The Beginners Guide to Google+

From setting up an account to advanced tips and tricks

Annette Gardner Grove Digital Marketing Specialist Contents

Who we are 3 What we do 4 What is Google+? 5 Set up your Google+ account 7 The interface 9 How do you ‘Google+’? 10 Circles 12 Hangouts 15 Google+ Events 17 Ripples 19 Google+ for business 21 Company pages 23 Advanced tips & tricks 26

2 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Who we are of Exper Grove is a leading Cloud Service provider that specialises in eam ts the implementation of cloud solutions. We help businesses T to define, implement and develop their cloud strategies, providing the bridge between their on-premise and cloud- based IT solutions.

By adopting leading edge technologies, our clients can drive value and benefit into their organisations which enables business agility, flexibility and mobility - delivering competitive advantage.

Grove is a leading Google Apps Premier Partner and Reseller and our highly skilled team of Google Apps Deployment Specialists and 24/7 Global Network Operations Centre (GNOC) give our customers peace of mind that, through us, their cloud services are deployed and supported to the highest of standards.

Established in 2005 with offices in the UK, USA and South Africa we support: 400,000 end-users globally, and our Superior Service Delivery has resulted in a 98% Retention rate of our Clients & Partners

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 3 What we do

Google+ Apps Devices Platform Geo Search

Discovery & Planning 24/7/365 GNOC Support Design & Conﬁguration Project Management Product Training Change Management

Email Hosted Penetration ClearFormat Single Sign-on Email Ingestion Continuity Web Security Testing Email Branding

Google+ has piqued your interest and you’d like to know more about it and the Google Apps for Business product suite. Contact me Ask us to give you a call back. Our Team of Specialists are available to: Answer questions, One of our Cloud specialists will give you a call back and answer any conduct a Demo or provide questions you have and arrange a personal demo of the solution. expert advice.

Click Here Contact Grove Group SA on [email protected] 021 466 9400 The District, 41 Sir Lowry Rd Woodstock, Cape Town www.groveis.com Click to Connect with us:

4 www.groveis.com | [email protected] What is Google+?

Launched in June 2011, Google+ is Google’s Social Network - it is ‘the social spine that underpins everything Google does’. We’ll explain how it does that a little further on, but for now - let’s see what all the hoo-ha is about.

The difference between Google+ and other social networks is that Google+ makes sharing on the web more like sharing in the real world.

What do we mean? Well, in the real world you wouldn’t necessarily talk to your colleagues about the same things as you would your close family or friends. You also don’t necessarily want to share the same photos or personal thoughts with your entire social network - especially if you’re connected to your colleagues, Mom and kids right? Well, with Google+ you don’t have to.

Your Google+ connections are like the real world - you only share what you want, with who you want. Posts, photos, links and comments - all shared with either a specific group of people, or the general public, it’s totally up to you.

Your Google+ connections are divided up into ‘Circles’. You decide how many Circles you have, what you call them and who goes into them, then you can decide to share with everyone or just a specific circle. Maybe you’ve got a circle called ‘Family’ that has your kids, spouse, parents, aunt, uncles etc; so when you’ve got a beautiful new photo to share of your kids Christmas play, you can just share it with your ‘Family’ circle - keeping it private to that network.

Google+ features & functionality

Google+ is packed with a wide rage range of features that include video calling (Hangouts) and games that you can play without leaving the network (Angry Birds for example). Also integrated with the network is Google Talk.

Below is a breakdown of the features and functionality offered by Google+, each of these tabs is available to you through the navigation on the left-hand side of your screen. You can customise the order the tabs are shown in by clicking and dragging them to where you want.

Your Profile This is your home on Google+. It’s what everyone sees when they visit your page and it’s where you can see everything you’ve posted. From here you can edit your profile, see what you’ve +1’d and view the photos and videos you’ve uploaded.

Pages As in other social networks, businesses and brands can set up their own pages to grow their networks and engage with followers. From the Pages tab you can set up and manage up to 20 Google+ Pages.

Local This is a feature available through the network that allows you to search for, find, and review places, businesses and restaurants in your local (or international) area. This is highly integrated with Google Maps so you can rest assured that finding the places that strike your fancy will be easy. On the Local page you can see all the venues your friends have recommended as well as what is highest raked in your local area. www.groveis.com | [email protected] 5 Explore This tab displays content which is popular on Google+ but which isn’t posted by people you’re already connected to. You can also view topics that are trending on Google+ with the hashtags shown on the right of the screen (similar to Twitter) as well as with searches you’ve previously run.

Events Google+ Events allows you to set up events, sent out invitations, monitor responses, and allow users to comment on the event and add their own photos. From the Events tab you can set up and manage these events, view the events you’re scheduled to attend and search for events you may like to sign up to.

Hangouts Hangouts is the free web-based video conference feature offered by Google+. You can chat to up to 14 other people at the same time, in either a public or private forum. Use the Hangouts tab to start a Hangout and view recordings of other Hangouts that took place ‘On Air’,

Photos Images and photographs are a massive part of Google+. From this tab you can upload photos, tag people, add comments and share with your circles. Use the tab to see the photos you’ve uploaded and the ones you’ve been tagged in.

Circles Build and manage your Circles. Anyone can belong to any Circle and the same person can belong to multiple Circles. From the Circles tab you see your Circles and easily drag and drop people between them.

Home The Home tab takes you to your feed where you can post a new update and see what those you are connected to have posted.

Games Games can be played within Google+, meaning you never have to leave. Visit the Games tab to search for games and play them.

6 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Set up your Google+ account

How you set up your Google+ account depends on whether or not you have an existing Gmail account. This is because all of Google’s products and services are inter-connected and by setting up a Gmail account you automatically get access to the plethora of free services that Google offer, including Google+, Google Drive, Google Docs, YouTube, Maps, Play, Calendar and so much more.

So - a Google+ account already gives you more than you think....

If you already have a Gmail account

If you already have a Gmail account you’re 80% of the way there. To set up your Google+ account, log in to your Gmail account and click on the +You in the top left-hand corner of your screen.

Step 1: Upgrade Create your profile by adding your details and uploading a photo of yourself. Click Continue.

Step 2: Add people The next step is to add people you may know to begin building your network. The list shown is automatically populated by people already on Google+ from your Gmail account. To add people you want to connect with, click on Add next to their avatar and specify which circle you want them in from the dropdown list available. You can add new Circle by clicking ‘add a new circle’.

What happens when you add someone to a circle? • You can share with them and see what they’re sharing with you • You can chat with anyone in your circles who also has you in their circles • They’ll be notified and can add you to their own circles, but they’ll never see the names of the circles you’ve added them to • They’ll appear on your public profile

You can search for people on Google+ by scrolling down and entering their name in the ‘Search for people on Google+’ bar and you invite people to join you on Google+ by clicking further down the list. Click Continue when you’re done.

The next tab allows you to choose which interesting people or pages you might like to follow. Suggestions are broken up into various categories here for you to browse according to your interests.

Select which categories you want to follow by clicking Follow. Once you’re done, click Continue.

Step 3: Be Awesome Here you can add an updated photo of yourself for your avatar and choose to include a few more personal details. The details you include here are not compulsory and you can choose to include as much or as little information about yourself as you like. Click Finish when you’re done.

You are now set up on Google+ - go wild! www.groveis.com | [email protected] 7 If you are completely new to Google and don’t have a Gmail account

Set up your new account by visiting https://plus.google.com/ and click the red Sign Up button in the top right hand corner of your screen.

By signing up to a Google+ account you’re getting more than just awesome social media - every account comes with loads of additional free services such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Sites, Chat, and so much more.

Complete the sign up form on the right-hand side of the page with all your personal details, choosing a username and password. When you’re done, click Next Step.

You have now created a new email address and Google+ account. Click Continue to Google+.

Step 1: Upgrade Create your profile by adding your details and uploading a photo of yourself. Click Continue.

Step 2: Add people The next step is to add people you may know to begin building your network. The list shown is automatically populated by people already on Google+ from your Gmail account - to add people you want to connect with, click on Add next to their avatar and specify which circle you want them in from the dropdown list available. You can add new Circle by clicking ‘add a new circle’.

The next tab allows you to choose which interesting people or pages you might like to follow. Suggestions are broken up into various categories here for you to browse according to your interests.

Select which categories you want to follow by clicking Follow. Once you’re done, click Continue.

You are now set up on Google+ - go wild!

8 www.groveis.com | [email protected] The Interface

5 2 7 3

Now that you’re 4 9 signed up and 6 ready to go 8 - there’s a lot to explore in the interface. The first thing you’ll see is a chronological stream of updates similar to Facebook and Twitter.

