• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

The Social Media Hat

Always On Top Of Social

  • Coaching & Consulting
  • Community
  • Speaking
  • Articles
    • Digital Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing
    • Social Media Articles
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • LinkedIn
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
    • Social Media Tools
    • Virtual Events
  • Newsletter
  • Search
  • Coaching & Consulting
  • Community
  • Speaking
  • Articles
    • Digital Marketing
      • Influencer Marketing
    • Social Media Articles
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • LinkedIn
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
    • Social Media Tools
    • Virtual Events
  • Newsletter
  • Search

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Google Plussers

You are here: Home / Social Media Articles / The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Google Plussers

July 19, 2013 //  by Mike Allton

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In 1989, Dr. Steven R. Covey published the landmark book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If you haven’t read it, put it on your Summer reading list right now. In the book, Dr. Covey suggests seven daily activities that we should adopt in our lives to become more effective personally and professionally. One that I reference and paraphrase regularly is Sharpen the Saw (or Axe), which is a call to constantly be reading and learning in order to improve ourselves.

In that light, here are The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Google Plussers. These are the things that I see people doing on Google+ every day to get the most out of the network. These are not rules. Rather, these are suggestions and guidelines for those of you want to expand your reach, create valuable connections, and perhaps even establish yourself as an authority in your field.

1. Post Thoughtful Content

The first habit is to share thoughtful content. I always encourage my clients to create blog posts and other content on their websites, and to share that content to Google+ and other social networks. However, when sharing a link, effective Google Plussers tend to include thoughtful commentary explaining what the link is about, why we would want to read it, and what we might talk about. The commentary sparks both interest and discussion.

This has become particularly important due to a recent change in how Google+ displays link previews. In the past, when you shared a link, the Title, Description and an Image thumbnail would all be displayed, but now the Description is no longer included. If you’re relying on your post title to draw interest and traffic, it won’t work. That’s what Twitter is for. Google+ users have come to expect more.

2. Share Other People’s Content

We have talked about the 80/20 rule before, and no where is it more important than on Google+. For many people, Google+ has evolved into a social network where great content and information is shared, and it’s essential that you’re sharing a mix of your own content and that of other people.

I recommend that you seek out and circle peers and influencers in your industry so that you’ll have a never-ending flow of great posts in your Home stream that you can pick and choose great shares from. I also recommend that you set up Feedly or HootSuite with RSS feeds from some great publishers in your niche. Once a day, you can check your feeds and find a great article or two to share (and don’t forget the commentary!) If you use HootSuite, you can even schedule the posts to your branded Google+ Page so that they’re timed and spaced out better.

3. Engage Other People

Social Networks are for being social, so be social! Talk to other people. Explore your interests, both personal and professional. You don’t have to, but you will find that the most effective Google Plussers are open to forging new relationships and connecting with other people.

Start by making sure that you respond to as many of the comments other people leave on your posts as you can. Not only will it help fuel discussion, but it also shows that you appreciate that they took the time to leave a comment (which you should). And take the time to check out what other people are posting about and comment on those posts.

4. Mention Other People

On Google+, you can type someone’s name preceded by a + and their name will become linked to their profile. It will notify that individual that you mentioned them, as well as allow other people who might read your comment the opportunity to easily discover and add that person.

Mentioning other people is most commonly used when leaving comments, just like you might in a real conversation, like, “Thanks +Mike Allton, I appreciate that.” It’s also great to do when you’re posting something that has to do with someone else, or when you’re sharing a post that someone else brought to your attention (sharing a share).

5. Promote Other People

Promoting other people on Google+ is one of the things that makes Google+ particularly great. People have been doing it on Twitter for years with #FollowFriday or #FF, but due to the hovercards that come up when you mouse over names, and the greater amount of information you can put into a Google+ post over a tweet, the Google+ experience is far richer.

One simple method that many effective Google Plussers use is to simply share someone’s profile as a link and talk about them a bit in the commentary. Tell people what you know about this person. Why you follow them, and the value they bring to you. It’s a lot like writing a LinkedIn Recommendation for someone. Another fun method of promoting people is to create a quick post that mentions three people you’ve circled, talking about why you’ve circled them, and asking for everyone to circle them and offer three recommendations of their own.

6. Consistent Activity

The highly effective Google Plussers are also consistent. They’re consistent in their posting and writing habits, but they’re also consistently exhibiting the other habits we’ve just discussed. They consistently share other people’s posts, mention and engage other people, and promote the people with whom they’ve created great connections.

The thing that many small business owners need to keep in mind is that consistency doesn’t necessarily require a significant amount of time. If you only have time to check Google+ twice a day, that’s fine. Certainly, the more time you’re able to invest, the more connections you’ll make and value you’ll get. But simply do what you can with the time that you have, regularly, and your time will be extraordinarily effective.

