5 steps to becoming a google plus powerhouse by Spyros Langkos

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

Before You Begin… It’s important you understand the difference between “Google,” the search engine giant, and “Google+,” the new social platform that is going to make your ability to promote your expertise easy.

What Is Google+? It’s a web-based platform that has you create a profile page (a.k.a. your Google+ page) and then use it to share information and connect with people In my opinion, Google+ has taken all the best features and functions from well-known social media tools (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, etc.) and built a one-stop-shop you can use to manage all your personal and professional relationships. In short, it’s the Wal-Mart of social networking!

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

If you have a Gmail account, you can automatically set up a Google+ profile. I suggest you simply Google the term, “Setting up Google+” and you will find plenty of step-by-step instructions for getting your page.

Why Do I Want To Be A Google+ Powerhouse? Google+ has only been around for a year, and while it’s growing at a frenetic pace, it’s still new to a lot of people. This means you have the chance to be on the ‘tip of the curl’ with this technology. Being an early-adopter of something like this will show your peers that you are tech-savvy and in-the-know on trends. It pays to be a powerhouse in that you’ll earn the trust and respect of those you share it with.

Step 1: Be A Problem Solver Anyone can show you how to set up your Google+ profile from a technical standpoint. But that won’t guarantee people will follow you and add you to their circles. In order to be a Google+ powerhouse, you need to have a strategy. In particular, you need to think of yourself as a “business-of-one” who is building an effective marketing tool. The goal is to clearly define why you exist and how you plan to help those who connect with you. In my experience, the best way to do this is to identify a problem you care about solving. As a problem solver, you can position yourself as a subject matter expert on this problem. You can also share with people your beliefs, values, and approach as it relates to solving the problem. This is called

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

building your authority – and it’s the single best way to create a strong brand identity. When you stand for something – you define yourself to others. So, think of the trust and respect you will earn if you stand for solving a problem that others are concerned with. What kind of problem should I solve? The good news is we need problem solvers for absolutely everything! Don’t get hung up on the size or complexity of the problem – not everyone has to solve world peace! Instead, focus on what you really care about. No matter what it is, if it’s a problem that needs solving, then we need someone to own it! Note: This is a career branding opportunity! If you are actively looking for a new job, I suggest picking a problem that exists in your industry or chosen career direction. This will enable you to use your Google+ profile to:  Showcase your knowledge of the problem.  Share resources to impress hiring managers.  Exemplify your approach to solving it as way to demonstrate your worth to employers!

Step 2: Create Visual Messaging Once you define the problem you want to solve, you are ready to start to build out your Google+ profile to support it. We begin with the most important aspect of any brand strategy: visuals. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I’d add, “A video is worth a million.” Here’s why… Because of the overwhelming amount of written content on the web, it’s only natural that we gravitate to pictures and videos as a way to convey more information to us quickly. So, you want to use the placeholders for pictures and video on Google+ as a way to share your problem solving platform with first-time visitors. Choose A Great Profile Picture It’s important your profile picture is a nice headshot. It should be clear and show you smiling and happy. First impressions matter, so chose a picture that makes you look approachable and confident.

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

And, if your problem solving platform involves a skill (i.e. you are a chef that wants to make healthier snacks), consider putting up a picture that shows you in solving the problem in action (i.e. in chef’s clothes standing at a stove).

1 Landscape Photo vs. 5 Mini Photos? In addition to a profile picture, Google+ lets you create a visual banner with either one landscape (long) photo, or five mini photos. Either way, your goal should be to put up visual representation about the problem you are focused on solving. Give people a visual sense of what you stand for, what matters to you, and so on, and that will generate their interest to learn more. Your goal is to put up pictures that make a new visitor want to click on your About page! Turn On Your Webcam And Get On Your Soapbox! The last visual element is a short video clip, where you tell a story about why the problem you are focused on solving matters to you. It’s your 2-3 minute rant where people get to see your passion and commitment to this issue. It also lets them get to know your personality and style. This video should inspire visitors to your Google+ page to want to follow you so they can get updates from you about this problem. In short, you want this video to encourage the visitor to see you as an expert worth following. So, don’t be shy! Anyone can record a simple video these days with their webcam. Do it a few times and then select the video clip that you feel best represents you. It’s not about the quality of the video as much as the content – so as long as you make your case, you’ll get their attention and respect. Then, upload the video so it shows in your Video page on your Google + profile and you’ll be good to go!

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

Step 3: Articulate Your Beliefs If you followed the first two steps correctly, then you should not only have a clear idea of what problem you want to solve, but also a solid visual representation to support it. Now, you need to further articulate your beliefs as a way to validate your desire to solve this problem. TRANSLATION: You need to write an effective ‘About’ page! FYI: Taglines are sound bites. Google+’s About page begins with you creating a tagline for yourself. This is where you list short, compelling belief statements to support your brand strategy. I can use myself as an example: The problem I want to solve is the high level of professional dissatisfaction in America. We live in one of the greatest countries in the world, yet 84% of Americans don’t like their work and want to find a new job. For me the taglines listed in my Google+ profile include:   

EVERY job is temporary. School teaches you everything EXCEPT how to get the job. NOBODY should job search alone.

These are taglines I use that when stated out loud, people respond with an enthusiastic, “I agree!” Your goal is to define some taglines that support the need to solve the problem you are working on.

