For those of us who are not Google+ experts, we can still look like experts by using a few simple tips.

My last post “How to Change Thumbnail Images on Google+ Posts” is one tip. And here are a six more simple Google+ tips:

1) Formatting

You can use very simple formatting to enhance the appearance of your text.

*Word* makes the word BOLD.

_Word_ makes the word in ITALICS.

-Word- makes the word have a strikethough line across it.

2) Mentions

When you mention someone else, add + or @ before their Google+ name. If you don’t know their Google+ name, look for it in the search bar. Then they will get notified on their “Mentioned” tab. This is a great way to catch their attention.

3) Private Messages

You can send private messages to people by only sharing your post with them. If you want to make sure it remains private click the arrow at the top-right of the post and choose “disable reshare”.

4) Hashtags

Using #Hashtags can open your content up to a much broader audience, beyond your own Google+ circles. Most of us are familiar with hashtags, but did you know that #hashtags in Google+ act differently than other social media sites?

If you click a hashtag on Twitter it acts as a filter and will ONLY show you tweets with the same hashtag. If you click on a Google+ hashtag you will also see related hashtags and topics that Google+ has chosen for you. You should add your own hashtags, but Google+ will also automatically add hashtags for you based on the content. (You can turn this feature off in your settings).

It is especially important in Google+ to use hashtags related to your content/topic and NOT related to your emotions (as is commonly done on Instagram). According to experts, best practice for hashtags on social media is between two and five hashtags per post.

Hashtags are added to the side menu on the post and highlighted in grey, the hashtags that Google+ automatically adds are highlighted in blue.

Pro tip from @annsmarty “Don’t forget to use #yourbrandname in your Google+ updates. If you have enough users hashtagging your brand name in the relevant content, those updates are very likely to be suggested to additional users as “related”.”

5) Headlines

While Google+ posts are usually short, they actually can be viewed as mini blog posts. And a great headline is key to a great blog post, even a short one. And it will stand out even more if you use bold text. (see formatting tip above)

And there can be SEO value too. Google incorporates your headline into the title tag of the Google+ post. And the headline is typically what will show up in search results.

With these 7 simple tips you can look like a Google+ expert. (tweet this)

Here are a few helpful articles about Google+

By Anya Ciecierski, Collaboration Works Marketing

www.cwmktg.com

Twitter: @AnyaCWMktg