Here are 20 tips to help you be productive using the service without spending hours learning the ropes.
1. Send a private message
You
can send a message to just one person or a handful. Click in the Stream
box and type your note. Now, remove the Public group by clicking the X.
Add the names for those who will receive your note. Note that you can
also type + and @ before a name to see a list of who to add.
2. Create a custom Spark
Sparks
are like news feeds, but they can be highly customized. Just click
Sparks, then type a search term. You can't use Google search
restrictions (like site:techradar.com) but the more you type in the
search box the more specific the news feed. Click Add Interest to add
the search under Sparks.
3. Download your stuff
Google+
lets you download most of your content. Click your name in the upper
left, select Account Settings, and then Data liberation. You can
download photos, stream posts, and all of your contacts as a Zip file
for use in desktop programs and even other social nets.
4. Block public searches
Google+
information is widely available to anyone who searches the Web. You can
restrict access to your private info, however. Click on your name in
the upper right, then Privacy. Click the option "edit visibility on
profile" and then select the area you want to restrict. In the pop-up
menu, you can restrict viewing parts of your profile to just Google+
members, specific circles, or just you.
5. Invite your pals
Recently,
Google made the link to invite people to Google+ available at all
times. To find it, you may have to logout of your account first before
logging back in. The link is on the lower right.
6. Start a Huddle
One confusing feature in
Google+ is that you can start a Huddle chat with anyone, but only using
the Android app on your smartphone. Install the app (search Android
Market) and select Huddle. Now, type the names of people you want to add
to the chat and start typing your first message.
7. Check notifications in Chrome
If
you use Google Chrome, you can add a simple extension that shows you
any new notifications in Google+. The advantage is that you do not need
to keep Google+ running in a tab. Go to the Chrome Extension store and
search for Surplus (or click the link), then install the extension.
8. Control notifications
You
may not want to see all notifications, such as any time someone adds
you to a circle. Click Notifications on the left column. Click the More
link, and select which notifications you want to see. For example, you
can quickly see only the notifications for when someone mentions you in a
comment.
9. Stop getting e-mails
In
the early days of using Google+, you can receive e-mails almost every
minute when people start mentioning you and adding you to circles. It's
annoying. To turn them off, click your name in the upper left, then go
to Account settings. Click the Google+ link. Now, you can disable e-mail
(and phone) notifications for countless alerts, such as photo tags and
starting a new Huddle.
10. End a Hangout
If
you decide to start a Hangout, be careful. Once you add participants,
your video feed becomes live. It's easy to get distracted by other
things. When you are done with the Hangout, make sure you click the Exit
button and confirm that the dialog box goes away. Otherwise, your
webcam will continue broadcasting your video feed and audio even if you
click away from the Hangout. (Google needs to fix this problem: if you
click away, the Hangout should suspend until you return.)
11. Upload your YouTube videos
Since
Google owns YouTube.com, the integration with that service is stellar.
You can quickly add your own YouTube videos. Just click in the Stream
box, then click the small video icon. Select YouTube, then Your YouTube
Videos. Select the one you want and click Add Video. Repeat for more
vids.
12. Add your phone number for notifications
You
can add your mobile to receive SMS alerts. Click your name on the upper
left, then select Account Settings. Click Google+ and then the link to
add a phone number. Enter your mobile number. Google will send a
verification code that you'll need to type in.
13. Drag and drop photos
You
can drop photos into your Stream box. Just find them on your computer,
select the ones you want to post, and drop them into the Stream box. Be
sure to select who can view them.
14. Use keyboard shortcuts
Google+
lets you move quickly through the interface. Use J to see the next post
or K to see previous. Press Space to scroll one page down, Space +
Shift to scroll up. Press Q to chat.
15. Click the Date for permalink
Any
time you see a date in Google+, it means you can see that specific
comment or post by itself. When you click a date, it removes the clutter
and also provides a permalink you can copy and paste. You can post a
permalink to Twitter or another feed, but only G+ users will be able to
see it.
16. View your +1 saves
A
Google +1 is similar to a "Like" in Facebook, except that you can +1
any posts, comments, orWeb link. To see what you have clicked, click
your own picture and then select the +1 section.
17. Engage with influencers
As
with any social network, the key is to engage with influential users.
The site SocialStatistics.com shows show is popular on Google+. Make
sure you add them to a circle, but more importantly start commenting on
their posts and using +1 on their content. They may start noticing.
18. Use strikethroughs
Google+
has a limited number of formatting options for stream posts, mostly to
make everything run smoothly. One is a strikethrough - just place a dash
before and after a word. You can italicise (just use an underscore
before and after a word) and bold (place an asterisk before and after a
word).
19. Quick post to Stream
You
don't have to visit Google+ to make a new post. Just look to the upper
left of your browser for the field called Share. Click in the field and
type your post. Be sure to select who will see it.
20. Add your location
You
can quickly add your location to any new Stream post. Click the pin on
the lower right in the Stream field. Google will prompt you once to
agree to share your location, but after that the geo-location data will
appear whenever you click the pin. Click the X to remove the location.