Search. Google is pretty good Posts. Updates on Google+ Settings. Use this slider to 1 at search so it makes sense to 4 appear with the original 7 control how much content include their amazing algorithms author’s avatar on the left from each of your circles appears within Google+. Use the search hand side. Post details are also in the main stream. More Setting bar to look up people, topics, available here. Most post-related options are available by clicking brands or places. As you type, options are available through the the cog icon. suggestions automatically appear dropdown menu in the top right- below your search bar based on hand corner. Comments. If a poster has your existing circles and contacts. 8 enabled comments you’re Home. This is your main able to add your comments to Circles. The Circles you’ve 5 screen. Other icons let you their posts. You can +1 a post to 2 created are listed here under Explore content from people show your approval, add your ‘more’. You can choose to highlight you’re not already following, own comments and/or share the one to be more easily accessible. start Hangouts, view Photos, post with your Circles. Use your Circles to filter your Circles, and access Places. You can feeds. personalise the order these show Contacts. Most of the right in by clicking and dragging them 9 hand side of the interface is Share. Use this space to post to where you want them on your for Contacts. From here you can 3 updates on anything you like. list. see who’s in a particular Circle, The icons to the right of the text see suggestions of who you might box allow you to upload photos, Profile. This is your profile i.e. like to follow and start a hangout videos, events and links. 6 how other people see you on or text-based chat conversation. Google+. You can choose to add as much or as little information as you want. www.groveis.com | [email protected] 9 How do you ‘Google+’?

How to find people to follow You’ve just opened an account and now you want to kick-start your Google+ experience, you can find new and exciting people to follow by using the following tools:

1. Use the Explore tab: This displays content which is currently popular on Google+ but which isn’t posted by people you’re already connected to. Have a browse through and Circle people who are talking about things that interest you. 2. Use the search bar to look for people, brands, companies or topics you are interested in 3. Use the trending topics and hashtags on the right hand side of the screen to see what’s popular

Remember that you can follow (or Circle) any individual or page and anyone can circle you back. Pages however, can only circle you once you’ve opted to follow them.

How to post a new update or share something Go to the Home tab and type in what you want to share in the in the ‘share something new’ box at the top of the screen.

By default your post will be made public, which means anyone on the web can see them. To share an update with a specific Circle, click in the dropdown box below the update window that says +‘ Add more people’ and from here you can choose to add or remove multiple Circles. Everyone you are sharing your post with will be shown in green selection box’s below your post so you can see exactly who your update will be sent to.

Through your sharing box you can also upload photos, videos, create events and share links by using the buttons just below the sharing text box. Just click the various options to upload and share your medium of choice.

When you’re happy with what you’ve got and you are good to go - click Share.

10 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Editing your posts Once you’ve posted an update you can view it again through the Profile tab. From here, each post has options available through the dropdown menu in the top right-hand corner of the post. You can: • Edit your post even after you’ve sent it: This will allow you to edit any text you have shared • Delete your post: This will allow you to delete a post • Link back to your post: This gives you a unique URL for your post which you can share elsewhere • Disable comments: Comments are enabled by default on all your posts - this means that anyone you’ve shared a post with (public or otherwise) will be able to add their own comments. You can however, disable this feature, stopping others from adding comments to a particular post. • Lock the post: Once a post is locked no one will be able to share it • View Ripples: Ripples is the Google+ analytics tool that allows you to see a graphic representation about the ‘virality’ or ‘spread’ of your post. More about that later.

Most of these features are also available on other people’s posts through the same dropdown menu. You’ll be able to view other posts Ripples and generate a link back to the post. You’ll also be able to:

• Mute the post: This removes a particular post from your stream • Report Abuse: From here you’ll be able to report posts which you feel violate the Google+ community standards i.e. they are spammy, contain nudity, hate speech or violence or they infringe upon copyright regulations. • Remove from Circles: If the poster is currently in your Circles you are able to remove them through this dropdown menu.

How to share other peoples content Someone’s posted something you really like: • You can +1 the post to show your appreciation - this works the same way as ‘liking’ in Facebook

Someone has posted something, you think it’s good and you want to share it with your Circles • Click the ‘Share’ button - this will let you re-post the original content, giving you the chance to add your own comments before doing so (you can also choose to leave this blank). Note that the original content will always have the original posters avatar next to it. or • Click the dropdown arrow in the top right hand corner of the post and select ‘Link to this post’. You’ll be given a URL which you can then copy and paste. This will link to the actual post, together with any comments on Google+. Someone’s posted something and you want to make a comment • Click in the box below the post that says ‘make a comment’ and type away! • You can also start a hangout from a post if the feature has been enabled.

