How to make good use of Google+'s Circles

I was going to write more about the nuts and bolts ofGoogle+, but that's changing so fast that I've decided to hold off on that for now. Instead, I want to share with you what I've found out so far about how to make the most from Google+'s circles.

Let me start with the basics. Google circles are a way of organizing the people you choose to follow on Google+. People can add you to their circles, but they'll only see your posts that you choose to make public, unless you add them to one or more of your circles.

So, for example, if you post "I really like Spotify [the new online music service]" to the public, everyone who has you in one of their circles can see it. If you post it to your "Friends" circle only the people you've placed in your Friends circle will be able to read it.

The reverse is also true. Let's say you really don't want to see all of great aunt Tillie's pictures of her prize winning Siamese cats. You just read your Friends circle' stream of messages instead of your Family circle's stream.

You're also in charge of how much other information other people can see about you based on your circle. So, for example, you can set your circles so that only "Friends" and "Family" can see your phone number.

In any case, no one but you knows who's in your circles or which circles you've placed them in. So, you'll know that your annoying uncle Joe has been placed in the circle "Ugly Relatives," but no else will.

What all this adds up to is control. Unlike Facebook, where pretty much anyone your friends with can see everything you post, Google+ gives you fine control of who sees what and what you see.

My friend and fellow journalist Mike Elgan, has proposed what I think is a really useful overall way of looking at circles. Elgan's taxonomy of Google+ circles goes like this:

Instead of saying, "I'm going to write a blog post now," or "I'm going to send an e-mail" or "I think I'll tweet something" you simply say what you have to say, then decide who you're going to say it to.

If you address it to "Public," it's a blog post.

If you address it to "Your Circles" it's a tweet.

If you address it to your "My Customers" Circle it's a business newsletter.

If you address it to a single person, it can be a letter to your mother.

That's a darn good start. Now let's refine it.

If you're addressing something to the public, it doesn't have to be a blog post. It can be anything that you think is interesting and you want to share with the world.

Just keep in mind that if you want to keep people reading your words show some sense about what you post. For example, I can already tell you that a lot of Google+ users are already sick and tired of animated GIF graphics-no matter how cute they are.

You can divide up "Your Circles" in several ways. The basics, as I see it are: personal; work; and interests. A personal circle is just what it sounds like: Friends, Close Friends, and Family. You get the idea.

Work circles get more interesting. You could have everyone in your company in a circle; your workgroup in another, the guys you're plotting to take over the company with another... oh did I say that?

Or, you can have work circles of business partners, press who cover your company, or customers. That's what the CEO of Seesmic, a social media company, did for Salesforce. This Google+ Salesforce experiment appears to have worked very well indeed.

I can see this working in other ways. Perhaps a customer support circle in addition to your other customer support forums? Or, you could also try Google+'s Hangouts, Google Plus' built-in video-conferencing, for business meetings or technical support. The last isn't my idea by the way, It's Michael Dell's, CEO of Dell, notion.

Dell, I might add, has floated this idea in his public circle. So, it seems to both myself and Mr. Dell that you can also use business circles for basic marketing research.

Last, but not least, you can set up circles by interests. Want to hang out with your colleagues? Listen to other people who like Shih-Tzu dogs, like yours truly and Bill Gates? Suffer with fellow Chicago Cub fans? Just find like-minded people and set up a circle.

At the moment, Google+ circles aren't ideal for interest circles. For example, if you were to follow me in a dog-lovers circle, I might only mention pups once every other day or two. It's my understanding though that Google intends on making it easier to post by topics. I certainly hope they do.

I'm only touching the surface of what can be done with Google Circles here. In part, I'm doing this because I'm still getting the hang of this myself. The other part is that Google is far from done with circles yet. You can expect big changes in circles in the next few weeks.

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How to make good use of Google+'s Circles

I was going to write more about the nuts and bolts ofGoogle+, but that's changing so fast that I've decided to hold off on that for now. Instead, I want to share with you what I've found out so far about how to make the most from Google+'s circles.

Let me start with the basics. Google circles are a way of organizing the people you choose to follow on Google+. People can add you to their circles, but they'll only see your posts that you choose to make public, unless you add them to one or more of your circles.

So, for example, if you post "I really like Spotify [the new online music service]" to the public, everyone who has you in one of their circles can see it. If you post it to your "Friends" circle only the people you've placed in your Friends circle will be able to read it.

