{"id":1782,"date":"2012-04-19T20:04:45","date_gmt":"2012-04-20T02:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chrissniderdesign.com\/blog\/?p=1782"},"modified":"2012-04-19T20:04:45","modified_gmt":"2012-04-20T02:04:45","slug":"8-reasons-to-give-google-a-second-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrissniderdesign.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/19\/8-reasons-to-give-google-a-second-look\/","title":{"rendered":"8 reasons to give Google+ a second look"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like many people, I signed up for for the social network Google+ as soon as I could get an invite. And like most people, I rarely check in these days.<\/p>\n

But I do believe that Google+ has a strong future. In an effort to get my social media strategies class<\/a> excited about Google+, I found some features I love about the social network.<\/p>\n

1. It makes other Google products better<\/h3>\n

From sorting your Gmail by circles<\/a> to seeing personalized search results<\/a> to author profiles showing up in Google News<\/a>, setting up your Google+ Circles adds a social layer to your overall Google experience.<\/p>\n

2. Instant Upload<\/h3>\n

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Turn on Instant Upload<\/a> in the Google+ app. When you take a photo with your mobile device, it will automatically be sent to a private album in Google+. From there, you can share it or just save it for later (you get unlimited memory to store photos on G+).<\/p>\n

3. Hangout effects<\/h3>\n

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Hangouts<\/a> (video chat with up to 10 people) are one of the coolest things on Google+. You watch YouTube videos together or share your screen with other chatters. You can also add a pirate hat or mustache to make your chats a little more fun. The coolest part if that when you move, your effects move with you. It’s magic!<\/p>\n

4. Ripples<\/h3>\n

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Ripples<\/a> show you how information is shared throughout Google+, and helps you find new people to follow. Click on the dropdown arrow next to a post, then click on ripples to see how far a post has traveled.<\/p>\n

5. Creative Kit<\/h3>\n

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It’s like a combination of Photoshop and Instagram. Creative Kit<\/a>\u00a0lets you edit your photos, make them look like they were taken with a retro camera, or add cool images (Frankenstein mask, beards) and text to your photos.<\/p>\n

6. Meme generator<\/h2>\n

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When you upload a photo to a post, press “add text” to turn it into a meme.<\/p>\n

7. Make text bold and italic<\/h3>\n

Facebook and Twitter don’t have this. Put an * around text that you want to post as bold<\/strong>. Put a _ around text you want to post as italic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

8. Edit posts after they go live<\/h3>\n

Typo? Gramatical problem? Just click on edit post and correct your post mistakes.<\/p>\n

More about Google+<\/h4>\n

Learn about the core features of Google+.<\/a><\/p>\n