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 11 Circles

Categorise your contacts and manage your communications in your own way with Google+ Circles. Remember, as well as sharing information with these groups of people, you can also filter posts in your updates stream according to these categories.

To create, edit and view your Circles, click on the Circles tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

How to create a new Circle In the bottom half of your screen, move your cursor over the Circle that says Drop‘ here to create a new Circle’, click ‘Create Circle’

Name your Circle whatever you want (example: friends, family, colleagues, people who give me rubbish Christmas presents etc). The names of your circles are totally private to you so go wild.

You can also add a description if you want to - maybe to help you remember why you created the Circle.

12 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Add people to your circle: • Click ‘Add a new person’ and search for Google+ users by name or • Click ‘Create Empty Circle’ in the bottom right-hand corner and then drag and drop contacts from the top half your screen into the newly created Circle. You can select multiple contacts at a time by clicking on them before draggling the final contact into the Circle.

If the contact you want to add is not shown in the top half of the screen, you can search for them in the ‘Type a Name’ search bar. Google will scan through people you’ve been in touch with over email and Google+ for possible matches.

You may also see suggestions for people to add to your Circles on the right-hand side of the Google+ screen. To add someone to a Circle, hover over the Add button to see a list of choices. You can also create a new Circle from this menu.

Edit a Circle The Circles you’ve created can be modified at any time.

Click on the Circles tab and click on the Circle that you wish to edit. This will open the Circle with the members of that Circle shown at the top of the screen, and 3 options shown in the Circle itself: Edit, Share and Delete. You can add and remove contacts from your Circles whenever you want from this view.

Circles in Gmail Google+ is the social spine that underpins everything Google does. This really shows with their efforts to integrate Google+ functionality into the other products and services they offer. The evidence of this can be seen in the arrival of a Circles link on the left-hand side of the Gmail window.

By clicking this link you can filter your inbox by your existing Circles. What’s more - you can choose to show these Circle names along side emails together with any labels that have been applied with Gmail’s built-in tools. If you use email as a primary method of communication, this is a useful way of sorting through your inbox and picking out key emails.

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 13 When you’re viewing a thread in Gmail you’ll also see some contact information from the sender or recipient on the right-hand side. If he or she has been added to one or more Circles, this information will be indicated; otherwise you can add him or her to a Circle from within the Gmail window. Recent photos from the contact are also displayed as thumbnails, as well as their most recent update.

For more about Circles, watch this video:

14 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Hangouts

Hangouts are a key feature of Google+ and one of the main differentiators between it and other social networking platforms.

A Google+ Hangout is a video conference between you and 14 other Google+ users where you can catch up face- to-face, share documents and collaborate on them in real time, no matter where in the world you are.

Hangouts can be private or public, something made possible through the ‘Hangouts on Air feature’ which allows you to broadcast your hangout to the world. You can stream your hangout publicly on your Google+ profile, your YouTube channel, and your website, and it’s automatically saved to your YouTube account for playback later.

How to start a Hangout Open the Hangout tab and click the Start a Hangout button in the top right hand corner of the tab. or Click the Start a Hangout button always visible in the top right-hand corner of your screen

Alternatively, you can schedule a Hangout as a meeting through the Events tab.

A new window will pop up where you can invite people based on their Google+ profile name, email address or circle. The box’s on the right-hand side give you a real-time view of who is online and available to join you.

Give the Hangout a name and select whether you want the Hangout to be private or On Air. By selecting Hangout options you can restrict minors from attending and choose your default language.

Once you’re ready to start - click Hang Out. Notifications will be sent to those you’ve invited to take part and this is the screen that pop’s up for you:

Various Hangout apps are available down the left- hand side (we will detail the standard ones in a moment) but you can choose to close them, view more apps and search for further options from this screen.

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 15 Navigating the Hangout screen and available apps

10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Invite People. You can choose you can see your search queries Add apps. Click here to search 1 to invite others to your and results. 8 through all the apps that have Hangout at any time. been developed for Hangouts. Google Effects. Pretty fun - Chat. This opens the group 5 this allows you to add effects Main conversation area. 2 chat panel on the right-hand to your Hangouts, visual and 9 The bar below this area will side of the screen where you sound effects are available. show all those taking part in the can text chat with everyone on Hangout. The main window will the hangout, posting links and Google Drive. Open highlight the person talking. updates. 6 documents, presentations and spreadsheets through your Hangout Options. From Screenshare. This function Hangout to view, share and 10 this toolbar you can Mute 3 allows you to share any collaborate on them in real your microphone, stop your particular window you have open time. You can also create shared video feed, change your Hangout with those taking part in the notes and sketchpads during the settings and finish your Hangout hangout. Hangout which will be saved to session. your Drive. YouTube App. Share video’s 4 from YouTube in your View more apps. This shows Hangouts. Everyone will see the 7 a menu of apps available for same video and playlist but only you to use. 16 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Google+ Events

Set up and manage events through Google+ Events.

