Most bloggers simply have no idea what Google+ is all about. They assume that the only social networks they truly need to promote their blogs are Twitter and Facebook. However, this is extremely far from being true. Bloggers can gain more exposure using Google+ than any other social network.
Interactive Online Communities
Google+ has quickly grown to become a thriving online community of responsive interactive members. Bloggers can quickly build numerous connections in just a matter of months using Google+. These like-minded individuals are added to what Google calls "Circles." What are circles? In essence, they're the same as Facebook "friends."
Adding someone to your circle means that you currently follow that person on Google+. Their posts will show up in your stream, just as your "friends" post show up in your Facebook timeline. Blogging consistently, posting original content, and sharing the content of others help to increase your online visibility and popularity. This also requires "liking" the content of others, which is actually called "+1" within the Google+ social network. Just as Facebook Likes increase your content's exposure, so do +1′s in Google+.
Blogging. (Flickr / Udo Herzog)
Google+ Helps Build Relationships
Savvy bloggers will tell you that Google+ is far from average when it comes to social networking. Bloggers use it to interact with their target audiences, start relevant, interesting online conversations and build quality blogging relationships.
Many bloggers say that it consolidates the best qualities of Twitter and Facebook, while including exclusive features that only Google provides. Just like these two very popular social media platforms, Google+ favors visual media. However, long posts are encouraged because they're informative for readers and they facilitate conversations.
Your stream (timeline) continuously updates, allowing keyword searches by users. You're able to see what topics are trending in Google+. Unlike Twitter, there are no limits to the amount of characters your posts can have. In essence, it's a place where bloggers can connect online and share content, while building communities that are based on common interests.
Your Google+ Profile
Once you create your Google+ profile, it becomes your verified profile across all Google's platforms. This helps to grow your audience, also called your circles. Every time you share content with your circles, your online visibility and influence increases. And, because all of your content is linked to your profile, online users can easily locate more of your content.
Google+ allows you to link all of your Blogger content, other blogs and any other content using your Google+ name and email address as the author.
Authorship Popularity
Google+ allows you to publicly associate all of your blogs and content with your common name. Google recommends using your real first and last name. You can also add your nickname, or use your first or last initial.
For those who choose to link their blogs to their common names, this increases that name's online exposure. Why? Because all of the content you publish on your blog will then be linked to your common name. The more content you publish, the more authority your common name will gain online, which will help you gain authority in the blogging community.
The Benefits of +1
When you see something on Facebook that you enjoy or care about, you simply "like" it to let others know how you feel. When it comes to Twitter, users "Re-tweet" content they like. Well, Google+ has the same feature, except it's called "+1" within this social network.
If readers want to +1 your blog content, all they need is a Google+ profiles their own. However, anyone who views the content can quickly see how many times readers have given it a +1. Also, the Google+ profile image and common name will appear each time the user gives a +1 to one of your blog posts.
Google+ Comments
Google+ integrates your blog comments across the board. The following comments are brought together in a single location right beneath your blog posts:
• Comments left by users on Blogger blog posts
• Comments left by users on any content you've personally shared on Google+
• Any published content shared on Google+ that also links to any of your blog posts
Google+ Comments Features
There are some very distinct features that separate Google+ comments from traditional comments:
• As a Google+ user, anytime you leave a comment on someone's blog, you'll have the option of also sharing your comment on the Google+ social network.
• When your blog posts are also linked to Google+ posts, those G+ posts will appear within the post's comments area.
• If a user posts a comment on a blog post shared in Google+, comment replies will also be visible within Google+.
• Google+ will send you, the author, a notification each time readers share or comment on any of your blog posts.