As Google Plus continues to gain users at an alarming rate- to the tune of 20 million users now, more and more people will take notice. Sadly, many will use the tool for all the wrong reasons. Here’s my seven deadly G+ sins.
1. Treating G+ the same as Facebook.
G+ is not Facebook, nor is Twitter. Please don’t treat it exactly the same as such. It is a separate platform with it’s own social etiquette. Learn it and respect it.
2. Ignoring circles
One of the best parts about G+ is the ability to group people into different circles. It’s what Facebook lists tried to be, but failed at miserably. Instead of a mass broadcast update, you can share information with only one circle. For instance, my friends from college and high school may not want to know about the latest PR tool and vice versa.
For the love of God, please stop referring to your circles as “the circle of life.” I love the Lion King as much as the next person, but this joke got old really fast.
3. Not filling out your Google Profile
Filling out your Google Profile takes all of about 15 minutes, and the benefits are widespread. Not only does it allow other users to have a better understanding about who you are and why they should add you to their circles, but it also helps your SEO efforts since Google profiles are usually the first thing that comes up about a person on you guessed it, Google.
4. Not replying to comments
G+ is thriving early on in large part due to the high user engagement. People aren’t just broadcasting stuff, but they are actually responding. Use common courtesy and respond back to those, who commented on your posts.
5. The TMI King or Queen
We all have that one friend, who posts way too many intimate details online. Don’t be that guy or girl on G+. Keep your intimidate details for offline conversations.
6. Mistaking Google Hangout for Chatroulette
I know G+ is still a bit of a sausage fest (with 63% of users being male), but it’s not that kind of sausage fest. Hangouts are almost like a virtual coffee shop with all sorts of conversations happening there. Please don’t ruin this. So, absolutely no man parts allowed!
7. Calling yourself a “G+ Expert”
Google Plus has been around for just over a month. Even if you spent every waking moment on the site, that still isn’t enough time to call yourself a G+ expert. Run like hell if any “expert” tries to sell you “100 ways to make money with G+” or some sort of “best practices webinar.” They are full of crap and just looking to make an easy buck.
This is a follow-up post to the Seven Deadly Twitter Sins, Seven Deadly Facebook Sins, Seven Deadly Linkedin Sins, Seven Deadly Email Sins and Seven Deadly Foursquare Sins.
