Herding Cats?

I've owned cats & I've owned dogs.

Big difference between the two.

I prefer having a cat because he is so low maintenance.

Social Media is a different animal.

Google+ with it's circles has been a new experience for all of us that are trying it out.

Pat McGraw shares his thoughts:

Google+: Rethinking My Approach Helps Find Value

Posted: 02 Aug 2011 09:39 AM PDT

I’ve been struggling with Google+ (G+). My greatest struggle has been with Circles - their version of Facebook and/or Twitter Lists – and I think it might have been with my approach right out of the gate.

Here’s what I did when I first arrived at G+ – I searched for people I know and started putting them into Circles based on previous experience. Some were ‘Family’ and ‘Friends’. Others were ‘Marketing Professionals’ and ‘Business Colleagues’.

Then I started reading Streams by Circle – meaning I was reading the comments of everyone I had placed in my ‘Marketing Professionals’ Circle, or my ‘Business Colleagues’ Circle.

And what I got was a lot of reading on topics that went way outside my expectations. A lot of those people in my ‘Marketing Professionals’ Circle started to write about personal topics and my expectations, based on experiences with their blogs and Twitter posts, was more professional than personal.

I was having a disconnect and that made my experience with G+ less than positive.

So I stepped back and took a look at their Twitter posts and realized that there had been a mix of personal and professional for some time – but I had blocked out what was, to me, the less important information and focused on what I valued.

And as I thought about it a little more I also realized that, at 140 characters, it was a lot easier for me to ignore the messages I found to be less relevant – but with the length of most posts on G+, combined with the amount of comments you see on the screen, it’s a lot more difficult for me to quickly identify and label a message as relevant to me.

Now, my approach to G+ is different than it was just 2 weeks ago. I am taking more time on the site and investing more time getting to know people in a much broader way. In the past, I wanted to learn from them in order to become a more effective professional – but with G+, I am getting to know about their personal interests and that will build a strong relationship over time.

That said, I need to open up because I am much more comfortable with sharing business related insights. My personal side is something I have worked hard at not mixing with my online persona.

That shift in thinking is helping me see some value with G+ – it’s still #4 (behind Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) but for the first time, I am seeing how my investment can help me. And it also makes me appreciate clear, concise, focused messages – especially those limited to 140 characters.

ScLoHo is Scott Howard, a Solutions Consultant with Cirrus ABS.

You can contact him here: