Photo credit: Ellie (Flickr)
Wondering why you get no response from people on Google+? Here is an easy tip to help you gather steam.
But first, let me bust one of the biggest myths out there: No, the social media platform is NOT a desert island. There are actually 300 million monthly active users there!
This half-week alone, I gained 160 followers. I have been circled by more than 9,800 people since I joined in July 2011!
After spending the last couple of weeks observing the sharing activity from people in my Circles, I discovered the following:
- Some Plussers get a ton of engagement, no matter what they post.
- The rest are left with nothing but the silent treatment. People rarely +1 or comment on their shares.
The difference between the two groups? Self-education. Members of group #1 have spent hours learning how to use the site’s features. As a result, they know what works and what to avoid.
When I started on Google+, I definitely was part of the second group. I would just drop links and leave. After hearing crickets for a while, I decided to introduce my shares. It worked well, but the results were still disappointing.
And then, one day, I came across a post that had been shared and commented on many times. ”How could this happen,” I thought. “I post the same kind of stuff all the time and yet, no one seems to have any interest in engaging with me that way.”
My aha moment came within a few seconds. The user had tagged the author of the article. In turn, the latter had mentioned that user in a “thank you” post where he encouraged other Plussers to leave comments under that update! Pretty awesome, isn’t it?
Needless to say that I followed suit. And before I knew it, my updates had begun receiving +1s and comments. I have not looked back since then.
The most effective way to grab a person’s attention on Google+ is to mention them. Why? Because when you do, they will receive a notification and have the ability to see your entire post and respond to you.
Here is how you mention someone on Google+:
- Type “+” or “@” immediately followed by the first three or four letters of the person’s name.
- An autocomplete list of suggestions will appear.
- Select the person you want to mention.
Note that you can only mention people who have a Google+ profile. For non-members, just enter their email address right after the “+” or “@” sign.
One word of caution, though. Plussers hate spammers. So, use this feature sparingly if you do not want to end up muted or blocked.
Tagging is very useful when you want to:
- Contact users privately
- Recommend content that you know is relevant to some of your connections
- Thank content providers when sharing their stuff
- Acknowledge other users for suggesting useful or interesting things. On Google+, it is called a “Hat tip” (format: H/T +[name])
Mentions help start conversations, build relationships, and raise awareness of your work. Because the more you put others in the limelight, the more likely they will be to return the favor — without you even asking for it.
