New Google+ social network starts off strong
July 25, 2011 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Just three weeks after its launch, Google+ is off to a strong start.
Google Inc.’s latest attempt to break into social networking circles attracted more than 20 million visitors in its first 21 days, according to the Internet measurement service comScore Inc. And there is a report that Google+ now has 25 million members.
To be sure, those numbers still don’t place Google+ in the same league as the more established social media stars, especially the current king, Facebook Inc., which has 750 million active users.
But Facebook has made enough mistakes in the past to leave the window wide open for Google+, which is still in its experimental stages, to barge through and become a serious contender for the crown, said Sam Hamadeh, CEO and founder of a Privco, a New York firm that monitors private companies like Facebook.
Facebook may have a big lead now, but the two has-been kings of social networking – Friendster and Myspace – are reminders that there’s no such thing as invincibility in the world of technology.
“People used to be on Myspace chatting all day, updating their pages,” said Hamadeh. “And before that, people were on Friendster nonstop. Before you knew it, the winds had shifted and once the winds shift, they shift very quickly.”
Officially, Mountain View’s Google hasn’t issued any updated Google+ numbers beyond those that CEO Larry Page revealed during a July 14 earnings call – 10 million members, more than 1 billion items shared and received in one day and 2.3 billion clicks of the “+1 button,” Google’s answer to Facebook’s “Like” button.
‘Just the beginning’
“We’ve learned a tremendous amount having just gone to field trial three weeks ago,” Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president for social, said in a statement. “The team has been listening to users and moving really quickly to launch dozens of new features and updates to the product. We realize this is just the beginning. And while we’re thrilled with the reaction so far, we have a long, exciting road ahead of us.”
Hamadeh, citing sources inside Google, said the fledgling social network hit the milestone 25 million user mark Thursday night.
And Andrew Lipsman, a comScore vice president, said the 20 million visitors to Google+ in the first 21 days was “an extraordinary number.”
Of that total, 5.3 million were in the United States and 2.8 million in India. And people from the Bay Area and Austin, Texas, two of the most tech-savvy markets, were three times as likely to be on Google+, Lipsman said.
Right now, the main users are the tech-savvy crowd that is always at the forefront of new and emerging technology.
Of the total Google+ audience, 63 percent were men and 58 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34, comScore said.
“It has clearly captured the attention of the technorati and as usage incubates among this crowd it will likely continue to proliferate to a more general audience,” Lipsman wrote in a blog post.
High marks
That technorati has generally given Google+ high marks for its design and privacy protections, especially compared to Facebook. Analysts say Google+ can be compelling.
“My usage has subtly changed as more and more of my personal network joins, and I’m commenting as much privately as publicly,” said Charlene Li, founder of the Altimeter Group, a San Mateo technology research and consulting firm.
One major feature in Google+ is the ability to create specific, private groups, called “circles,” of friends or people being followed.
“Google+ has the advantage of not requiring that people be a member of the network in order to share with them. They just get updates via e-mail,” Li said in an e-mail. But whether Google+ becomes a hit with more mainstream audiences is still a question.
‘The biggest barrier’
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HOW TO: Use Google+ For Your Job Search
July 25, 2011 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Already using Google+? Follow Mashable’s Pete Cashmore for the latest about the platform’s new features, tips and tricks as well as social media and technology updates.
Google+ hit 20 million unique visitors this week, and the company launched a mobile app. The stats are impressive, but the new social network has room to grow in catching up with its massive competitors Twitter and Facebook.
Early adopters of Google+ are captivated by the network’s growth, as many tech elites — including Mark Zuckerberg, Robert Scoble and Kevin Rose — have amassed large followings in just weeks.
SEE ALSO: GOOGLE+: THE COMPLETE GUIDE | VIDEOS | REVIEW
Google+ hasn’t hit a mainstream audience yet, but it does seem to be romancing the tech geeks with strong force. Yes, I’m talking about you, fellow Mashable readers. Early adopters, social influencers, tech innovators, digital natives — call yourselves what you will. The bottom line is, you understand the value of digital tools and how they can connect you to people and ideas all over the world.
With so many influential techies flocking to Google+, it’s a great place to showcase expertise and learn from others. Here are some tips for using Google+ for your job search.
Announce Your Availability
Once your profile is completely filled out, and you’ve begun growing and interacting with your network, don’t be shy about letting your contacts know you’re on the prowl for work.
This could be as subtle as mentioning it in the “About” section of your Google+ profile, or as public as posting an update to announce that you’re looking for new challenges on the career front. If you choose the latter, be original with your post and how you frame it. Try not to sound hopeless — make sure you are confidently communicating your unique skill set and the value you can add to a project or company.
Organize Contacts with Circles
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The key to a fulfilling Google+ experience is Circles, the heart of this social network’s organization system. Circles give users control over who sees their content. To connect with another user on Google+, you must add him or her to a Circle, such as “Friends,” “Family,” “Work” or “Softball Team.” Users can create as many Circles as they’d like, though we’d recommend limiting them to a manageable number — having too many can dilute the experience.
For the purposes of seeking a job, it’s important to denote which Circles you want to see your messages when you post. If you’re posting about your job search, it makes sense to include your industry contacts — which you might put into “Social Media” or “Tech” Circles, for example — but that same post might not be as relevant to your “Friends” or “Family,” where a more personal post may be more appropriate.
On the flip side, make sure you’re not sharing unprofessional content with your business network. As usual, just use common sense when dealing with privacy and sharing settings.
Host a Relevant Hangout
John Havens, formerly of Porter Novelli, plans to enhance his job search with Hangouts, Google+’s group video-chat service. Instead of focusing his chat on getting a job, Havens plans on inviting a number of influential contacts to discuss relevant topics, such as the state of social media and virtual currency. He says he’ll let participants know that he has been “digitally downsized,” and that he’s open to discussing new positions afterwards, but that his Hangout will focus on generating intelligent conversation.
“Essentially, I’m trying to think of the best ways to show potential employers that by running a campaign to get myself hired, I’m showing them how I’d bring value to their organizations,” Havens says.
Share Follow Relevant Expertise
In order to be seen as an industry expert, you need to showcase that you know what you’re talking about. Tech enthusiasts tend to use Twitter and blogging for this purpose, but Google+ is quickly becoming another outlet for sharing and discovering tastemaker opinions and interesting content.
If you’re not a natural at finding and sharing content that connections in your Circles may find valuable, check out Sparks, the product’s content recommendation engine. You can define topics you’re interested in — or that you want to learn more about — and it will bring up content the algorithm believes you’ll find useful. You can add your favorite sparks to the left-hand navigation for easy perusal when you’re on your Google+ homepage.
Choosing the right mix of sparks to read each day may lead to you becoming more informed about news and conversation in your industry.
Your Tips
Having launched less than one month ago, Google+ is in its infancy, and our tips are just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re using Google+ for your job search, let us know about your strategy in the comments below.
Development Job Listings
Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top dev design job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
- Game Designer / Developer at sweetgreen in Washington, DC
- Senior Web Product Manager at Bloomberg in New York, NY
- Back End Engineer at Perfect Sense Digital in Reston, VA
More Job Search Resources From Mashable
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- HOW TO: Set Up an Online Resume
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