The reverse is also true. Let's say you really don't want to see all of great aunt Tillie's pictures of her prize winning Siamese cats. You just read your Friends circle' stream of messages instead of your Family circle's stream.

You're also in charge of how much other information other people can see about you based on your circle. So, for example, you can set your circles so that only "Friends" and "Family" can see your phone number.

In any case, no one but you knows who's in your circles or which circles you've placed them in. So, you'll know that your annoying uncle Joe has been placed in the circle "Ugly Relatives," but no else will.

What all this adds up to is control. Unlike Facebook, where pretty much anyone your friends with can see everything you post, Google+ gives you fine control of who sees what and what you see.

My friend and fellow journalist Mike Elgan, has proposed what I think is a really useful overall way of looking at circles. Elgan's taxonomy of Google+ circles goes like this:

Instead of saying, "I'm going to write a blog post now," or "I'm going to send an e-mail" or "I think I'll tweet something" you simply say what you have to say, then decide who you're going to say it to.

If you address it to "Public," it's a blog post.

If you address it to "Your Circles" it's a tweet.

If you address it to your "My Customers" Circle it's a business newsletter.

If you address it to a single person, it can be a letter to your mother.

That's a darn good start. Now let's refine it.

If you're addressing something to the public, it doesn't have to be a blog post. It can be anything that you think is interesting and you want to share with the world.

Just keep in mind that if you want to keep people reading your words show some sense about what you post. For example, I can already tell you that a lot of Google+ users are already sick and tired of animated GIF graphics-no matter how cute they are.

You can divide up "Your Circles" in several ways. The basics, as I see it are: personal; work; and interests. A personal circle is just what it sounds like: Friends, Close Friends, and Family. You get the idea.

Work circles get more interesting. You could have everyone in your company in a circle; your workgroup in another, the guys you're plotting to take over the company with another... oh did I say that?

Or, you can have work circles of business partners, press who cover your company, or customers. That's what the CEO of Seesmic, a social media company, did for Salesforce. This Google+ Salesforce experiment appears to have worked very well indeed.

I can see this working in other ways. Perhaps a customer support circle in addition to your other customer support forums? Or, you could also try Google+'s Hangouts, Google Plus' built-in video-conferencing, for business meetings or technical support. The last isn't my idea by the way, It's Michael Dell's, CEO of Dell, notion.

Dell, I might add, has floated this idea in his public circle. So, it seems to both myself and Mr. Dell that you can also use business circles for basic marketing research.

Last, but not least, you can set up circles by interests. Want to hang out with your colleagues? Listen to other people who like Shih-Tzu dogs, like yours truly and Bill Gates? Suffer with fellow Chicago Cub fans? Just find like-minded people and set up a circle.

At the moment, Google+ circles aren't ideal for interest circles. For example, if you were to follow me in a dog-lovers circle, I might only mention pups once every other day or two. It's my understanding though that Google intends on making it easier to post by topics. I certainly hope they do.

I'm only touching the surface of what can be done with Google Circles here. In part, I'm doing this because I'm still getting the hang of this myself. The other part is that Google is far from done with circles yet. You can expect big changes in circles in the next few weeks.

Read More

How to make good use of Google+'s Circles

I was going to write more about the nuts and bolts ofGoogle+, but that's changing so fast that I've decided to hold off on that for now. Instead, I want to share with you what I've found out so far about how to make the most from Google+'s circles.

Let me start with the basics. Google circles are a way of organizing the people you choose to follow on Google+. People can add you to their circles, but they'll only see your posts that you choose to make public, unless you add them to one or more of your circles.

So, for example, if you post "I really like Spotify [the new online music service]" to the public, everyone who has you in one of their circles can see it. If you post it to your "Friends" circle only the people you've placed in your Friends circle will be able to read it.

The reverse is also true. Let's say you really don't want to see all of great aunt Tillie's pictures of her prize winning Siamese cats. You just read your Friends circle' stream of messages instead of your Family circle's stream.

You're also in charge of how much other information other people can see about you based on your circle. So, for example, you can set your circles so that only "Friends" and "Family" can see your phone number.

In any case, no one but you knows who's in your circles or which circles you've placed them in. So, you'll know that your annoying uncle Joe has been placed in the circle "Ugly Relatives," but no else will.

What all this adds up to is control. Unlike Facebook, where pretty much anyone your friends with can see everything you post, Google+ gives you fine control of who sees what and what you see.