How to set up an event on Google+ Go to the Events tab and click Create Event.

From here you’ll be able to choose your invitation theme from a selection of animated and static themes offered by Google or upload your own image. Scroll left and right to flick through the theme options available or choose ‘Change Theme’ to view additional options and upload your own images.

Use the form to include all the details of your event; title, time, location etc. You can also adjust the basic or advanced setting of your event through the Event Options dropdown box.

Basic options (the ones you tick will be applied to your event): • Guests can invite other people • Guests can add photos • Hide Guest list

Advanced options: • Google+ Hangout: where the event is a digital one held over Hangout • Make the event ‘On Air’: When you make an event ‘On Air’, you create a public event that anyone can find and view. However, events on air have a limited guest list. The people you invite can comment and add photos, unless you disable these options. Event viewers who aren’t on the guest list will be able to see the content of the event page, including who’s attending and the event photo collection. These viewers will also be able to +1 photos and share the event for others to view • You can choose to show additional fields for your event such as: Website URL, ticket seller URL, YouTube URL or transit and parking information.

To invite people to your event: • Your event can be private or public • You can invite people based on their names, your Circles, or their email address by including the relevant details in the invite box. • Once you’re ready to go - click Invite • Your event invitations will automatically be sent out and you event page will be created

Managing your event Click on your Events tab to see all the events you’ve created as well as the ones you’ve been invited to.

To manage a particular event, go to that event’s page by clicking on the event name from the Event menu. This page is you event page - it’s what everyone who’s invited will see and it’s where you can: • Check your event status - i.e. whether it’s private (and locked) or public • Updated/edit the event details: select Actions > Edit Event • Invite more people: click Invite More or Invite More People • See who’s responded: this shows on the right-hand side of the event page • Share the event with others and your Google+ stream: click Share • Delete the event and disable comments: click Actions to see these options • Comment on the event in the stream and see what other people have commented www.groveis.com | [email protected] 17 • Sync with your Google Calendar to see your availability: Google+ is highly integrated with Google Apps so that when setting up an event or receiving an invitation you can check your schedule to make sure you’re not double booking. • And most importantly - you (and others) can upload photos.

Adding photos to your events Photos are a big part of Google+ and, of course, they are a big part of events - a match made in heaven!

You and your guests can upload photos to your event page before, during and after your event. In fact, your event page turns into a central repository for everyone to upload, comment on and share their photos.

Before your event • Upload photos from your computer or from your existing photo albums

During your event • Upload photos directly from your phone: Download the Google+ App to enable Instant upload of your photos. • Use Party Mode: If you have an Android device with the Google+ App installed, and you’ve accepted an invitation to en event, you’ll receive a notification when that event starts that asks if you want to turn on Party Mode. Party Mode will then automatically upload and share the photos and videos you’ve taken during the event to that events Google+ event photo collection. You can tell that Party Mode is on when you see this icon in your Android notifications tray. You can turn Party Mode off at any time. • The host can even project a ‘live slide show’ of the photos added during your event based on the pictures uploaded to the Event’s page.

After your event • The event page doesn’t close down so you and your guests can continue to add photos to the page from phones, computers and other albums. This is the best way to make sure you get everyone’s photos in once place where people can comment and share them - no more chasing down guests to collect photos afterwards.

Here’s a quick video about Party Mode:

18 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Ripples

Word travels fast online. Ripples is Google+’s post by post analytics tool that lets you see how your post has spread across Google+; who’s sharing and resharing your content and whose opinions matter. You can use it to identify influencers and add them to a Circle, or see how communities are formed around your content.

