When it comes to using social media as an entrepreneur, should you invest your time in growing your presence on Google+?
There are different purposes behind using different social networking websites. But, does Google+ deserve an investment of your time?
Social media is so irresistible that it’s almost impossible to stay away from it. How many times have you come across a situation where you wanted to sign up for a new product or service and it wants you to sign up with your Facebook or Twitter account?
Well, social media is now integrated into our online lives.
I have friends who hate Facebook for philosophical reasons but can’t get out of it because other products and services they use need them to have a Facebook account. Obviously they hate Facebook even more.
Did you know that there are more than 400 million tweets sent per day on Twitter? Did you know that there are more than 699 million active Facebook users every day? This list only grows when we start including other growing social networking sites such as Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and so on.
These stats only mean that the freedom, the ability to have your own platform where you can say things you like to say, has made social media so popular. The number of people adapting to social media, and at the speed of growth, is simply astounding.
Like anything else, this has given birth to two school of thoughts when it comes to social media:
- Haters
- Lovers
But wait, there is a third group as well. This belongs to those who use every opportunity to speak against it but can’t stay away from it.
Know What You Can And Can’t Do Online
Social media is the new media. It is here to stay, whether or not you and me like it. This is the way we are going to communicate and stay in touch with the world. This is the way businesses are being conducted, connections are made, jobs are being searched and new business ventures are being established.
Have you used Google+ Hangouts for video conferencing with your friends, family members or your business associates? When it comes to video conferencing, Google+ Hangouts are one of the top free choices available on the internet.
Note: Image courtesy of Kate Harper's blog post on awesome tips on Google+ Hangout Etiquettes.
A few months ago, I shared some of the free conference services to conduct teleconferences involving international countries. Now, it's time to take the discussion up a notch by doing video conferencing for free.
Can you imagine how powerful it is to have 10 people from different places join LIVE in one video conference and talk to each other? And on top of that, isn’t it incredible that you can do it for free?
If that isn’t enough, it is also possible to put your video conference on live streaming to be viewable by public and also record and upload your hangouts to your YouTube channel . All this comes to you for free if you just have a Google Plus account.
Everybody wants to build a brand identity online for good reasons. Whether you are in business for yourself or you are looking to have a successful career in your profession, building a brand for yourself is absolutely critical in today’s marketplace.
Over 92% of employers searched candidate's name on Google in 2012. I can’t imagine buying anything from anyone today without making a few Google searches and checking on social networks.
When someone Googles your name or the name of your business, the search results speak volumes about who you are and what you do. If you haven’t done so yet, Google your name now. What are the search results you see on the first page?
