You can win at G+
So Google Plus is a year old, and for me personally it’s been a wild ride. I have been able to meet a ton of new people from all walks of life, and some of those people have even become regular readers of ‘Lilith Dark’. It’s been a completely positive experience, and the community is awesome.
However, I’ve noticed that more than a few of my comic creating friends have not had the same experience that I have. Many are of the mindset that G+ is a “ghost town”, and that no one is there. Well, that’s simply not the case. You’re just doing it wrong.
For us independent comic creators, social media is largely how we get the word out about our work. Many of us use Facebook, but that’s pretty much for people we already know, and those fan pages aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially with some of the recent changes to how Facebook Page posts are served to those who have “liked” the page. Don’t even get me started on the whole “Promote” thing.
Many of us have found that Twitter is actually a great place to meet new people who might be interested in our work, and there’s quite a few people who’s work interests us! In my opinion, as far as marketing your comic goes, Twitter beats Facebook hands down. The whole network is set up so that you can interact with anyone, whether they follow you back or not. It’s an amazing network, and I’m a huge fan. I’ve met a ton of great people that have become actual in-real-life friends.
Twitter does have it’s limitations though. For one, the 140 character limit makes it tough to have a real conversation without sounding like caveman. Also, there’s still no real way to share images. I know some of you will argue that Twitter does have image uploading, but seriously, it stinks. I don’t see the image in my stream, so it isn’t a good solution. Google Plus is pretty much everything Twitter is, but without the 140 character limit, and images are right there in the stream! I’m an artist, I don’t want you to see my bitly link, I want you to see my art!
The biggest difference between Google Plus and Twitter in my eyes, is the fact that Twitter breeds a one way conversation, and G+ breeds an actual two way conversation. On Twitter, you can post what ever you’re doing, or a link, or a link to an image, and maybe someone will see it and maybe they’ll even retweet it. That’s about it. On G+, you post something, and people are encouraged to interact in some way, either by clicking the link, posting a comment, or by +1′ing (Google Plus’ version of Like). You can have a real conversation with other real people who have real opinions about whatever you’ve decided to post. G+ is very much like an old school forum that way, and it’s great.
So why aren’t your G+ posts getting any interaction? G+ is really simple if you do it right. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Have I circled (followed) enough people that share my interests?
This is not Facebook. You will need to follow strangers, just like Twitter. If you only circle 50 people who don’t post anything, then yeah your stream will be empty. If you don’t want to follow people you’ve never met and meet new people, then you will fail at G+. There are tons of carefully curated shared circles that you can follow right away, and your stream will light up with great stuff immediately.
2. Have I ever commented on anyone else’s posts?
Google Plus is designed to encourage TWO-WAY interaction. If you aren’t willing or interested in commenting on other people’s posts, then you will fail at G+. It’s that simple. It’s a new network, with new people. They don’t care about your comic because they have no idea who you are. Introduce yourself, be cool to others, and over time your audience will grow.
3. Are my only posts just ads for my comic?
Again, this is a new network with new people. They aren’t going to click your link because they don’t know who you are, and they don’t care. Accept it. Unless you’re famous, nobody knows you. With that in mind, be sure to share some content that you find interesting, or funny, or offer some advice on a topic that you’re knowledgeable about. would you go to a party and walk up to a group of people you’ve never met and hand them all comics that you’ve drawn and then walk away? Of course not, that’s weird. Well G+ is a party, and you’re the weird guy handing out comics. If this is all you’re doing, then you will fail at G+.
Tl;dr- Follow lots of people who share your interests, comment on other people’s posts, and post content that’s interesting and not just links to your comic. If you do those things, you will be well on your way to winning at G+.
Discussion (12) ¬
shared circles? do tell more…
Well written article, Charlie! Sometimes you gotta be blunt about: you gotta give to receive… As with any social network, really. My issue is finding the time to do it… I know I could be getting more out of G+ if I had the time to interact more.
Great article. Shared it on my FB page but for some reason I couldn’t tag you.
Good stuff
@Fadderly A shared Circle is a circle full of people that you can share with others. For example, I have a comic creator circle that I share from time to time, and anyone can add the entire circle to their own circles. It’s a great way to get a pre-curated group of people in your stream.
@Dgriff That’s what I like most about G+, the level of interactivity. Twitter is great, but difficult to hold a menaingful convo IMHO. Facebook is OK, but there’s not an easy way to find new people. It’s set up for finding IRL friends, not networking.
@Bearman thanks for sharing. I’d love to see the comic community grow on G+.
@Ted Thanks!
I gotta say Charles, this is a very well done write up. I tend to tall into the category of, “G+ is a ghost town”. Personally my problem is I simple don’t circle enough people. That’s something I’m trying to work on as we speak. Again, well done man, I hope this helps a ton of people help spread the word about their work.
@Ryan thanks. I think most of my points apply to any social media platform. I just think that since a lot of comic creators like Twitter, they should give G+ a shot, because it’s so visual. But really it all comes down to what Dawn mentioned above, you get out of it what you put in.
Charlie, your article has got me rethinking my stand against getting involved with G+. Much food for thought in this one, as always.
Thanks!
Hi – I presume you are using Google + as your own name instead of a Google Page? I don’t seem to be able to added people to circles if you are a Page without them adding u 1st.
@Jande To be fair, it does take a commitment, but any successful social media marketing does. I hope that even if you decide G+ isn’t for you, that you continue to find your own success.
@Gavinthethomson, I actually use both. Yes, you are correct. G+ doesn’t allow pages to follow those who haven’t already followed the page. IMHO, pages don’t get nearly as much attention as personal profiles, so take that into consideration.
Great article. You hit it right on the mark. I for one don’t like it when LEO (I think we know which LEO I’m talking about) say’s no one goes to G+ which simply is not true.