Here’s an example of that a Ripples report looks like:

Reading the diagram • Arrows indicate the direction of resharing • Circles within circles represent a sharing sequence - large circles indicate heavy resharing • You are able to zoom in and out of the graphic representation to get a specific or more general view • View more details and watch the spread of your post on an animated timeline by scrolling down to where it says ‘watch the spread of your post’. Click the play button and watch the Ripple diagram animate over a timeline to give you a more graphic representation of the sharing activity on your post. • You are also able to see who your influencers are, the statistics around chain length and the languages your post was shared in. • The listing on the right hand side will show you who shared your post and what their comments were (if any)

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 19 Ripples show you: • Who has publicly shared a post or URL and the comments they’ve made People who have reshared the link will be displayed with their own circle. Inside the circle will be people who have reshared the link from that person (and so on). Circles are roughly sized based on the relative influence of that person.

The comments users added when they reshared a link are displayed in the sidebar of Ripples. If the person’s name is visible in the visualisation, their comment will be displayed in the sidebar. Try zooming in and out and moving around to see different comments. (You can also view the comments people made on their reshare by hovering over their name in the Ripples visualisation)

• How a post or URL was shared over time At the bottom of the Ripples page, you can play an animated version of the visualisation that shows how the link was shared over time. You can also see a line graph that illustrates activity on the post.

• Statistics on how a post or URL was shared Beneath the timeline on the Ripples page are the statistics available on your link. You can check out people who were ‘sharing hubs’ (people who had the most reshares of the post), statistics for how the link was shared, and the native language breakdown in which the link was shared.

Please note that Ripples will only display public data so there may be a difference between the numbers you see on the post and the numbers displayed on Ripples. Not sure if a post is public? Look at the top of the post next to the time stamp. If the post is public ‘Public’, information will be displayed.

How to view your Ripples You can view Ripples for both yours and other people posts. To do this, just click the dropdown arrow in the top right-hand corner of the post you’re curious about and click ‘View Ripples’.

To view Ripples for a specific URL, open the Ripples dialogue, and in the top corner, enter the URL you want to see Ripples for. You’ll see a visualisation for all the public shares on Google+ of that URL.

If you find a particularly interesting Ripples visualisation, it’s easy to share it with your circles. While viewing the ripple, just copy the URL and share the link in your stream.

20 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Google+ for business

Why would you use Google+ for business? The relative newcomer on the social media block, Google+ allows businesses to create pages and develop relationships with prospects and customers on multiple levels. Individuals can like a brand or company and add them to a circle, share the page with their network and interact with the content posted.

The key to Google+ success lies in engagement. Would you rather have 1,000 followers or 100 highly engaged followers? The platform was built with this in mind and at every turn allows you to continue to build highly specific, segmented and targeted conversations with your fans and followers. Not to mention the influence your Google+ profile has on organic search....

The +1 Button The +1 button is a button specific to Google+ which can appear in a variety of places: on Google+ business pages, Google and on sites across the web. For example, you might see a +1 button next to an article you’re reading on your favourite news site or blog.

The function of the +1 button is two-fold, it allows users to publicly recommend pages across the web and, if they are a Google+ user, to share those recommendations with their Google+ circles.

The idea is that you click the +1 button on something to give it your stamp of approval. Then the next time your friends and contacts search on Google, they could see your +1, allowing Google to give new meaning to word-of-mouth marketing by showing recommendations from the people you already know and trust.

Once users +1 a piece of content, it can be seen on the +1 tab in their Google+ profile, in Google search results, and on websites with a +1 button.

How do I put the +1 button on my website? Visit https://developers.google.com/+/plugins/+1button/ to get the code, and follow the Getting Started instructions. You’ll be able to install the button on your website, blog and anywhere else you deem appropriate.

So does the +1 button affect Google Search results? Short answer, yes.

Adding the +1 button to pages on your own site lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it’s most relevant—in the context of Google search results.

Google+ is changing search The Google search algorithm is a mighty and complicated beast that takes many and multiple factors into consideration when ranking search results. It has evolved significantly over the years and with the rise of social media influence and the increased content generation through those networks, social context has become an integral part of search. This development will have a profound effect on businesses of all sizes.

This is where the +1 button comes in.

The theory is that content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. In early 2012 Google launched Search Plus Your World, where you can enjoy a personalised Google www.groveis.com | [email protected] 21 Search experience based on your connections and key influencers +1 recommendations. According to Ian Lurie from the blog Conversation Marketing, in Search plus Your World, search results that received a lot of +1s tend to show up higher in results. When a signed-in Google user is searching, their Google search result snippet may be annotated with the names of the user’s connections who’ve +1’d a particular page.

Conclusion: More +1’s means higher search ranking and more traffic for your website. Another key reason to get involved with Google+.