My friend and fellow journalist Mike Elgan, has proposed what I think is a really useful overall way of looking at circles. Elgan's taxonomy of Google+ circles goes like this:

Instead of saying, "I'm going to write a blog post now," or "I'm going to send an e-mail" or "I think I'll tweet something" you simply say what you have to say, then decide who you're going to say it to.

If you address it to "Public," it's a blog post.

If you address it to "Your Circles" it's a tweet.

If you address it to your "My Customers" Circle it's a business newsletter.

If you address it to a single person, it can be a letter to your mother.

That's a darn good start. Now let's refine it.

If you're addressing something to the public, it doesn't have to be a blog post. It can be anything that you think is interesting and you want to share with the world.

Just keep in mind that if you want to keep people reading your words show some sense about what you post. For example, I can already tell you that a lot of Google+ users are already sick and tired of animated GIF graphics-no matter how cute they are.

You can divide up "Your Circles" in several ways. The basics, as I see it are: personal; work; and interests. A personal circle is just what it sounds like: Friends, Close Friends, and Family. You get the idea.

Work circles get more interesting. You could have everyone in your company in a circle; your workgroup in another, the guys you're plotting to take over the company with another... oh did I say that?

Or, you can have work circles of business partners, press who cover your company, or customers. That's what the CEO of Seesmic, a social media company, did for Salesforce. This Google+ Salesforce experiment appears to have worked very well indeed.

I can see this working in other ways. Perhaps a customer support circle in addition to your other customer support forums? Or, you could also try Google+'s Hangouts, Google Plus' built-in video-conferencing, for business meetings or technical support. The last isn't my idea by the way, It's Michael Dell's, CEO of Dell, notion.

Dell, I might add, has floated this idea in his public circle. So, it seems to both myself and Mr. Dell that you can also use business circles for basic marketing research.

Last, but not least, you can set up circles by interests. Want to hang out with your colleagues? Listen to other people who like Shih-Tzu dogs, like yours truly and Bill Gates? Suffer with fellow Chicago Cub fans? Just find like-minded people and set up a circle.

At the moment, Google+ circles aren't ideal for interest circles. For example, if you were to follow me in a dog-lovers circle, I might only mention pups once every other day or two. It's my understanding though that Google intends on making it easier to post by topics. I certainly hope they do.

I'm only touching the surface of what can be done with Google Circles here. In part, I'm doing this because I'm still getting the hang of this myself. The other part is that Google is far from done with circles yet. You can expect big changes in circles in the next few weeks.

Read More

12 Tips And Tricks For Taking Amazing Instagram Photos

Instagram is one of our favorite apps of all time.

The popular photo (and now video!) sharing app makes it easy to share pictures and videos with friends and followers on most social networks.

Want your images to look awesome? Here are a few tips.

Always take pictures with your regular camera app first.

Taking pictures with the camera app will allow you get that perfect shot.

You'll also be able to take advantage of the iPhone's built in HDR function. The HDR function can be particularly useful for shots of still objects, landscapes outdoors, in sunny conditions, or high-contrast lighting situations.

Also, using your iPhone camera can save the original photo without filters in case you want to access them later.

But remember that your iPhone camera doesn't shoot in the 1:1 ratio used by Instagram, so you will have to crop your images. Keep that in mind when framing. Sometimes just taking a step back can give the perspective needed for when you crop the photo.

Get an awesome photo editing app. 

We recommend Snapseed. Snapseed makes photo editing simple. The app is full of features that let you do everything from adjust portions of your photo to center focus to grab attention.

If you want to put a filter over your photos and save them, but don't want to publish to your Instagram feed: put your phone in airplane mode and load the photos as you would normally.

Get a lens accessory.

There are many photo accessories to improve your shots and adding one to your phone will impress followers and help your photos to stand out from the rest. The one shown here is the Olloclip, one of our favorites. It has three lenses in one and is available online and at your local Apple Store.

Use hashtags, but not too many

Hashtags are great community builders and Instagram discovery tools. 

As community builders, hashtags link photos that share common interests, a shared phenomenon, or a pop-culture sensation. Searching hashtags can help you find images and Instagrammers you might enjoy. And using hashtags will help people find you and your photos. 

But try not to use too many hashtags. Some people will just hashtag all their pictures with any possible reference. 

Combine multiple photos.

Apps like Pic Stitch, Diptic, and Frame Magic make it easy to combine multiple photos into one. 

Follow people with shared interests.

