Adding Your Social Media Profiles to Google+

Google+ can be more useful than it seems, as long as you can figure out how to use it to your advantage! Start by adding your social media profiles to it and turn Google+ into your blog’s CV.

Note: Google+ changes a lot! Sometimes I get around to updating this post for it, sometimes I don’t. It actually takes a few hours to rewrite this every time it needs updated. So if my post doesn’t help, that’s because the interface changed again and I haven’t rewritten this yet! I can’t help what Google+ does and sometimes I get too busy to keep up with it. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

A while back I read a post called 8 Hidden Blogging Mistakes on Cropped Stories. It’s a very insightful post and I recommend reading it. Right now, though, I want to concentrate on number two: “Neglecting your Google+ presence.” This one caught my eye, mostly because I have no idea what to do with my Google+ page. The part that really excited me, though, was this:

Did you know that you can add your blog link in addition to your other social media profiles such as Facebook and Twitter? Make your Google+ profile like a CV which tells visitors everything they should know about you in one place.

I didn’t know I could link up those accounts! (Those of you versed in Google+ are rolling your eyes. For whatever reason, though, that particular platform confuses me.)

So I went through my Google+ account, figured out how to do it…and decided to write up this tutorial for those of you who find Google+ just as difficult as I do. It turns out, making this change is quite easy if you know what to look for.

Step 01: Login to Google+, go to your Profile, and then to your About section.  (Note: Click on the pictures to view a larger version.)

Step 02: Scroll down to your “Links” section and click “Edit.”

Step 03: To add a new social media account, click on “Add custom link.”

Step 04: Type the URL and the label you want to give the account (I usually just use the name of the social media site). If you already have accounts linked up, you’ll see an “X” beside it to remove it. Go ahead and remove anything you don’t want. You can also rearrange the order in which they appear by dragging them up and down.

To make sure people can see your accounts, make sure those drop downs above your lists say, “Public.”

Step 05: Put the accounts in the order you want them and click “Save.”

Done!

I actually wrote this tutorial a couple years ago, but you know how social media changes. Their new system is MUCH easier!

I’ve been using different social media platforms for years: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest…but Google+ is one that I have found difficult to utilize. It’s not quite as self-explanatory. After taking the time to actually look through it and mess around with things, it doesn’t seem so bad. And I’m no longer alienating my Google+ following, which can only mean good things for my blog, right?

Good luck! And if you learn anything new and exciting about Google+, feel free to let us all know in the comments!