with Dee Scully
There are four simple profile
customizations you can do to maximize your Google+ exposure… (Tweet this)
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**To edit your profile page, you must view your profile as yourself.**
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1.
Improve Your Profile Tagline
In your Google+ profile About page,
scroll down to Story and click edit (near the bottom of the section). Write a tagline that captures what you, your
voice, and your writing is about. This
enables viewers to quickly see what you are all about. Be specific. This is not the place to be frivolous.
2. Include Key Words
Google combines your tagline and the first
two sentences of your introduction for their metadata search, so make the first
two lines about what you want viewers--again potential readers--to know about
you and your writing.
Google+ allows you to keep your points
clear and easy to follow with bullet points. Use them to list your published books or awards that you’ve won.
3.
Claim Your Custom URL
After you’ve had your Google+ page for a
month and you have more than ten followers in your Circles, Google+ rewards you
with a customized URL. Make sure to
claim this URL and use it on business cards, on your website, your blog, and
more.
4.
Add Links-To and From
When blogging or updating a webpage, be
sure to add your customized URL. When
inserting it as a hyperlink, tick the add ‘rel+nofollow’ attribute in the
hyperlink box. This will enhance your
posts search results and increase your click through rates.
How have you used this article to improve your profile? Share your thoughts in the comments. We love connecting with you!!
One lucky Australian commenter will win a writer's gift pack. Be sure to check back next Monday to see if you're the winner!!
Good stuff, Dee!
ReplyDeleteSo what does everyone think about the new G+? I swapped over but found it irritating and not terribly intuitive, and swapped back. I should probably give it more of a go but maybe later. It's too much to learn at the moment.
Hi, Cathryn Hein! Before I answer let me say...I just bought a copy of Summer and the Groomsman and I'm looking forward to reading it very soon! Such a gorgeous cover too!!
DeleteAs for G+ verses Facebook...I'm still a bit new to Facebook and a bit leery because of the problems I had previously with its security (or lack thereof) but I see the beauty of both formats.
At first they seem to be the same kind of technological animal but upon further inspection they are different...kinda like a panther and a cheetah (both large cats, but they look different and have different capabilities).
I like Facebook because a lot of people are on it...people I know and people I don't. I like Google+ for similar reasons but...I like G+'s ability to focus via Circles and Communities on groups of people with similar interests. I can market directly to Circles and Communities such as the Aspiring Romance Authors Community (slowly growing but posting good content) or the Romance Readers Community (currently with 22,834 members).
For marketing I find G+ much better than Facebook because I can focus my marketing directly to Circles and Communities that would specifically benefit from my posts. But...for connecting with people/readers/writers directly I do prefer Facebook.
That's what works for me and in the end I think whatever platform you use you need to be comfortable with. Playing with the tools of the platforms is one of the best ways to learn but it does take time and it often also takes a bit of patience...something I rarely have when I'm hustling to get posts up/marketing done/words on paper/housework done/my other job done/renovations completed/etc... So I totally get where you're coming from when you say, "...it's too much to learn at the moment."
Having said all that...you have a pretty awesome G+ page! If anyone wants another look at a great G+ page, check out Cathryn Hein's page at https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CathrynHein/posts .
Ooh! Thanks for buying Summer and the Groomsman, Dee. Wishing you lots of fun with it.
DeleteI definitely prefer G+ to Facebook but I've never been a Facebook fan. But to clarify, I wasn't referring to comparing the two. Have you noticed that G+ had a massive update last week? You can swap to the "new" G+ for both your profile and page. I did, hoping it'd be fun but quickly swapped back to the old version.
There's some good info here, including a video guide to the new setup, if you're interested.
http://www.martinshervington.com/the-future-of-google-plus/
By the way, Martin Shervington's newsletter is pretty cool. Worth subscribing to for all things G+.
Ah, yes! Sorry! I made an assumption. So sorry. LOL--when I looked at your G+ page I wondered if I'd stuffed up--it's soooooo good!
DeleteYes, I did notice the G+ 'update'...like you I 'trialled' it but switched back. I'm not a fan. I'll have a better go after the new year when I have a bit more time. (Why would Google--who reportedly knows ALL--release an update just before Christmas when people are less likely to want to make changes due to time restrictions? Gzheeesh! Even simple little me knows that's not a marketing coupe!)
Perhaps in the new year I'll make this a four part series...
Thank you for the link! I'll have a look at that now and subscribe to Martin's newsletter (as well as look at his G+ page)!!
OMG! I just had a read of Martin Shervington's blog on the new G+ and now I want to go play...how awesome are the new features! But...I still have the time issue...looks like I might be pulling an all-nighter so I can get up to speed and start using the new tools!! Thank you so much for sharing this Cathryn!!