There are hundreds of celebrities, influential people, and just regular folks with interesting perspectives that share awesome photos all the time.

Follow the celebrities and thought leaders you admire to get a glimpse into their lives and to get inspiration for your own photos

Also, using hashtags and tools like seeing what photos the people you follow have liked you can often find other Instagramers who have similar interests to you and who make great images. And if they are people who are interested in what you are interested in, they are more likely to find your feed cool and follow you back.

But, the best reason to find and follow interesting people is so that you will have a constant stream of interesting photos in your feed.

Don't post a picture of every single meal you eat. That gets old. There are too many brunch photos on Instagram anyway

After you've uploaded a photo but before you've selected a filter use the drop icon to blur a portion of your photo to give better focus on a subject.

  

If you don't like the border that comes with a filter tap the frame icon to remove it.

  

Need some suggestions on what to shoot? Follow @Instagram for recommendations with their weekly hashtag contests and user highlights.

  

Here's what to do if you want to save a picture you've already shared.

Facebook

1. From your profile, tap the “…” button below the photo you want to save.
2. Tap “Copy Share URL.”
3. Open Safari on your phone and paste the Share URL into your browser to open the photo’s webpage.
4. Tap and hold on the photo until the options bar pops up, then tap “Save image to library.”

Now check out Instagram's new video features ...

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How To Take A Really Good Instagram Video

Don't lie: Since Instagram launched its video functionality back in June, how many Instagram videos have you made worth posting? One? Two? Or — more likely — zero? We get it. Taking a pretty video (with or without a filter) is so much harder than just shooting a still snap, and you've seen enough badly shot, super-boring videos from some Instagram pic veterans to know that video operates on a different set of rules. We asked our own Instagram powerhouse, Piera Gelardi, to clue us into her golden rules for shooting your videos. Click through for the eight ways to ace those shots that are worth a double tap. 

Create A Story — If you've got some fun props and some willing friends, you can stage a silly short with a simple storyline. The trick is to think about the narrative in three shorts: the establishing shot, the zoom, and the reaction. 

Set The Scene At Shows — When you're at a concert of a show, it's easy to want to just film the main act, but sometimes what's going on in the crowd is just as arresting. Shoot yourself, your neighbors, and the setting to really capture the event. Pro tip: The black-and-white filter gives shows a really retro quality we love!

Take Advantage Of Sun Spots — Sometimes when you're shooting a pic of a scene and facing the sun, and notice that you're getting sun spots and flares...take a video instead. Pan slowly downward or sideways to get a cinematic shot that feels epic and romantic. 

Try Stop Motion — Have a fun product you want to show off in a special way? Try a stop-motion video. Make sure you have a buddy to move the object, as you keep your phone in the same place, or employ a flat, raised surface to ensure that you're getting a stone-still shot.

Switch Up Your Perspectives — Don't think you're rooted to the ground. If you've got time (or friends who'll delay their stunts a few seconds so you can scramble to a better vantage point), consider shooting one activity from different locations. 

Mimic A Professional Dolly — Whether you're on a moving walkway, a skateboard, a car, or an escalator (like Piera was in the case of this epic Atlantic City shot), a smooth vehicle will give you a dolly-like shot that makes panoramas more interesting.

Choose A Good Cover Frame — The cover frame is Instagram video's version of a first impression. Make sure you have a cover shot that would work by itself as a photo. Once your followers see the "Play" arrow on the center, it'll only be the icing on the cake! 

Bubbles Make Everything Better! — This isn't as much a tip as a personal preference, but Piera loves a good bubble shot. Follow a few lazy bubbles as they make their way skyward, or stand in a windy location and let 'er rip — it's always fun to watch!

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How To Use Instagram: 25 +1 Steps to Get 100 Likes In Just Minutes

Picture this! You are the only one not getting likes on your Instagram Photos. Now it is time to change that and learn how to use Instagram! You can easily get 100 Likes in Just Minutes by following the 25 +1 Steps Below!

Instagram statistics say the app has 90 million monthly users. Instagram also claims those 90 million people post 40 million photos per day and tap 8,500 likes per second. With statistics like this there is no reason not to be getting 100 Likes in a few minutes.

How To Use Instagram To Get 100 Likes In A Few Minutes:

1) Click on the Instagram App. Take an Instagram Photo by clicking the camera icon button. The button is located in the center of the bottom navigation menu. If you want to use a picture you have already taken click on the icon to the right to select a picture from Dropbox or the Gallery.