Tips for using Google+ to market your business • Have a fully completed profile page with eye-catching and relevant imagery for your logo and cover photo • Optimise the information included on your ‘About’ page, making sure you include links to your key call- to-action web pages or your company blog, depending on what your overall social media strategy is • Be engaging, regularly share fresh content, react or respond to your fans and optimise for lead generation • Remember to measure, adapt your strategy and optimise your presence based on your goals and results • Share LOTS of photos. Photos are very important on Google+, one at a time rather than on Facebook where an entire album is uploaded. Charts, images, and slides are ideal to share on this network were big flashy images can be prominently displayed • Encourage people to share your posts, Google+’s community may be small, but it’s highly engaged • Use Circles to segment your messaging • Use the tools offered by Google+ to your benefit (such as Hangouts)

But... Google+ is more than a social media marketing tool The Google+ Social Media platform is so much more than a customer or prospect marketing tool, it also offers the next step in corporate communications (AKA ‘Social Business’) and is the perfect tool to leverage to build a culture of communication, collaboration and productivity within your business, be it small or enterprise.

We believe that the future of business is social and that the trends of Cloud, Social and Mobile are revolutionising the way businesses operate.

It’s hard to find ANY current IT project today not considering cloud-based deployments. The question of ‘Cloud’ is no longer around security and quality of service concerns, but rather around what mix of capabilities is right for your business. Mobile technologies are enabling people to take their lives, both business and person ‘on the road’ and a ‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) to work is an undeniable trend in the workplace. Social is what’s tying it all together. Social networking accounts for 22% of all time spent online and real business is taking place today in public and private social networks.

But it’s the combination of these 3 trends/technologies where the real synergy takes place, and the benefits quickly and clearly start to accrue when staff are able to communicate and collaborate quickly and easily.

Google+ is the communication network that brings together the cloud-based business solution Google Apps for Business and the mobile applications it offers. In fact, it is the social spine that underpins everything Google does. It enables video conferencing, live chat and real time integration of all Google’s business solutions.

Google+, Hangouts, GChat and the collaboration offered by Google Docs work together to offer a highly effective work and communication environment where employees, partners, customers are able to communicate and collaborate easily with their internal and extended social networks. This makes that the trio of Cloud, Social and Mobile are perfectly synchronised within the Google Apps for Business suite.

22 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Company pages

As in other social networking sites you are able to set up company and product pages. You must, however, have first set up a personal account to manage these. You can run as many pages as you want through your account and specify who is able to manage those pages. Remember, Google+ profiles are for people, page are for businesses or other entities.

How to set up a company page Navigate to the Pages tab - this is where you’ll be able to create pages, see a list of all the pages you’ve created, manage those pages, switch between the pages, change page settings and add or remove managers.

Click Create new page

Step 1: Pick Category Choose the category your new page falls under. You can choose from: • Local business or place • Product or brand • Company, Institution or Organisation • Arts, Entertainment or Sport • Other

Select a sub-category from the drop-down list available and click Next

Step 2: Add Info Here you add information about your company. Complete your details, agree to the page terms and conditions, being careful to read through them before doing so - and click Continue.

Step 3: Getting Started Here you add the details that make your company page come alive; your cover photo, company logo, company description and relevant contact information.

You can upload your own cover photo, choose one from your existing Google+ photos or select one from the pre-designed gallery. You can get pretty creative here, remember that this is your space to really show what your company does and who you are.

Once you’re ready - click Finish

You are now ready to start using your company page to engage with the big ‘ol world.

Note: To post updates to your page you need to be logged into that page, you can switch between accounts at any time by visiting the Pages tab or by clicking the drop-down arrow next to your profile picture of company logo in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 23 Editing your company page You can edit your company page details at any time by clicking the Edit Profile button in the page’s Profile tab.

Under the About Tab: • You can edit your cover photo, logo (profile photos), tagline, Introduction, contact information and website details. • You can also add links to additional websites such as blog or product sites.

Under the Photos Tab: • Set your photo sharing settings, allow users to download photos once you’ve posted them, and show geo locations on albums

Under the Videos Tab: • You can choose to show the video tab on your profile

When you’re done editing, click on the Done Editing button at the top of the screen. All changes you’ve made will be saved and applied.

Managing your company page As mentioned previously, to post updates to your page you need to be logged into that page. One logged into your company page you can treat as you would a normal Google+ profile, posting updates, sharing photos, videos and links - all the functionality remains the same.

Just remember that the default privacy setting for elements on your business page is public, but you can change this at any time.