DeleteIt does look good, doesn't it? My biggest gripe was swapping between my profile and page. I'm guessing there's an easy way round that but learning will have to wait. Like you, it's the time issue that's the problem.
DeleteYou're very welcome re the share. It's a very helpful blog and newsletter. I've been following it for quite some time and learned stacks.
Hi Dee
ReplyDeleteI haven't done anything with my Google+ profile since I created it. Might be time to go and do an update. I like how you can create circles and communities so you only post things to the people who actually might be interested.
Cassandra Samuels...you have a beautiful G+ page at https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CassandraSamuels/about . I especially like your tagline; "If love gives you wings then romance writers give your imagination a chance to fly." But...one thing I might suggest to you is that somewhere in your story you put a link to your blog posts, to your buy links, to your twitter account and your author Facebook profile. Make it easy for people who pop into your page to link to your other information (especially that buy link!!).
DeleteI've gone and updated all my links and added the buy links. Thanks Dee.
DeleteAwesome! Here's to increased sales of A Scandalous Wager by Cassandra Samuels!!
DeleteHi Dee. Wow, thanks for this Google+ profile post. You've made it so much clearer to understand. My profile is very ordinary right now. I'll definitely do an update to make it more intriguing. I do like the fact that I can post to people I specifically want to..
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you got something out of it Enisa Haines!
DeleteThe first thing I'd suggest for your page at (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EnisaHaines/about) is to find a graphic/picture that represents you or your writing and use it as your cover photo. One of the first things people will notice about a page is the cover picture...you want to use it to your full advantage.
You'll also want to fill out your 'Story'...complete with bragging rights--and I know you have them...e.g. Winner of RWA's First Kiss and runner up in The Valerie Parv, etc...
But...your links page is looking good! Make sure you keep it up to date so people can easily follow you.
Once you've done these things, make sure you post something regularly...every Sunday and Monday I try to post two things...my inspirational for struggling writers (Sunday) and my promo for the blog (Monday). People come to know every Sunday and Monday I'll have something up there for them and will check in. If you don't have new content to share, try 'sharing' someone else post that you think worthwhile.
You're on your way! Keep going!
Thanks heaps for the tips, Dee. Will have to get cracking on all your suggestions for improvement of my page.
DeleteNo worries! Have fun with it!
DeleteLooks like I might have to sit down with you Dee and get some one on one direction. Love these pointers though. Great job.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Boog! So happy to see you here!! Yes!! We most definitely need a pow-wow to get your G+ page up and showing the world how awesome you are!! We must at least get your bragging rights down there AND your various social networking links up! Contact me offline and we'll make a time to chat.
DeleteWill do.
DeleteThanks for holding our hands and walking us through this process, Dee. Always so wonderful to learn from someone else like you, because you've obviously already done the hard yards for us. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLOL...it's more 'play' than anything. Finding the time to play...now that's the 'hard yards'. Always happy to share!!
DeleteHi Dee. Great post! I'll have to get cracking on my profile before my book comes out at the end of January. Thanks for your help. :)
ReplyDeleteMarilyn Forsyth, do it NOW!! Your book is already being promoted and pre-sales are being accepted. Let's do what we can to get your G+ page humming along...start with the Story and be sure to add links to your website, pre-order pages, and your blog!! Then we'll talk about getting you to post regular content to Circles and Communities!! (If you need/want help, contact me off-blog.)
DeleteI'm with Dee on this one. The earlier you get on top of this stuff the better because once your book is out readers will be clamouring for more, and you'll be writing, writing, writing with not much time left for other things.
DeleteOkay girls, I get the hint. :) Something to do tomorrow. Thanks for the offer, Dee. I'll see how I go on my own first.
DeleteThank you for sharing this information with us Dee. The circles and communities feature of Google+ sounds like a great way for romance readers and writers to make contact with likeminded people. The profile customisation you have suggested should help writers make contact with potential readers. A most interesting and informative post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Sharon! Glad you got something out of it. I've been playing around with the updated Google+ and lllllllloving it! Fortunately all the information I've posted is still relevant. But...now G+ has so many more capabilities! It's simply exciting!
DeleteLoved reading everyone's comments and all your in put Dee.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joanne! I hope it's helped. If you have any questions or concerns with the info in the article or on G+ for writers in general, just let me know. You know where to find me!
Delete;-}
Dee, did you see this great article about the new G+ from Social Media Examiner? Well worth a read. I might even swap back to the new version they've made it sound so good!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/google-plus-changes-what-marketers-need-to-know/