More from Spencer Wade on Communities

More from Spencer Wade on Communities
As always - a great read.!

Originally shared by Spencer Wade

Google+: Finding Your First Communities

One of the difficult, but exciting, aspects of joining a social media platform like Google+ is finding the people you want to be involved with when you’re online. Of course, we all have our families and closest friends that may or may not use the platform. If they do, we’re adding them, of course, and, if not, we might even ask them to join, but that’s no different from any other social media platform, right?

The thing that really makes G+ shine for new users is its Communities. These are the best places for new users to find the people and content they find exciting – not to mention making friends with people who share similar interests. The discover-ability of new and interesting things for first-time users is one of G+’s strengths, so let’s take a look at a few ways to find your first Communities.

Keywords, Keywords, Keywords

Using the search function and the appropriate keyword is one of the most effective ways to locate all of the Communities related to that specific word or words. These keywords can be anything at all that interests you and, more than likely, you’ll find a thriving Community filled with people who care about that topic as much as you do. For example, you input astronomy and get results like these listed below.

Now, all you have to do is look the Communities over to see if any are the right fit for you. One of the first things that jumps out will be the size of the Community since it’s listed right under the name, but numbers aren’t always the best indication of the true substance of a specific Community. Just imagine if there are 40,000 members, which sounds like a thriving Community, but 38,000 are just spammers because the Community is not well-maintained through monitoring and moderation. In fact, a few great members, along with good management, can make a better Community than sheer numbers due to the overall value of what’s being offered. Plus, you’ll have a better chance of becoming a part of something meaningful if you’re just as committed to sharing value as the membership.

The engagement level of the members is probably the most important single thing to look for when discovering your first Communities. You want to join Communities that are actually actively used by the members. Otherwise, it’s just a list of names, so be sure whichever Communities you set your eyes on have an active roster of members who share things you’re interested in. Though, you can always join and “test the waters” to actively see what’s being discussed and shared regularly. If it fits your taste, you’ve found a new place to call your own, and if it’s not then simply keep looking. You’re sure to find something that fits if you’re persistent.

Remember to take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the particular guidelines used in the Communities you join. Some have certain rules they like to follow and no two will be exactly the same, so it’s worth your time to investigate so as not to make mistakes. The biggest rule to follow, no matter where you are in G+, is never, ever be a self-promoter. That’s frowned on everywhere, so do yourself a favor, leave the bragging and spam links at the door. You’re here to make friends, not get banned. If you stick to the topic the Community is based on, you’ll always be welcome and may just get traffic to your own site anyway, and for a much better reason – because you’re viewed as an expert in the Community.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week!