A lot of people have slammed Google Plus saying things like "only Google employees use it". Others have pointed out the track record of other Google properties like Google Wave that have all crashed and burned in a relatively short type after much initial hype.
Then there's the all too true statement that nobody needs -yet another social media network to manage!
However, what is your actual experience of Google Plus? I'll share you mine.
Out of the box, I find it extremely easy to use. I love the circles and how you can easily assign your status updates for whatever audience you want. this is so cumbersome in Facebook, but is effortless with Google Plus.
Next up – Google Hangouts are incredibly cool. I've only been on two so far and am amazed at how easy they are to setup and run. In comparison – I found using Skype to be more of a challenge; especially when trying to engage with others who aren't all that 'tech savvy'. There's also a 'studio' version of Google Hangouts that is aimed directly at musicians…thanks Google!
Having said that, I do find that Google Plus is a bit of a ghost town. That could be because I don't have many active Google Plus people in my circles at the moment – I hope it picks up. But this is another reason why I like Google Plus – I'm not here to hang out and kill time, I'm here to share relevant ideas and information with the people who are most interested in hearing them. I'm also here to help Google find my content and the content of other people that I find to be particularly helpful.
How is Google Plus Good For Bands?
Perhaps it's the marketer in me, but I see a lot of opportunity here. Not only can you create a special circle for just your fans, you can also create a circle for only those who pay to be part of your membership. You can then offer those members things like private Google Hangout sessions (a free way to have a video chat with up to 10 people at once), where you can do anything from write a song for them or teach them how to play one of your songs or host a private listening party.
This is just scratching the surface… I'm sure there are far more ideas on how to get Google Plus working for musicians. How are you using Google Plus? Is Google Plus a part of your social strategy? I'd love to hear what you think – leave a comment below.
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