So you have finally decided to jump on board the Google+ bandwagon.
Or, maybe you were just waiting for it to be open to the public, rather
than by invitation only. Either way, if you are looking to get started
with Google+, you have come to the right place. The process is simple
and quick, so you will be under way with Google+ in no time.
Please note that this tutorial assumes that you have a Google account already. If you use any Google products, such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Checkout, Picasa, Feedburner or Blogger – to name a few – you already have a Google account, which you can use to create a presence on Google+. If you do not have an account with Google already, now is a great opportunity to create one. Then, you can jump right back into this tutorial.
Getting started is as simple as logging in from any Google product page. You will see a tab in the top left corner of the screen that says “+You,” as depicted below. Click that.
That will bring you to the Google+ profile creation page, which looks like the screenshot below. Fill in a few pieces of basic information to get started. Be aware that whatever name you enter for Google+ will be the same across Google products. Also note the checkbox that authorizes Google to use your information to personalize ad content on the web. Uncheck that box if you don’t want to authorize that use of your data. Once you’re done with that form, click the Join button.
Next, you have the opportunity to enter some more in-depth information, such as your school, company information and location. This is also where you can upload a profile picture. You can also update all these same bits of information later, so if you want to skip ahead and come back to it, just click the Continue button.
After that, Google+ will suggest some people to add to yourCircles. (Note: Circles are covered more in depth in another tutorial.) After suggesting your contacts and other people you may know, the next screen of the setup process will identify some celebrities and other public figures you may be interested in following.
Just like on Twitter and Facebook, adding public figures to your stream can provide some entertainment, as well as give you the opportunity to connect to important people in various industries. For example, you can add author and online guru Guy Kawasaki to your Circles. You can even add MySpace founder Tom Anderson!
Finally, you will arrive at your Google+ Home page:
Let’s spend just a moment talking about some of the features accessible from this page, which you could consider the dashboard of your Google+ experience. Each of the following features has been highlighted in red in the screenshot for easy viewing.
At the top, next to the search bar, are buttons that allow you to switch between the five tabs of Google+: Home, Photos, Profile, Circles and Games. These will appear at the top of every page in the Google+ experiences.
Along the left side of the screen, below your profile picture, is a list of the Circles in your Stream. By clicking a Circle, you filter your Stream to see only posts from the people in that circle—kind of like Twitter lists.
Using the buttons around the Home page, you can find people to connect to by searching manually or uploading your address book, invite your friends to join Google+,chat with people in your Circles or start a Hangout. We will cover Circles, Messenger and Hangouts more in other articles.
That is all it takes to get your Google+ account off the ground. It is a process that takes only a few minutes, but keep in mind that optimizing your account will take considerably longer. The goal is to connect to customers, and it takes more than slapping up a profile name and a picture to make that happen.
Before you can do all that, though, you’ve got to create the account – which you just did!
Please note that this tutorial assumes that you have a Google account already. If you use any Google products, such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Checkout, Picasa, Feedburner or Blogger – to name a few – you already have a Google account, which you can use to create a presence on Google+. If you do not have an account with Google already, now is a great opportunity to create one. Then, you can jump right back into this tutorial.
Getting started is as simple as logging in from any Google product page. You will see a tab in the top left corner of the screen that says “+You,” as depicted below. Click that.
That will bring you to the Google+ profile creation page, which looks like the screenshot below. Fill in a few pieces of basic information to get started. Be aware that whatever name you enter for Google+ will be the same across Google products. Also note the checkbox that authorizes Google to use your information to personalize ad content on the web. Uncheck that box if you don’t want to authorize that use of your data. Once you’re done with that form, click the Join button.
Next, you have the opportunity to enter some more in-depth information, such as your school, company information and location. This is also where you can upload a profile picture. You can also update all these same bits of information later, so if you want to skip ahead and come back to it, just click the Continue button.
After that, Google+ will suggest some people to add to yourCircles. (Note: Circles are covered more in depth in another tutorial.) After suggesting your contacts and other people you may know, the next screen of the setup process will identify some celebrities and other public figures you may be interested in following.
Just like on Twitter and Facebook, adding public figures to your stream can provide some entertainment, as well as give you the opportunity to connect to important people in various industries. For example, you can add author and online guru Guy Kawasaki to your Circles. You can even add MySpace founder Tom Anderson!
Finally, you will arrive at your Google+ Home page:
Let’s spend just a moment talking about some of the features accessible from this page, which you could consider the dashboard of your Google+ experience. Each of the following features has been highlighted in red in the screenshot for easy viewing.
At the top, next to the search bar, are buttons that allow you to switch between the five tabs of Google+: Home, Photos, Profile, Circles and Games. These will appear at the top of every page in the Google+ experiences.
Along the left side of the screen, below your profile picture, is a list of the Circles in your Stream. By clicking a Circle, you filter your Stream to see only posts from the people in that circle—kind of like Twitter lists.
Using the buttons around the Home page, you can find people to connect to by searching manually or uploading your address book, invite your friends to join Google+,chat with people in your Circles or start a Hangout. We will cover Circles, Messenger and Hangouts more in other articles.
That is all it takes to get your Google+ account off the ground. It is a process that takes only a few minutes, but keep in mind that optimizing your account will take considerably longer. The goal is to connect to customers, and it takes more than slapping up a profile name and a picture to make that happen.
Before you can do all that, though, you’ve got to create the account – which you just did!
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