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

Introduction = Invitation Your introduction on the About page of your Google+ profile should simply state the problem you want to solve as well as an invitation to new visitors to connect with you on Google+ so you can collaborate together on this problem. It’s important you make an explicit request to join forces. People often don’t join in a cause unless asked, so you must make the case that following you on Google+ is in their best interests!

Bragging Rights? You Betcha! The last section of the About page is your chance to validate your status as an expert (or, aspiring expert) in the problem you want to solve. Provide as much quantifiable evidence as you can to give proof you are worth connecting with on this subject. (i.e. years of experience, number of projects completed, total hours logged studying, or training on a subject, etc.) The goal is to make it clear that you are committed AND capable of giving those that follow you the information they need.

Step 4: Become A Content Curator Notice the word isn’t “creator” but “curator” – there’s a big difference! Creating content would require you to do a lot of writing and editing. It also puts a lot of pressure on you to solve the problem by yourself!

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

Instead, your goal on Google+ is to create a stream of the most valuable information, articles, resources, tools, technologies, and anything else that can help people with the problem you are committed to solving. Those connected to you on Google+ are using you as their news source related to this problem. So, your job is to review what’s out there and only post the things you feel will serve their needs. Subscribe To All Relevant Sources The easiest way to effectively curate content is to identify all the best news sources in your area of focus and subscribe to their email or RSS updates. That way, you can spend ½ hour each day scouring them for content worthy of posting on your Google+ page for all to see. Your goal should be to find at least one newsworthy thing to post. Limit Your Feed So You Don’t Overwhelm Readers When it comes to curating content, less is more. You shouldn’t try to post 100X each day. I am a fan of Guy Kawasaki’s Google+ approach: He posts anywhere from 5-10X each day and numbers them 1-10. Then, he starts over the next day. That way, those that visit his feed can quickly scan through and see what they’ve missed on a given day. The goal should be to only post things that will further confirm to readers that you are a top-notch resource for the problem you are focused on solving. It’s the best way to brand you as an expert!

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

2 Tips For Proper Formatting Of Posts When you post content on Google+ I suggest you do two things: 1. Always write a simple 1-2 sentence comment about the content you are sharing designed to grab the attention and encourage your readers to check it out. Your job is to tease them in a way that gets them to take action. 2. Add a large photo to represent visually the essence of the content. Using the theory we discussed earlier around the power of visuals, adding a large photo will grab attention and create a feeling that will further inspire the viewer to check out what you posted.

If you follow the content curation tips above, I GUARANTEE you will earn the trust and respect of those connected to you. It will also get new people to want to connect with you.

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

It’s the Law of Attraction at its best – a reader to well-curated content is like moth to a flame… irresistible!

Step 5: Nurture Your Circles The last step to becoming a Google+ powerhouse involves paying attention to the people in your circles. What’s a circle? Circles are the “groups” or “categories” you use to organize all the people following you. It’s vital you develop a good core set of circles from the get-go. Consider all the types of people you will interact with as part of your problem solving platform (i.e. fellow experts, people in need of your advice, friends, colleagues, family, etc.), and then start adding people to each circle. Note: Career Management Opportunity If you are looking for a job, I suggest creating circles for those that can help you in your search. Some examples include people you are actively networking with, such as recruiters, and people who work at companies you aspire to get hired at. Consider how you can create circles to easily access these people and share information with them that would position yourself as a valuable resource. Here’s What To Do When Your Circles Get HUGE… You will find the number of people in your circles growing quickly. Often, people get overwhelmed at the idea of reviewing the content posted by everyone in their circles. The reality is this just isn’t physically possible when you start to have thousands, and even millions of followers. So, the solution lies in further developing your circles and the prioritizing which ones you need to review the most frequently. For example, I have a circle exclusively for the career experts that are part of the CAREREEALISM site. I feel it’s vital to review their posts daily and to comment and share regularly with them as a way to maintain my relationship and status with them. Your goal is to manage the time you have available to nurture your circles and to focus on the ones that mean the most to you and your ability to solve the problem you are committed to. What Is Good Circle Nurturing? The best way to nurture a circle is to comment on posts by others. It takes just seconds to click the “+” button on their post and it will immediately share it on your own feed. Nothing shows respect and kindness like sharing the good content from others. You should also try to add a fun or insightful comment. Help those in your circles build their credibility for their efforts by complimenting them or even adding to what they’ve posted. It’s a fabulous way to build meaningful dialog around their topic of interest that will help their credibility. When it comes to

5 Steps To Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O'Donnell

social media, we say, “You gotta give, to get.” So, do your best to nurture your circles as much as you can and I guarantee you’ll see a return on the investment!

Next Steps: Share Your New Google+ Powerhouse Status With Us! Once you’ve completed the steps above, you will have an amazing online marketing tool (hopefully!) you’ll be itching to share with others. We hope we are one of the lucky Google+ pages you share it with! Here’s what we propose: 1. Visit our Google+ page for CAREEREALISM and follow us (if you aren’t already!). 2. Post to us your experience with this tutorial and share with us the problem you are committed to solving on your Google+ platform. 3. We’ll return the favor by sharing your expertise with all of our followers! We hope you found this tool helpful and look forward to you joining our problem solving community.

Congratulations On Becoming A Google+ Powerhouse!