Google+ Welcome Screen

Google+ has now become the first thing I look at in the morning vs. Email followed by Facebook. Having the Android App on my Motorola Droid also helps to fuel my 24/7 ( ok, I do sleep occasionally…..) addiction. iPhone users just received the app this week, giving  Android users a bit of a leg up initially.

These are the reasons why I am waxing poetic about Plus:

• Gives me the ability to use Circles to group people for targeted content
• Allows me to connect with ANYONE similar to the Follow concept on Twitter
• Allows for in-depth discussion within the comments section similar to the wonderful dialogue that occurs in LinkedIn Groups like Authentic Leadership Cincinnati and Facebook Groups, like Cincinnati Social Media
• Great depth of content sharing
• Allows for video conferencing with anyone online and willing to chat with you. These spaces are known as Hangouts.
• Allows me to control my photos/albums more closely
• Gives me the ability to keep those “back yard bbq conversations” that occur on Facebook with close friends and family separate from business colleagues, clients or others that just don’t need to be connected in a “Friends of Friends” way to your family or kids.

The down side is that since I am such an information junkie, I think I could swim in this sea all day long, just soaking up the content and the conversations. I want to reign myself in, but the competitive side in me wants to master as much as I can before the dyke is opened and the world gains entry.

I have applied to be a business beta tester for C3: Creating Connections Consulting and think that Google + will have huge implications for how companies/brands interact via this platform. While Google is asking that businesses hold off on creating a Google Profile, some have jumped into the ocean already: Huffington Post, Mashable, CBS News, to name a few.

Some folks looking for an internet buck to be made, have set up businesses selling lists of Google+ users for $10 bucks a pop. I guess it beats the lemonade stand at the end of the driveway…….

I have a few invitations left, so if you are curious and want to join ahead of the fray, just post your email addy in the comments section below and I will get you started on a whole new way of sharing.

Oh, and I would LOVE to connect with you on Plus.  Just follow the link to find my new hide-out!

My Google+ Ranking in first two weeks

SummitUp was the latest Social Media Conference in the Southern Ohio area. It followed closely on the heels of the Cincinnati Digital Hub non-Conference on 9/24-9/25. SummitUp was an absolutely stunning event! The line-up of Key-note speakers and break-out session presenters included some big names in the media world as well as some of the reigning local twitterati. Take a look at the Key-Note line-up:

Kevin Dugan
Director of Marketing at Empower MediaMarketing, Founder of Cincinnati Social Media
Topic: “What’s Your Story? Storytelling’s Link to Social Media Marketing Success

Artie Issac
Public Speaker | SpeakerSite co-founder | Young Isaac co-founder | marketer, teacher, speaker, writer
Topic: “Social Media as a Vehicle for Cretivity”

Bob Garfield
Columnist, Critic, Essayist, Pundit, International Lecturer & Broadcast Personality
Topic: “No, Tuesday’s No Good. Let Me Get Back to You After the Apocalypse”

Lewis Howes
Author of the LinkedIn Book “LinkedWorking” | Founder of Sports Executives Association | Sports Social Media Consultant
Topic: LinkedIn

Chris Brogan
President, New Marketing Labs- a Social Marketing Agency
Topic: The Importance of Trust in the Digital Age

Check out the complete list of Breakout Session Presenters and their topics here.

The speakers were engaging and offered up some great tips and new strategies. I especially liked Brian LeCount’s break-out session on the power of Blogs and SEO. He made such a good case for making Blogs a central part of your strategy, that after seeing the data, it became a moment of “why hadn’t I thought of this before???” Another practical application “aha” was Lewis Howes’ emphasis on increasing search with your LinkedIn profile. I happened to make all of the recommended changes as he presented them live and saw my profile move up in the search rankings for my “key words” right in front of my eyes!

Kevin Dugan kept the images of cave animals dancing in my head for days, while Artie Isaac inspired me to ‘un-plug and to breathe deeply’. Love his advice to take 30 minutes out of every day to think & create. Bob Garfield captured my attention with his focus on the changing tides of traditional media and gave frank answers to the audience question of the future of careers in radio and other media.

Lewis Howes (two sport collegiate All American) kept me fascinated with his re-enactment of his award-winning pole-vault jump. I literally pictured him flying over the bar and landing safely onto the mat! Beautiful segue into Success with LinkedIn, giving tips that are not widely known. Chris Brogan, as the finale, was a wonderful close to the day. He is so down-to-earth and one of the most authentically transparent “gurus” out there. Loved everything that he had to say about social media, especially the admonition that as companies, we need to “grow bigger ears” to be in tune with what our customers are saying. It is the customers who are controlling the brand message.

Biggest personal take away for me was hearing Chris Brogan emphasize the importance of giving back and rallying groups of people together to affect change. I believe this whole-heartedly! Social media is about creating conversations and building relationships based on trust. Imagine the difference you can make when operating in an authentic and transparent manner. Chris detailed his idea of donating the cost of 2 lattes to help send a young woman in need to college. The message went viral and the money was raised in 22 minutes!  I have the greatest respect for Chris’s work and the difference that he is making in the world.

Chris signing a copy of his new book "Trust Agents"