2) Crop the Photo to fit the Instagram size requirements. Select the double arrow next screen button in the upper right.

3) Select the filter you want to use. Don’t over think this. Normal filter is by far the most popular.

4) Hit the home tab on your phone. Go to the Google Play Store or Apple Store. Search and install the “TagsForLikes” App.

5) Open “TagsForLikes” App.

6) Select “Popular” from the Home Menu in the “TagsForLikes” App.

7) Select “Most Popular” from the SubMenu.

8) Select “Copy Tags”.

9) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the Instagram App and open it.

10) Press gently on the screen where it says “Add a caption” to the left of your photo.

11) Select “paste” to paste the Tags into that section.

12) Name the location where the picture was taken. This helps establish credibility and originality.

13) Click the green arrow at the upper right to post the photo.

14) WATCH the photo accumulate MANY likes!

15) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the “TagsForLikes” App.

16) Select ”Popular” from the Home Menu in the “TagsForLikes” App.

17) Now Select “2nd Popular” from the SubMenu.

18) Select “Copy Tags”.

19) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the Instagram App and open it.

20) Return back to the picture you took. Hit the Comments button. It looks like the word balloon to the right of the heart.

21) Click on the Pencil “Edit” button in the upper right hand corner.

22) Delete the old tags by clicking the red “X” to the left and tapping the red “delete” box.

23) Press gently in the empty box at the bottom of the phone screen.

24) Select “paste” and paste the New Tags into that section.

25) Select “Send”.

26) Watch while the photo accumulates even MORE Likes! Refresh to see the Likes as they come in.

REPEAT this process AGAIN AND AGAIN for even MORE Likes!

What other tips do you have on How To Use Instagram? What suggestions do you have for getting the most likes for your Instagram Photos? Leave your comments below! We want to hear from you.

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How To Use Instagram: 25 +1 Steps to Get 100 Likes In Just Minutes

Picture this! You are the only one not getting likes on your Instagram Photos. Now it is time to change that and learn how to use Instagram! You can easily get 100 Likes in Just Minutes by following the 25 +1 Steps Below!

Instagram statistics say the app has 90 million monthly users. Instagram also claims those 90 million people post 40 million photos per day and tap 8,500 likes per second. With statistics like this there is no reason not to be getting 100 Likes in a few minutes.

How To Use Instagram To Get 100 Likes In A Few Minutes:

1) Click on the Instagram App. Take an Instagram Photo by clicking the camera icon button. The button is located in the center of the bottom navigation menu. If you want to use a picture you have already taken click on the icon to the right to select a picture from Dropbox or the Gallery.

2) Crop the Photo to fit the Instagram size requirements. Select the double arrow next screen button in the upper right.

3) Select the filter you want to use. Don’t over think this. Normal filter is by far the most popular.

4) Hit the home tab on your phone. Go to the Google Play Store or Apple Store. Search and install the “TagsForLikes” App.

5) Open “TagsForLikes” App.

6) Select “Popular” from the Home Menu in the “TagsForLikes” App.

7) Select “Most Popular” from the SubMenu.

8) Select “Copy Tags”.

9) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the Instagram App and open it.

10) Press gently on the screen where it says “Add a caption” to the left of your photo.

11) Select “paste” to paste the Tags into that section.

12) Name the location where the picture was taken. This helps establish credibility and originality.

13) Click the green arrow at the upper right to post the photo.

14) WATCH the photo accumulate MANY likes!

15) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the “TagsForLikes” App.

16) Select ”Popular” from the Home Menu in the “TagsForLikes” App.

17) Now Select “2nd Popular” from the SubMenu.

18) Select “Copy Tags”.

19) Hit the Home tab on your phone again. Return back to the Instagram App and open it.

20) Return back to the picture you took. Hit the Comments button. It looks like the word balloon to the right of the heart.

21) Click on the Pencil “Edit” button in the upper right hand corner.

22) Delete the old tags by clicking the red “X” to the left and tapping the red “delete” box.

23) Press gently in the empty box at the bottom of the phone screen.

24) Select “paste” and paste the New Tags into that section.

25) Select “Send”.

26) Watch while the photo accumulates even MORE Likes! Refresh to see the Likes as they come in.

REPEAT this process AGAIN AND AGAIN for even MORE Likes!

What other tips do you have on How To Use Instagram? What suggestions do you have for getting the most likes for your Instagram Photos? Leave your comments below! We want to hear from you.

Read More