish these blogging platforms would allow more interaction without always having to get (yet) another account :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Facebook fan; my Facebook page is more a nod to the fact that some people I know prefer that network to others, and I'm trying to reach as many people as I can.
What I like about Google+ so far is the control one can have over who you share posts with. It's much too awkward through Facebook. As it is, I'm trying to keep my personal account separate from my page and that requires some gymnastics :(
Agreed Marie, I ended up just dumping my personal account with Facebook because it was too hard to manage two accounts. You'd think with all this technology, they'd make it easier :)
DeleteI'm still quite confused with Google+. Facebook seems to have been taken over by ads that they want you to like. Twitter can be hard to keep up with at times. I do link my blog posts to all three of these and if I share someone else's blog posts, it is mostly on Twitter as that is my favorite social media out of the three.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused with Google+ too and really sick of the Facebook ads - I am suspicious that Google will also add the advertisements once they get people hooked. Twitter can be fun if you get into a group talk, but otherwise I often feel like I'm talking to myself there. But I'll persevere to the platforms because there are a lot of good peeps out there to connect with :)
DeleteI find I rarely post anything to any of the social sites. Until my book is to a point where I feel it will be worth mentioning, I don't feel I've much to say. Same problem I have with blogging.
ReplyDeleteI do like that Google+ seems "quieter" than Facebook. There aren't all the posts about games and advertising and all that here.
At least you're giving the platforms a try now Sandra, you'll make some great connections and it'll be all the easier when you do have that book ready to promote.
DeleteI very rarely visit my Google+ page either. I haven't joined FB yet but I think I may one of these days :)
ReplyDeleteHold off joining as long as you can Jemi, FB is just one more time to suck your time away. You're quite good with Twitter I notice, and I reckon it's better to be good with one site than struggle with many.
DeleteFacebook recently suspended my account because they thought it was "fictitious". I've been called a helluva lot of things in my time, but fictitious isn't one of them. I don't think they like cowboy hats or fake cigarettes.....
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous Jon, I wish I were fictitious :)
DeleteI love Google so much, I invested in a Chromebook today! :D
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know what I think. If my experience is bad, I will be shocked.
Diane, I don't even know what a Chromebook is, but your enthusiasm has made me want one!
DeleteI've been a huge fan of Google+ for a while now. It's a lot easier (in my view) to use and you don't have all the 'clutter' that Fakebook seems to bring with it.
ReplyDeleteAs with many others, my problem lies in that my friends and family won't come over, so I still have to frequent FB to find out what's up with them.
I think my problem with Google+ is not knowing how to use it properly. I see the posts flashing up but have no idea when someone responds to one of mine, and I still don't know how to follow people back who follow me. I've been on the last two days and I'm warming to it. Hopefully my online friends will come over, as for family, eh, I see them enough :)
DeleteGoogle+ has always seemed confusing to me, so I've never made a real effort to get into it. I'll stick with things like Twitter for now!
ReplyDeleteI loved twitter at first and then switched to using Tweetdeck and must admit I lost the personal connection I had with it. Recently I switched back to using Twitter's page and I'm liking it again :)
DeleteYeah, I've never gotten into google plus. To me, it always just felt like one more thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm on Google+ and like it but hope Google will continue to tweek it to make it a better layout too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried Google+ yet and don't know if I will, but it was helpful reading the comments!
ReplyDeleteGreat film, by the sounds of it ... or from what I remember hearing a few times. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Google+ as well, although I'm fairly new to it. Thanks for sharing your idea -- grouping into lists and such. Always super helpful to keep organized.
Silvia @ Silvia Writes
I'm getting used to Google+ and the integration. Most of my interaction with Google has been because of my Blog and not for social friend gathering.
ReplyDeletePersonally I haven't done much of any social interaction. I try to find the time but then a good show comes up or a fun game lol! But of the ones I have used google + has been my favorite however I have 500+ followers and when I post I get 0 comments so not necessarily my thing :)
ReplyDeleteI've been getting on there more in the last few days. Found out where my notifications are and how to link to other followers, so that's a plus (+), getting a lot of moving gifs about people or pets falling over in a 'world's un-funniest home videos' show, so that's a minus (-). Have a sneaky tactic of moving the people who post gifs into their own special circle, and then I never look at that circle.
ReplyDeleteI'm sooooo not into Google+ because of time and I *hate* the "main" page once I click onto someone.
ReplyDeleteFor me, my heart belongs to Blogger and Twitter :)
Both places where "LOL cats" are few and far between (*LOVE* that term, by the way :)
...So much that I wonder, if "LOL cats" make you laugh, do meerkats make you more? :)
I have facebook, twitter, google+, blogs in the wordpress, blogger and self hosted environments. I like twitter and google+ and wordpress for their ability to link to others, create circles, promote their own content. I also reach more people through these outlets. Facebook and blogger seems to be stuck in red tape: advertisements, getting in their own way with rules, bad press and changing the rules on you with our without notice.
ReplyDelete