Setting up Page Managers The person who sets up the company page becomes the Page Owner, but there can be only 1. The Page Owner can specify up to 50 Page Managers to assist in running the page, they will be able to access the page, post updates and edit settings - all managers have the same rights. The names of the owner and managers aren’t visible to the public or to those in the page’s circles.

This table details the capabilities of the owner and managers:

Capabilities Owner Manager Invite other managers Yes Yes Remove managers Yes Yes Delete Page Yes No Transfer Ownership Yes No View and adjust page settings Yes Yes Take actions on behalf of the page (ex. post content, edit circles, edit Yes Yes page profile and name, etc.)

24 www.groveis.com | [email protected] To add a Page Manager: • Go to the Page tab • Scroll your mouse over the page you want to add the manager to and click Managers

• Here you can add a new manager by email address, or remove existing managers. An an owner you can also transfer ownership of the page from this menu

Some quick facts • Pages can’t add people to circles until the person has added the page or mentioned the business first • If a person unfollows a page, the page will automatically unfollow the person • Only pages have the +1 button • Pages don’t receive notifications, the people managing them do • If you’ve set your page up as a ‘Local Business’, you’ll get a special field that allows people to find your physical location

www.groveis.com | [email protected] 25 Advanced tips & tricks

Google+ is fairly intuitive to use and it won’t take you long to pick it up - but there are a few things that you might not stumble across right away.

Google+ is a multi-layered social network - and, as is with all social networks - the more you explore the more you’ll find and get out of being a part of it. The platform itself is also constantly being updated and tweaked - so keep an eye out as there are often new and updated features being released.

Here are a few tips and tricks to master once you’ve got the basics:

Tagging: you can tag one of more users in a posting or comment by using a + in front of their name - for example +Grove Group. Simply start typing their name with the + symbol in front and a list of contact will display that you can choose from.

Trending topics: Use the list of trending topics and Hashtags (#) on the right-hand side of your screen to get the latest story on something and to find other users you may want to follow. You can create a post flagged with the same topic or Hashtag buy including a # in your posts, for example: I really love #Cloud computing.

The Search Box: Use the search box at the top of your screen to look through all of the public posts published on Google+. You can also save a search for future use. Your saved searches are listed on the right-hand side of the Google+ interface and can be run at any time to show the latest matches to your search.

Google+ Mobile App: This is available for both Android and iOS. Various additional features are available through the App, for example, Instant Upload.

Instant upload: The idea with instant upload is that you ‘never lose a memory’. You can set the feature up from your mobile phone so that every photo you take is automatically uploaded to your Google+ account - not published, just uploaded. This way - should you lose your phone you don’t lose your memories. You are able to view your photos before you choose to share (or not share) them. Not to worry about data usage though, you can set the uploads to only trigger once you’re connected to a WiFi.

Managing your notifications: It’s important to manage your notifications correctly to make sure you don’t get inundated with emails and alerts. Go to the Settings area through the cog icon in the top right-hand corner and from here you can manage your notification settings.

Mute a post: If you decide to comment on a post you will receive an email notification every time someone else comments after you. If that post is a popular one you can very quickly become inundated with notification emails. To avoid this - open the posts menu options (drop down in the top right hand corner of the post) and select Mute Post. This will stop the email notifications from being sent through.

View as....: You can double check that you’re only sharing what you want specific people to see by making use of the ‘view as...’ feature. Here you can see what a specific person would see if they were to view your profile. From your Profile page click on theView As button up next to the Edit profile button and enter a persons name to see your profile through their eyes.

Basic photo editor: There is a basic photo editor built into Google+ that you can access through each photo you’ve uploaded. View the photo and choose the Edit Photo button to launch the editor. You can conduct basic editing - cropping, sharpening, re-sizing and even apply effects and decorate your images with speech bubbles and fake beards. Very cool.

26 www.groveis.com | [email protected] Want to know more? Google+ has piqued your interest and you’d like to know more about it and the Google Apps for Business product Contact me suite. Our Team of Specialists are available to: Answer questions, Ask us to give you a call back. conduct a Demo or provide expert advice. One of our Cloud specialists will give you a call back and answer any questions you have and arrange a personal Click Here demo of the solution. Contact Grove Group SA on Contact Grove Group UK on [email protected] [email protected] 021 466 9400 0870 224 0424 The District, Block C 123 New Bond Street, Mayfair 41 Sir Lowry Rd London, W1S 1EJ Woodstock, 7915 Click to Cape Town Connect with us: