A content marketer’s confession: Google+ scares the copy out of me.

I’m going rogue on the blog today and getting personal about one of my biggest secrets as a content marketer:

I am very intimidated by Google+.

When I began focusing solely on providing content marketing services after more than 10 years living the marketing agency life, I was confident in my abilities to use social media for content distribution and lead generation.
However, as I became fully immersed in all things content marketing – reading and researching everything I could find – I became increasingly aware that I couldn’t ignore the behemoth that is Google+. The more I read, the more I researched, the more I realized that all content marketing roads lead back to this fairly new yet extremely influential social platform.
So I began to explore. And as of right now, I’m still finding my way.
After about 2.5 months of using Google+ the “right” way (i.e., to engage others in conversations and content, rather than as a repository for links to my blog), here’s what I’ve learned:

Google+ is not Twitter.

Or Facebook. Or LinkedIn. It is entirely its own being with its own rules and etiquette. It has a hard personality to grasp until you jump in and start to use it, but this might help: If Facebook is like going to your high school reunion, and LinkedIn is like going to a business breakfast series, Google+ is like going to a networking happy hour.
You can’t just drop a link on Google+ and expect to gain new followers. Instead, this action would most likely get you ignored – or worse.
Take my newbie blunder as an example: When I first became re-active on Google+ this fall, I joined a few communities and posted links to my recent blog articles. In most instances, my posts were quickly removed by the community moderator. In the below example, I was also (rightly) chastised. (Click on the image to see the full post.)

The key here is that, much like at a networking cocktail hour, you cannot simply show up and take over the conversation. You first need to read the room (or, in Google+ world, the community guidelines) and give yourself time to explore who’s there and what’s being said. Once you feel comfortable, join in. Lurk and learn, people, lurk and learn.

Google-plussers are an eager, helpful bunch.

If I pose a question on Twitter, it often feels like I’m shouting it out over the Grand Canyon. Sometimes I’ll get an answer, but sometimes it ricochets off the walls and falls into the abyss.
Not so on Google+. If you post a specific question in the right community, I would be shocked if someone didn’t answer you within the first five minutes. In fact, you will probably get the most comprehensive answer you would ever need, plus more resources to back it up. The post below is an example of one in which I asked for honest feedback and got it, fast. Click below to view in full and see all comments.

The most dominant Google plussers are very active on the social network, conducting Hangouts, answering questions, starting conversations and sharing everything from interesting articles to photos of their dinners (yep, can’t escape the food porn on here either).
The difference is that Google plussers pair each post with thoughtful commentary. Big thinkers, unite here. It’s a great place to try out ideas for a blog post, speaking topic or presentation. You can quickly and easily get smart feedback before you begin your next endeavor.

Visuals matter. A lot.

Google+ is more like Pinterest than any other social network in that visuals are given high priority. When you look at the layout, you’ll notice that visuals dominate, to the point that only the first three lines of copy show on each post, followed by “Read More.”
Here’s my most popular visual post to date. Nothing spectacular, but you can see that it was appealing to other freelancers-slash-vagabond-professionals:

 
For that reason, it’s really important to learn how to craft the perfect Google+ post. I highly recommend this article by Copyblogger’s Demian Farnworth, titled “The Art of Writing Great Google+ Posts.” It not only covers how to capture attention with visuals, but also gets down into the nitty-gritty of writing for this platform, along with providing links to excellent additional resources.

Once you love Google+, you REALLY love Google+.

My most popular post thus far is the one I titled “How talking to clients about Google+ is like talking to my three-year-old about eating vegetables”, a tongue-in-cheek observation of many people’s first reaction to Google+ (including my own!).
It was instantly popular, because it positioned Google+ as the diamond in the rough that veteran Google plussers know it is. Click on the image below to view the full post.

I shared this post in two communities: On The G+ Resource, it received 34 +1s, 10 comments and six shares. On Social Media Professionals, +31, 19 comments and five shares. I have also been added to more than 10 users’ circles since the post, five days ago. Pretty successful so far.
This shows that you can cultivate a unique voice on Google+ and have broad success – you just have to be willing to try out different forms of content to see what works best for telling your story. Don’t be discouraged by your lack of engagement or notoriety. Instead, think of your Google+ beginnings as a testing ground. Learn from your missteps, and give a big ol’ thumbs up to your plusses. And then get back at it.
Bottom line: I am no Google+ expert. But I’m learning. And I’m committed to Google+ success because I understand its importance both now and in the foreseeable future – for myself and my clients. Hopefully both my successes and failures will inspire and help you as you become a Google+ pro.

Ok friends, let’s do it – connect with me on Google+ and let’s continue the conversation there!

(Image via.)