Ever Been First to the Party?

You know how it feels. Empty room. No one there yet. You thought you would see your friends. You feel embarrased and you want to leave. It did not occur to you that you were supposed to fill the room.

This is how many people feel when they start their Google+ page. Their friends are "on Facebook" and there is no one they know on Google+, empty circles. We don't come here to do the work ourselves, to find people ourselves. But its easy, give it a try.

Google+ is the easiest place to meet new people. Here's how:

Step 1: Make a list of all your favorite topics to talk about. Here's mine.

responsive web design • photography • website development • women in business • googleplus • search engine strategy • parenting • grandchildren • gluten-free goodies

Step 2: What would you say to someone on these topics? Who? Here's mine.

responsive web design — tell me some great techniques, I'll share some (colleagues)

photography — show me sunsets that inspire my heart (peer sharing)

website development — share your best code with me (colleagues)

women in business — can I offer ideas you need? (clients)

googleplus — tell me that latest news about strategy (mentors)

search engine strategy — sharing tips here (selling my ideas)

parenting — meeting others with young adults (personal)

grandchildren — ideas for grandchild fun play (personal)

gluten-free goodies — best pizza locally (social plans)

Step 3: Put a #hashtag in front of each one and try it in search on Google+

#responsive web design
#photography
#website development
#women in business
#googleplus
#search engine strategy
#parenting
#grandchildren
#gluten-free goodies

Step 4: Try one. See who you find. Add them to a circle.

You type it in and literally thousands of people show in your browser. You can see people, business pages, communities. View the people and select as many as you like who you thing might be interesting to post to and read posts from on that subject. Make a new circle for that hashtag group. You can add anyone you want.

Step 5: Share a Post. See if people add you back. Respond.

Begin to share posts on this subject with these folks. Read their posts. Comment on the posts. Then see who adds you back or comments on your posts. Notice the message you planned and follow that thought as you post.

Note: this is not a sales opportunity. You are here to meet people with the same interests, learn from them and let them learn from you. It is a fast way to make friends all over the world on a topic of choice. You can use this as a way to find shared network marketers, or just shared colleagues and adventurers.

Step 6: Try it with each hashtag, one by one.

The idea is to find and share with people, not to just add hundreds of people. See who connects with you and share their posts. Watch them share your posts. You will begin to be added by their circles as well. Soon you will have many followers and the party room will be full.

This is one of many techniques. Communities are also great ways to meet tons of people. Friends of friends of friends literally come out of the woodwork and find you. But you need to be interesting, to comment more than nice photo, and to share good stuff with them.

My story is a simple one. Five months from 50 to 1,000 people at my party. The feeling is a richness of wealth of new human conection. There is little to compare with this joy. Every time you go on Google+ one of your new friends, or ten of them, has commented on or plussed your post.

Next: There are many other tips you need here. Important to make your Profile page full and interesting so people will want to add you. See my next post for these and other great ideas.