7. Profile Completeness

Finally, the most effective Google Plussers realize the value and importance of their Google+ profile. More than just an opportunity to talk about yourself, it’s an opportunity offer help and resources to the other people on Google+ who might be interested. You can include links to specific pages of your website that highlight services you offer, you can direct people to specific blog posts that represent your best work, and you can even reference past posts to Google+ where there might have been some particularly lively discussion. You might also recommend the kinds of circles people may want to put you in, and discuss how you’re interested in using Google+ and engaging with people.

As a corollary to profile completeness, effective Google Plussers who have their own blogs have taken the time to update their blog’s author bio to include a link to their Google+ profile in order to take advantage of Google Authorship in Google search results. Regularly updating your Profile and taking advantage of tools like Authorship or Site Badges is a great habit to get into.

Take a look at the marvelous video summary Jeff Sieh put together for these habits.

In 2004, Dr. Covey published a sequel to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People called The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. In it, Dr. Covey explained that the eighth habit is to find your voice, and inspire others to find theirs. What do you think the eighth habit for effective Google Plussers should be?

Image courtesy of kenfagerdotcom, Flickr.

Related

Category: Social Media ArticlesTag: Google+

About Mike Allton

Mike is an international keynote speaker, an award-winning blogger & author at The Social Media Hat, and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse where he strengthens relationships with social media educators, influencers and partner brands. He has spent over a decade in digital marketing and brings an unparalleled level of experience and excitement to the fore, whether he's delivering a presentation or leading a workshop.

Join The Community!

34,720 savvy marketers have signed up to get the latest social media insights and ideas. Will you?


Previous Post: « The Internet: Then and Now [infograph]
Next Post: Healthcare and Social Media [infograph] »

Primary Sidebar

Work With Mike

Work with Mike Allton in a consulting capacity, or to speak at your next event.

Meet Mike

Mike Allton is an international keynote speaker & consultant, and an award-winning blogger and author at The Social Media Hat, where he has been educating businesses and organizations on the best use of content marketing for reaching and converting target audiences. Mike is proud to serve as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse, where he builds relationships with influencers and brands around the world.

Since 2012, Mike has worked with over a hundred brands and executives to help them identify and implement successful strategies. As a certified NLP Coach & Practitioner, he helps YOU achieve excellence. Work With Mike

Partnership Unpacked

Featured Posts

How To Develop Profitable Relationships With Big Brands w/ George Thomas

March 20, 2023 //  by Mike Allton

Partnership Unpacked, Episode 13, with George B. Thomas

Influencer Marketing Trends & Insights For CMOs w/ Gordon Glenister

Influencer Marketing Trends & Insights For CMOs w/ Gordon Glenister

March 13, 2023 //  by Mike Allton

Partnership Unpacked, Episode 12, with Gordon Glenister

How to Craft a Sponsorship Pitch No Brand Will Ignore w/ Justin Moore

How to Craft a Sponsorship Pitch No Brand Will Ignore w/ Justin Moore

March 6, 2023 //  by Mike Allton

Partnership Unpacked, Episode 11, with Justin Moore

More Like This

  • How Influencer Marketing Can Help You to Define the Best Content Marketing Strategy for Your E-Commerce Business in 2023
  • The State of Partnership Ops in 2023 w/ Asher Mathew & Kelly Sarabyn
  • 10 Reasons to Become a B2B Influencer

Footer

Recent Posts

  • How To Develop Profitable Relationships With Big Brands w/ George Thomas
  • Influencer Marketing Trends & Insights For CMOs w/ Gordon Glenister
  • How to Craft a Sponsorship Pitch No Brand Will Ignore w/ Justin Moore
  • How Influencer Marketing Can Help You to Define the Best Content Marketing Strategy for Your E-Commerce Business in 2023
  • The State of Partnership Ops in 2023 w/ Asher Mathew & Kelly Sarabyn
  • 10 Reasons to Become a B2B Influencer
  • Is Artificial Intelligence poised to do your job for you?
  • How SaaS Companies Can Leverage Affiliate Marketing in 2023

Marketing Resources

  • Marketing Hyperdrive Podcast
  • The Virtual Event Strategist Podcast
  • Partnership Unpacked Podcast (Coming soon!)
  • How To Craft Your Marketing Plan
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect LinkedIn Profile
  • Social Media Spring Cleaning
  • Social Media Planner
  • Get The Newsletter
  • Home
  • Virtual Event Strategy
  • Mike Allton, Your Next Keynote Speaker
  • Mike Allton’s Newsletter
  • Work With Mike
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Site Footer

Partnership Unpacked Podcast

  • Listen on Amazon
  • Listen on Apple
  • Listen on Google
  • Listen on Spotify
  • Listen on Stitcher
  • Social Media Articles
  • Digital Marketing Articles
  • Social Media Tools & Resources
  • Virtual Events Articles
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2011–2023 The Social Media Hat ยท All Rights Reserved